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Vision Cycle Proteins: Their Function, Structure and Links to Retinal Disease
Author(s) -
Tsin Andrew
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.2018.32.1_supplement.376.1
Subject(s) - visual phototransduction , retinitis pigmentosa , macular degeneration , retinal degeneration , disease , neuroscience , biology , retina , retinal , blindness , medicine , ophthalmology , optometry , pathology
There are many structural and functional disorders of the eye. The human eye demands a large percentage of the metabolic needs of the body compared to other tissues. Inherent in this demand is the function of the retina and its conversion of light to electrical impulses which are partially processed in the retina and then sent on to the brain where they are interpreted as a visual image. The conversion of light to electrical impulses has been heavily studied, but many mysteries remain in the explanation of the structure of molecules involved and their functional role in retinal disease. In this mini‐review, the first goal is to provide a current understanding of the biochemical and molecular events of vision cycle molecules in normal function and disease. Selected enzymes and binding proteins will be highlighted for their roles in the visual cycle. Genetic mutations and malfunctions of these proteins provide etiological evidence for many ocular diseases from anomalies of retinoid (vitamin A) metabolism and mutation of visual cycle proteins. Genetic retinal diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa, and Lebers congenital amaurosis are linked to changes in the structure of the molecules involved in the vision cycle. Further explanation will be given on how vision cycle proteins and their derivatives play a role in age‐related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD is the leading cause of blindness in individuals 50 years and older. Recently vision cycle proteins have been found to play a role in diabetic eye disease. While cures for these maladies remains elusive progress has been made on many of these fronts. Basic science has offered the ground work for potential strategies in curing many of these blinding afflictions, but much work remains. Some of these strategies have advanced to the stage of clinical trials, but many are not yet at that stage, and still more are only ideas yet to be elucidated in the laboratory. Some examples of these will be discussed. Recent and future understanding of the vision cycle will afford novel intervention strategies to preserve human vision and to treat blindness. Support or Funding Information Support by The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal .