(Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science. 2000;41:2445-2455.)
© 2000
by The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Inc.
Cloning and Functional Characterization of Salamander Rod and Cone Arrestins
W. Clay Smith1,2,
Eugenia V. Gurevich4,
Donald R. Dugger1,
Sergey A. Vishnivetskiy3,
Charles L. Shelamer1,
J. Hugh McDowell1 and
Vsevolod V. Gurevich3
From the Departments of
1 Ophthalmology and
2 Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville;
3 Ralph and Muriel Roberts Laboratory for Vision Science; and
4 T. Christopher Center for Parkinsons Research, Sun Health Research Institute, Sun City, Arizona.
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Abstract
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PURPOSE. To clone, localize, and determine functional binding
characteristics of rod and cone arrestins from the retina of the tiger
salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum).
METHODS. Two arrestins from salamander retina were cloned on the basis of their
homology to known arrestins from other species. The expression pattern
of these arrestins (SalArr1 and SalArr2) in the retina was determined
by immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization. SalArr1 and SalArr2
were expressed and functionally characterized.
RESULTS. Both immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization show that SalArr1
and SalArr2 localized specifically to rod and cone photoreceptors,
respectively. SalArr1 demonstrated a characteristic high selectivity
for light-activated phosphorylated rhodopsin (P-Rh*) and significant
species selectivity, binding preferentially to amphibian rhodopsin over
bovine rhodopsin. Mutant constitutively active forms of SalArr1
demonstrated a 2- to 4-fold increase in P-Rh* binding (compared with
wild-type protein) and an even more dramatic (up to 25-fold) increase
in binding to unphosphorylated Rh* and dark P-Rh. Constitutively active
SalArr1 mutants also showed a reduced specificity for amphibian
rhodopsin. The ability of Escherichia coliexpressed
SalArr1, SalArr2, and an SalArr13A (L369A,V370A,F371A) mutant to bind
to frog Rh* and P-Rh* and to compete with tritiated SalArr1 for
amphibian P-Rh* was compared. SalArr1 and its mutant form bound to
amphibian P-Rh* with high affinity (Ki
= 179 and 74 nM, respectively), whereas the affinity of SalArr2 for
P-Rh* was substantially lower (Ki =
9.1 µM).
CONCLUSIONS. SalArr1 and SalArr2 are salamander rod and cone arrestins,
respectively. Crucial regulatory elements in SalArr1 are conserved and
play functional roles similar to those of their counterparts in bovine
rod arrestin. Rod and cone arrestins are relatively specific for their
respective receptors.
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Introduction
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Many types of cells transduce a signal across the cell membrane
to the cytoplasm where a response is mounted. Cells have devised a
number of mechanisms to accomplish this process, many of which rely on
specific receptor molecules that are matched to the particular
signaling agent. G proteincoupled receptors (GPCRs) are a ubiquitous
class of receptors responding to a wide variety of signals, including
light, odorant molecules, neurotransmitters, and
hormones.1
2
These receptors make seven passes through the
cell membrane and couple to heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide-binding
proteins (G proteins).
Rhodopsin is the prototypical GPCR, mediating the transduction of light
into a neural signal in all known visual systems. All eukaryotic visual
pigments are fundamentally the same, consisting of the apoprotein opsin
coupled to a retinoid chromophore. The absorption of a photon by
rhodopsin induces a series of conformational changes in the protein
that culminate in rhodopsin assuming its active conformation (Rh*). Rh*
then consecutively binds and activates dozens of molecules of visual G
protein, transducin.3
Rh* also serves as a substrate for
rhodopsin kinase.4
The incorporation of one or more
phosphates into rhodopsin COOH terminus yields phosphorylated
light-activated rhodopsin (P-Rh*), which is recognized by arrestin.
Arrestin binds to this form of rhodopsin with marked
selectivity.5
6
Tight binding of arrestin precludes
further transducin interaction, apparently by steric
exclusion,7
shutting down the signaling. Serious defects
in the shut-off mechanism due to the absence of either rhodopsin kinase
or arrestin itself in humans lead to Oguchi disease8
9
and
autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa,10
as well as
light-dependent retinal degeneration in transgenic
mice,11
12
13
underscoring the importance of a timely
shut-off for the function of photoreceptor cells.
Amphibian photoreceptors have served as a classic model for visual
studies, in part because of the robustness of the eye tissue once the
eye is opened. Salamander eyes have been very amenable to
electrophysiological studies, because single large photoreceptors can
be easily isolated. These cells provide stable recording for up to 48
hours, and the cells themselves can be maintained in culture for
several weeks.14
15
The salamander retina contains at
least two classes of rod photoreceptors, red and green. In addition,
there are at least three classes of cone photoreceptors, red, blue, and
ultraviolet.16
17
18
Red rod opsin19
and red
and blue cone opsins20
are the only molecules involved in
phototransduction in the salamander to have been cloned to date. In a
continuing effort to better understand the molecular basis of the
visual process, we have cloned two arrestins from the salamander retina
(SalArr1 and SalArr2) and characterized their cellular localization and
binding properties. Please note that to avoid the already considerable
confusion in the names of arrestin proteins, we have provisionally used
the names SalArr1 and SalArr2 for rod and cone arrestins,
respectively.
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Methods
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DNA Cloning
Frozen retinas from larval tiger salamanders (Ambystoma
tigrinum) in the aquatic phase were kindly provided by Sergei
Nikonov and Edward N. Pugh, Jr, (University of Pennsylvania,
Philadelphia). Poly(A)+ RNA was isolated from
four retinas (MicroQuick Prep; Pharmacia, Piscataway, NJ) and converted
to first-strand cDNA (First-Strand cDNA Synthesis kit; Pharmacia),
priming reverse transcription with 25 picomoles oligo(dT)
(5'-AACTGGAAGAATTCGCGGCCGCAGGAATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT). Arrestin cDNA
was amplified from this first-strand cDNA in polymerase chain reaction
(PCR), using degenerate oligonucleotide primers designed against
conserved arrestin sequences (PH127:
5'-GCIARRTTIGTRTCYTCRTG; PH129: 5'-GTIAYIYTICARCCIGSICC; PH130:
5'-GAYGGIGTIGTIYTIGTIGAYCC). For initial PCR we used 2 U
Tbr polymerase (PrimeZyme; Bio-Metra, Göttingen,
Germany) in 50 mM KCl, 10 mM Tris-HCl (pH 8.8), 0.1% Triton
X-100, 1.5 mM MgCl2, 0.2 mM dNTPs, and 30
picomoles of degenerate oligonucleotide primer (94°C, 45 seconds;
45°C, 1 minute; 72°C, 3 minutes; 35 cycles). Amplified products
were cloned into pCR2.1 (Invitrogen, San Diego, CA) and
sequenced.21
Exact oligonucleotide primers were designed
based on these clones for the amplification of the remainder of the
cDNAs. For each arrestin, at least two clones from independent PCR
samples were isolated and sequenced on both strands to confirm the
sequence.
After identifying the open reading frame (ORF) start and stop sequences
by conceptual translation, primers containing restriction sites were
designed to amplify the entire coding sequence. SalArr1 sense (PH336:
5'-GCGAATTCATGAGCACGAAGATGAGCAAGGCTG) and anti-sense (PH342:
5'-GCAAGCTTTCACAGCACCAACGTTGCGTTTG) primers, and SalArr2
sense (PH337: 5'-GCGAATTCCCATGGCGGACGGATCAAAAGTTTAC) and
anti-sense (PH335: 5'-GCAAGCTTCAATAGTACTCCCACGCTCTTCTGA) primers
were used in PCR with Pfu polymerase (Stratagene, La Jolla,
CA) to minimize DNA replication errors. These reactions were performed
in 10 mM KCl, 10 mM
(NH4)2SO4,
20 mM Tris-HCl (pH 8.75), 2 mM MgSO4, 0.1%
Triton X-100, 0.1 mg/ml bovine serum albumin (BSA), and 0.2 mM dNTPs
with 2.5 U Pfu polymerase.
The nucleotide sequences have been submitted to the GenBank/EMBL Data
Bank with accession numbers AF203327 (SalArr1) and AF203328
(SalArr2).
Sequence Comparison and Phyletic Analysis
Nucleotide and polypeptide sequences were aligned by computer
(PC-Gene; IntelliGenetics, Mountain View, CA). For the phyletic
reconstruction, all vertebrate arrestins, with arrestin from the
Caenorhabditis elegans as an outgroup, were aligned using
Clustal W.22
This alignment was then imported into
MEGA23
and the phylogenetic tree constructed using
neighbor-joining with p-distance and treating gaps in a pairwise
fashion.
Nonradioactive In Situ Hybridization Histochemistry Followed by
Indirect Immunofluorescence
The probes for in situ hybridization were prepared as follows. A
BglII-HindIII fragment (260 bp) of SalArr1 cDNA
and a BalI-HindIII (273 bp) fragment of SalArr2
cDNA were subcloned into a vector (pBluescript II KS; Stratagene)
digested with BamHI-HindIII and
SmaI-HindIII (constructs pSV1 and pSO1,
respectively). Antisense and sense (control) probes were generated
using T3 and T7 RNA polymerase, respectively. Salamanders were killed
by cervical transection, eyes removed, and eyecups immersed overnight
in cold 4% paraformaldehyde in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS; pH
7.2). After fixation, eyecups were cryoprotected in 30% sucrose and
frozen on dry ice. All procedures were performed using 20-µm-thick
sections cut on a cryostat and mounted on coated (Vectabond; Vector,
Burlingame, CA) slides. Slide-mounted, rather than free-floating,
sections were used to preserve the morphology. Nonradioactive in situ
hybridization histology (ISHH) with digoxigenin-labeled probes was
performed essentially as described earlier.24
A mixture of
nitroblue tetrazolium (0.34 mg/ml) and 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl
phosphate (0.17 mg/ml; NBT/BCIP) (BoehringerMannheim, Indianapolis,
IN) was used as a substrate. When the color developed, the sections
were washed in Tris-EDTA, blocked as described,24
and
incubated with F4C1 monoclonal antibody25
(1:500)
overnight at 4°C. This antibody readily recognizes SalArr2 and does
not recognize SalArr1 on Western blot analysis (Fig. 3)
. The sections
were subsequently incubated with biotinylated secondary anti-mouse
antibody (1:200; Vector) for 1 hour at room temperature, followed by
avidin D conjugated with fluorescein, (1:100; Vector). Sections were
imaged on a confocal microscope (Olympus, Lake Success, NY) in
dual-channel mode. One channel registered fluorescence at 488 nm to
visualize fluorescein, and the second channel used transmitted light to
visualize mRNA reaction product.

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Figure 3. Localization of SalArr1 (pSV1) and SalArr2 (pSO1) mRNA in the
salamander retina. (A, B) Bright-field
microphotographs of the salamander retina stained for pSV1
(A) or pSO1 (B) mRNA. The sections were not
counterstained. mRNA is seen as dark blue-purple product of
alkaline phosphatase reaction. Both mRNA species were localized to the
photoreceptor layer. pSV1 reaction product was deposited in a layer
parallel to the retinal surface that runs almost uninterrupted between
the outer and inner segment layers (arrow in A).
pSO1 reaction product were represented by discrete small columns of
color product perpendicular to the retinal surface (arrows
in B point to examples). (C, D)
Digital overlaps of low power confocal images collected in the
dual-channel mode. One channel was set to register fluorescein
fluorescence (green) and the second to register transmitted
light (gray). In these photographs mRNA appears
black. Nonradioactive ISHH for (C) SalArr1 mRNA
(bright field) and for (D) SalArr2 mRNA (bright field)
overlaid with SalArr2-specific immunohistochemistry (green).
SalArr1 mRNA and F4C1 immunoreactivity did not overlap but instead
localized to separate populations of cells. In contrast, SalArr2 mRNA
and F4C1 immunoreactivity were localized to the same cells.
(E) Cells stained with F4C1 antibody displayed the
morphology of cones. Free-floating 40-µm-thick sections were used in
this experiment to demonstrate the morphology of immunoreactive
cells. The highest concentration of F4C1 immunoreactivity was found
in the proximal portion of the cone outer segment. (F)
High-power confocal image displaying an overlap of SalArr2 mRNA
and F4C1 immunoreactivity. SalArr2 mRNA was localized to the
proximal portion of the cone outer segments that also had the
highest concentration of SalArr2 protein. In this case immunoreactivity
is somewhat inhibited compared with cells displayed in (E),
because mRNA product interferes with the immunoreaction. However,
colocalization of the two stains is evident. RPE, retinal pigment
epithelium; OS, outer segments; IS, inner segments; OPL, outer
plexiform layer (denoted with asterisks); INL, inner
nuclear layer; IPL, inner plexiform layer; GCL, ganglionic cell
layer.
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Expression of Arrestins
SalArr1 and SalArr2 cDNAs were excised from pCR2.1 with
BspHI-HindIII and
NcoI-HindIII, respectively, and subcloned into
the NcoI-HindIII digested pG2S6I26
for in vitro transcription and into pTrcHisB (Invitrogen) for
expression in Escherichia coli. In vitro transcription was
performed, as described.26
Translation using rabbit
reticulocyte lysate (RRL) was performed as described6
in
70% RRL, 120 mM potassium acetate, 30 mM creatine phosphate, 160
µg/ml creatine kinase, 200 U/ml RNasin, 0.1 µg/ml pepstatin, 0.1
µg/ml leupeptin, 0.1 mg/ml soybean trypsin inhibitor, 5 mM cyclic
adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), 50 µM of 19 unlabeled amino acids, 40
to 50 µM [14C]leucine (14,00035,000
disintegrations per minute [dpm]/µl), and 0.3 to 0.4 µM
[3H]leucine (800,0001,000,000 dpm/µl;
leucine-specific activity 1025 Ci/mmol). Translation was performed
using 150 µg/ml of mRNA with an idealized 5'-untranslated region
(UTR)26
at 22°C for 2 hours. Adenosine triphosphate
(ATP) and guanosine triphosphate (GTP; 1 mM each) were added followed
by incubation for 7 minutes at 22°C (runoff). Samples were cooled on
ice, and all aggregated proteins were pelleted by centrifugation
(200,000g, 60 minutes, 4°C; model TLA100.1; Beckman,
Berkeley, CA). Supernatants were stored at -80°C. Yields were
determined using the amount of [3H] or
[14C]leucine incorporated into hot
trichloroacetic acid insoluble fraction.
Expression in E. coli (strain BL21) was performed
essentially as described for bovine arrestin.27
28
Purified arrestins were concentrated (YM-30) and stored in aliquots at
-80°C. SalArr1 and SalArr2 were detected with monoclonal antibodies
H11A2 and F4C1, respectively.25
Rhodopsin Preparation
Urea-stripped bovine rod outer segment (ROS) membranes were
prepared, phosphorylated with purified rhodopsin kinase, and
regenerated with 11-cis-retinal, as
described.29
Because large quantities of salamander
retinas are difficult to obtain, ROS from frogs (Rana
catesbeiana) were prepared as described30
to provide
an amphibian rhodopsin for binding assays. Frog rhodopsin was
phosphorylated using endogenous rhodopsin kinase or added purified
bovine rhodopsin kinase to an average stoichiometry of 0.9 or 3.4 and
6.4 moles phosphate per mole rhodopsin, respectively, and then
regenerated with 11-cis-retinal, as
described.30
Direct Binding Assay
This assay was performed essentially as
described.6
28
In vitro translated arrestins (100
femtomoles, specific activity 100140 Ci/mmol) were incubated in 50
µl of 50 mM HEPES-KOH (pH 7.5) 50 mM potassium acetate, 0.5 mM
MgCl2, 1.5 mM dithiothreitol (DTT) with 0.6 µg
of various functional forms of frog or bovine rhodopsin for 5 minutes
at 22°C. The samples were then cooled on ice and loaded onto 2-ml
Sepharose 2B columns equilibrated with 10 mM Tris-HCl (pH 7.4) and 100
mM NaCl buffer. Bound arrestin elutes with the receptor-containing
membranes in the void volume (between 0.5 and 1.1 ml). Nonspecific
binding (in the absence of rhodopsin) was subtracted.
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Results
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Cloning and cDNA Analysis
Degenerate oligodeoxynucleotide primers were designed against
sequences that are well conserved among all vertebrate visual and
nonvisual arrestins. Primer pairs PH130/PH127 and PH129/PH127 were used
to amplify cDNA from reverse-transcribed salamander
poly(A)+ RNA, resulting in the expected 700- and
500-bp products, respectively. The sequences of these fragments showed
the greatest similarity to members of the arrestin superfamily in the
GenBank database. The two sequences (designated SalArr1 and SalArr2)
share only 64% identity in the overlapping region. These two clones
were used to design exact oligonucleotide primers to amplify the
remaining 5' and 3' portions of the cDNAs.
SalArr1 cDNA (Fig. 1A
) is 1897 nucleotides in length, containing a single long ORF, where
there are two potential initiating ATG codons. Because both ATG codons
have Kozaks consensus sequence,31
32
we used the first
ATG as the initiating codon in the conceptual translation. The presence
of an in-frame stop codon upstream of the putative initiation codon
indicates that we obtained the 5' end of the ORF for this cDNA. The
absence of a consensus polyadenylation signal and the absence of a
strong polyadenylated region suggest that the 3'-UTR is incomplete.


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Figure 1. cDNA sequences (top) with conceptual translations
(bottom) of SalArr1 (A) and SalArr2
(B). In-frame stop codons in the 5'-UTRs in the DNA sequence
are bold and underlined. A consensus
polyadenylation signal is shown in bold in the 3'-UTR of
SalArr2. The sequence corresponding to the primers used to isolate
arrestin cDNAs is shaded. Primer designations are indicated
above the sequence. Amino acid residues that were mutated in
SalArr1 are indicated in bold.
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SalArr2 cDNA (Fig. 1B)
is 1641 nucleotides in length, containing a
single long ORF. Translation initiation for the conceptual polypeptide
is assumed to begin with the first ATG in the ORF. The nucleotides just
upstream of this initiating codon (AATC) agree well with Kozaks
consensus.31
32
There is an in-frame stop codon 18
nucleotides upstream from the putative initiating ATG and a consensus
polyadenylation signal 20 nucleotides upstream of the
poly(A)+ tail. These landmarks suggest that we
cloned the full-length cDNA for SalArr2. SalArr1 and SalArr2 ORFs show
63.9% identity.
Polypeptide Comparison
SalArr1 encodes a 398amino acid protein with a predicted mass of
45,056 Da. SalArr2 codes for a 392amino acid protein with a predicted
molecular mass of 43,895 Da. SalArr1 and 2 polypeptides are only 57.1%
identical with each other. Both proteins, however, show conservation of
amino acids that are recognized as hallmarks of the arrestin
superfamily, particularly Arg-174 (SalArr1) and Arg-166 (SalArr2) which
are homologous to Arg-175 of bovine rod arrestin.33
This
arginine has been demonstrated to be a key element of arrestins
phosphate sensor.27
34
35
36
37
38
Phyletic comparisons indicate
that SalArr1 clusters with the amphibian rod arrestins and SalArr2
clusters with the amphibian cone arrestins (Fig. 2)
.


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Figure 2. Multiple alignment of vertebrate rod and cone arrestins. *Identical
amino acids. Amino acid positions for the bovine arrestin polypeptide
are indicated above the sequences. All sequences used in
the alignment were obtained from GenBank: human rod, X12453; mouse rod,
M24086; rat rod, X51781; bovine rod, J02955; dog rod, X98460; pig rod,
S82664; SalArr1, AF203327; Xenopus rod, P51477;
R. pipiens rod, U30269; R. catesbeiana
rod, U30267; killifish rod, AB002554; SalArr2, AF203328; R.
pipiens cone, U30270; R. catesbeiana cone,
U30268; Xenopus cone, L40463; human cone, S66793; and
killifish cone, AB002555.
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Tissue Distribution
Based on the polypeptide comparison and phyletic analysis, it
appears that SalArr1 and SalArr2 are probably rod and cone arrestins,
respectively. To verify that we cloned visual arrestins and to
conclusively identify the cell type with which each arrestin is
associated, we performed in situ localization, using probes that were
specific to the 3'-UTR of each cDNA. Both probes labeled the
photoreceptor layer (Figs. 3A
3B
). The SalArr1 probe (pSV1) labeled a virtually contiguous layer at
the junction of inner and outer segments of photoreceptors, whereas the
SalArr2 probe (pSO1) labeled individual widely separated cells at the
same level. The F4C1 antibody, which recognized SalArr2 and not SalArr1
(Fig. 4)
, labeled separated cells with typical cone morphology (Fig. 3C
3D
3E
3F)
. These same cells were clearly also labeled with pSO1 (Figs. 3D 3F)
, but not with the SalArr1 probe (Fig. 3C)
.

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Figure 4. Specificity of F4C1 antibody for cone arrestin SalArr2. Western blot of
bovine visual arrestin (lanes 1 and
4), SalArr2 (lanes 2 and
5), and SalArr1 (lanes 3
and 6) probed with F4C1 (lanes 1 through
3) and H11A2 (lanes 4 through
6) monoclonal antibodies, which in bovine arrestin
recognize epitopes (corresponding amino acid numbers indicated in
parenthesis) DGVVLVD (42-48) and NLASSTIIKE (305-314),
respectively.25
In SalArr1 and SalArr2 the sequences
homologous to F4C1 epitope are DGIVFVD
and DGVVLID, respectively (mismatches are italic),
whereas the sequences homologous to H11A2 epitope are
NLASSTLIKE and
NLASTTVIRP. Equivalent
amounts of lysate of overexpressing E. coli cells (14
µg protein/lane), each containing 10 ng of corresponding arrestin,
were loaded. Arrows: positions of markers. Note that
F4C1 recognized bovine arrestin and SalArr2 and did not recognize
SalArr1, whereas H11A2 recognized all three arrestins.
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Cell-Free Expression and Binding Characteristics
To test the binding characteristics of salamander arrestins, we
subcloned both ORFs under control of the SP6 promoter into pG2S6I
vector.6
This pGEM2-based vector adds an idealized 5'-UTR
to ORF that enhances translation efficiency.6
28
Both
constructs were linearized with HindIII (downstream from the
stop codon) and transcribed using SP6 RNA polymerase. The translation
of SalArr1 mRNA in rabbit reticulocyte lysate in the presence of
radiolabeled leucine yielded a single protein band with expected
electrophoretic mobility. To our surprise, the translation of
SalArr2 mRNA using the same standard method6
28
repeatedly failed to yield any product. To exclude any errors in the
ORF, we excised SalArr2 ORF from an expressing pTrc vector (see
description later) and subcloned it into pG2S6I. Transcription and
translation of this construct still failed to yield any product,
suggesting that SalArr2 does not fold properly in lysate (as a rule,
misfolded and denatured proteins in reticulocyte lysate are rapidly
degraded by abundant heat-shock proteases).28
Using in vitro translated proteins we compared bovine visual arrestin
and SalArr1 in the direct binding assay (Fig. 5A
). Bovine arrestin demonstrated characteristic highly selective binding
to P-Rh*, whereas SalArr1 did not bind appreciably to any functional
form of bovine rhodopsin. To test whether this apparent inactivity can
be explained by species specificity, we performed similar experiments
using frog rhodopsin with various stoichiometries of phosphorylation
(Figs. 5B
5C)
, because we were unable to obtain sufficient quantities
of salamander rhodopsin. Arrestins from both species bind to frog
rhodopsin, demonstrating the expected preference for P-Rh*. Both bovine
and salamander arrestin bind well to rhodopsin, which has just one
phosphate on average per rhodopsin molecule. Additional phosphorylation
(up to 6.4 moles phosphate per mole rhodopsin) does not substantially
change the binding.

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Figure 5. Binding selectivity of salamander rod arrestin, SalArr1. Indicated in
vitro translated arrestins (50 femtomole; specific activities 120 to
150 Ci/mmol) were incubated in 50 µl of 50 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.5, 0.5
mM MgCl2, 1.5 mM dithiothreitol, 50 mM potassium acetate
under room light or in the dark for 5 minutes at 22°C with 0.3 µg
of rhodopsin kinase phosphorylated or unphosphorylated bovine
(A) or frog (B, C) rhodopsin. The stoichiometry
of phosphorylation for bovine rhodopsin was 1.6 ± 0.1 moles
phosphate per mole rhodopsin; for frog rhodopsin, as indicated. The
samples were then cooled on ice and loaded at 4°C onto 2-ml Sepharose
2B columns, equilibrated with 10 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.4, 100 mM NaCl.
Bound labeled arrestins eluted with receptor-containing membranes in
the void volume (between 0.5 and 1.1 ml) and the radioactivity was
quantified in a liquid scintillation counter. Means ± SD of two
to three experiments performed in duplicate are presented.
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Several elements in bovine arrestin have been found to be responsible
for its strict selectivity toward P-Rh*.6
29
34
35
36
37
38
To
test whether the mechanism ensuring the selectivity for P-Rh* is
conserved in SalArr1 we introduced several mutations (homologous
mutations in bovine arrestin shown in parentheses): R174E (R175E) and
E373Ter (E379Ter) and 3A mutations L369A,V370A, and F371A (F375A,V376A,
and F377A). The mutants were then tested in the direct binding assay
with bovine and frog rhodopsin (Figs. 6A
6B
). All these mutations substantially increase SalArr1 binding to
P-Rh* and to a proportionally greater extent to dark P-Rh and
unphosphorylated Rh* (Fig. 6B)
.

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Figure 6. The effect of selected mutations on binding characteristics of
salamander rod arrestin, SalArr1. The binding of bovine visual
arrestin, SalArr1, and indicated mutants to four functional forms of
bovine (A) and frog (B) rhodopsin was determined
as described. Means ± SD of two experiments performed in
duplicate are presented.
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Expression of Salamander Arrestins in E. coli
Many functional assays require substantial quantities of purified
arrestin proteins that cannot be produced in cell-free
translation.27
28
To establish a preparative expression
system for both arrestins and to characterize SalArr2 that failed to
express in the in vitro translation, we subcloned the ORFs of both
salamander arrestins and that of SalArr1(3A) mutant into the
E. coli expression vector pTrcHisB. SalArr1,
SalArr2, and SalArr1(3A) expressed reasonably well in BL21 cells,
yielding after our standard purification procedure28
34,
5, and 2 mg of pure arrestin, respectively. To test the ability of
purified proteins to bind to frog rhodopsin, we used a centrifugation
assay6
with subsequent quantitative Western blot
analysis27
28
(Fig. 7)
. We found that 80% ± 5%, 82% ± 6%, and 44% ± 7% of SalArr1,
SalArr1(3A), and SalArr2, respectively, bound to 1.5 µg of frog
P-Rh*. Only SalArr1(3A) demonstrated substantial binding to Rh* (Fig. 7) , in agreement with our direct binding data (Fig. 6)
. To estimate the
percentage of functionally active arrestins in our preparations, we
performed similar experiments with 4.5 µg P-Rh* per assay, and found
that 100% ± 4%, 98% ± 5%, and 85% ± 3% of SalArr1,
SalArr1(3A), and SalArr2, respectively, bound under these conditions.
It is worth noting that comparable amounts of SalArr1 and SalArr1(3A)
mutant bound to 1.5 and 4.5 µg of P-Rh*, whereas the percentage of
bound SalArr2 increased dramatically with the threefold increase in
P-Rh* concentration. These data suggest that the affinity of SalArr1
for P-Rh* is substantially higher than that of SalArr2. Because 85% to
100% of E. coliexpressed arrestins were found to be
functionally active, we next attempted to obtain a more quantitative
estimate of their relative affinities for P-Rh* in a direct binding
assay. In this assay [3H]SalArr1 served as
radioligand, and purified E. coliexpressed arrestins
served as competing ligands (Figs. 8A
8B
). We also performed a similar series of experiments using
[3H]bovine visual arrestin (not shown). Under
the conditions used, SalArr1 and SalArr1(3A) inhibited
[3H]SalArr1 binding with
Ki of 179 ± 27 and 74 ± 12
nM, respectively (corresponding Ki for
the inhibition of [3H]bovine arrestin binding
were 540 ± 120 and 63 ± 9 nM, respectively). SalArr2
exhibited a dramatically lower affinity for frog P-Rh*, with
Ki for the inhibition of
[3H]SalArr1 and
[3H]bovine arrestin binding being 9.1 ±
3.3 and 25.7 ± 2.6 µM, respectively. Thus, regardless of the
radiolabeled arrestin used, the affinity of SalArr2 for frog P-Rh* was
approximately 50 times lower than that of SalArr1, in agreement with
results in centrifugation experiments.

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Figure 7. Functional characterization of purified SalArr1, SalArr1(3A) mutant,
and SalArr2. Each arrestin (500 ng) was incubated with 1.5 µg of frog
Rh* (lanes 1, 3, and
5) or P-Rh* (lanes 2, 4,
and 6) for 5 minutes at 22°C in 100 µl of binding
buffer. Rhodopsin-containing membranes with bound arrestin were then
separated from free arrestin by centrifugation
(200,000g, 30 minutes, 2°C) through a 0.2-ml cushion
of binding buffer with 0.2 M sucrose. The supernatants were carefully
aspirated, and the pellets were dissolved in 30 µl of sodium dodecyl
sulfate sample buffer. Three-microliter samples containing
membrane-bound SalArr1 (lanes 1 and 2),
SalArr1(3A) (lanes 3 and
4), and SalArr2 (lanes 5 and
6) were subjected to electrophoresis, transferred onto
polyvinylidene fluoride membrane, and visualized with H11A2
(lanes 1 through 4) or
F4C1 (lanes 5 and 6) primary
antibodies,25
horseradish peroxidaseconjugated goat
anti-mouse secondary antibodies, and enhanced chemiluminescence
reagent.
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Figure 8. Relative affinity of (A) SalArr1 and SalArr1(3A) mutant and
(B) SalArr2 for frog P-Rh*. Radiolabeled SalArr1 (50
femtomoles) was incubated in the presence of indicated concentrations
of arrestin (expressed in E. coli and purified) with 0.3
µg of phosphorylated (3.4 moles phosphate per mole rhodopsin) frog
rhodopsin under room light. Control binding of
[3H]SalArr1 in these experiments was 10 to 12
femtomoles. Means ± SD of two experiments performed in duplicate
are presented.
|
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 |
Discussion
|
|---|
Several lines of evidence indicate that SalArr1 and SalArr2 are
rod and cone arrestins, respectively. Sequence alignment shows that
SalArr1 and SalArr2 clustered with the amphibian rod and cone
arrestins, respectively (Fig. 2)
. Both in situ hybridization and
immunocytochemistry demonstrated that SalArr2 was expressed in
photoreceptor cells with cone morphology, whereas SalArr1 was expressed
in rods (Fig. 3)
. Each type of cells appeared to express only one of
these two arrestins. Of note, within rod cells SalArr1 mRNA was
concentrated in the distal part of the inner segment, whereas in cones,
SalArr2 message appeared to be localized in or near the proximal part
of the outer segment. In other words, in both types of photoreceptors,
arrestin message was localized right next to the compartment where
arrestin functions.
Binding Characteristics of SalArr1 and Key Structural Elements in
Its Molecule
SalArr1 had a clear preference for frog over bovine rhodopsin,
whereas bovine arrestin did not demonstrate significant species
specificity (Fig. 5)
. In bovine arrestin, mutations of the
phosphorylation-sensitive trigger Arg175, deletion of the arrestin COOH
terminus, as well as elimination of a cluster of bulky hydrophobic
residues FVF (375377) all yielded arrestin proteins with relatively
high binding to unphosphorylated Rh* and dark
P-Rh.6
29
34
35
36
37
Homologous mutations reduced the
selectivity of SalArr1 in the same fashion, suggesting that the
mechanisms responsible for arrestins preferential binding to P-Rh*
are conserved, at least among vertebrates. In sharp contrast to
wild-type SalArr1, the mutant forms of this protein also demonstrated
dramatically reduced species specificity, binding surprisingly well to
bovine rhodopsin, especially P-Rh* (Fig. 6A)
. It is worth noting that
mutation-induced increase of arrestin binding to frog P-Rh* paralleled
the increase of its binding to frog Rh* and dark P-Rh, as well as to
bovine P-Rh* (the order of potency being R174E < 3A <
1-373). All mutations increased the binding to frog Rh* to a
substantially greater degree than to bovine Rh*, so that in the case of
bovine rhodopsin, even SalArr1(1-373) was relatively selective for
P-Rh*.
We believe that these findings are best rationalized in the context of
a sequential multisite binding model.6
35
36
37
The model
posits that arrestin is kept in its basal low-affinity
conformation35
36
by several constraining intramolecular
interactions. All the mutations we introduced disrupt these
interactions in bovine arrestin29
35
36
37
and in SalArr1
(Fig. 6)
. Apparently, loosening of the basal state structure lowers the
threshold for arrestin transition into its active rhodopsin-binding
state, thus yielding constitutively active mutants. In wild-type
arrestins some of the interactions are disrupted as the result of
binding to phosphorylated rhodopsin COOH terminusothers as the result
of binding to elements of rhodopsin that change conformation on light
activation. All constraining interactions are simultaneously disrupted
only when arrestin encounters P-Rh*, allowing it to assume a
high-affinity receptor-binding state. The molecular mechanism ensuring
the preference of bovine arrestin for phosphorhodopsin has been
proposed recently with considerable experimental
support.34
35
36
37
There is a group of five (Arg175, Arg382,
Asp30, Asp296, and Asp303) buried, solvent-excluded, charged residues
(polar core) localized in the fulcrum of the two-domain arrestin
molecule.35
36
Mutations that neutralize or reverse the
charge of these residues relieve arrestins requirement for rhodopsin
phosphorylation, whereas combination charge-reversal mutations that
restore charge balance in the polar core also restore arrestin
selectivity for phosphorhodopsin.35
36
The binding of any
phosphorylation-independent mutant to Rh* predominantly reflects the
ability of light-activated rhodopsin to interact with the
activation-recognition site of arrestin (i.e., to pull an
activation-sensitive trigger).6
Thus, a homologous
receptor (e.g., amphibian rhodopsin) should be more effective in
inducing activation than a heterologous receptor (e.g., bovine
rhodopsin), promoting a substantially higher binding of constitutively
active mutant to Rh*. This is exactly what we observed with SalArr1
mutants (Fig. 6)
. Of note, similar receptor-specific binding to
unphosphorylated receptors in conjunction with more promiscuous binding
to phosphoreceptors was recently described for
phosphorylation-independent mutants of bovine visual arrestin and
ß-arrestin.38
Thus, species specificity of rod arrestins
from different organisms and receptor specificity of different
arrestins from the same organism appear to be determined by a common
mechanism: the quality of fit between arrestins
activationrecognition site and the parts of receptor that change
conformation on activation.
 |
Conclusions
|
|---|
We describe the cloning of two arrestins from salamander retina,
SalArr1 and SalArr2, that are expressed in rods and cones,
respectively. SalArr1 demonstrated characteristic preference for P-Rh*
over other functional forms of rhodopsin, as well as a strong
preference for frog (over bovine) P-Rh*. Targeted mutagenesis studies
of SalArr1 suggested that regulatory elements homologous to those
discovered in bovine arrestin play similar roles in ensuring SalArr1
selectivity for P-Rh*. In accord with its expression in cones, SalArr2
demonstrated an approximately 50-fold lower affinity for frog rhodopsin
than did SalArr1. Further immunocytochemical and functional studies are
necessary to elucidate whether both types of salamander rods express
SalArr1 and whether all types of cones express SalArr2.
 |
Acknowledgements
|
|---|
The authors thank Jeffrey L. Benovic for purified
rhodopsin kinase, Larry A. Donoso for monoclonal antibodies F4C1
and H11A2, Toshimichi Shinohara for bovine visual arrestin cDNA, and
Rosalie K. Crouch for 11-cis-retinal.
 |
Footnotes
|
|---|
Supported in part by Grants EY06225, EY06226, EY08571, and EY11500
(VVG) from the National Eye Institute and an unrestricted grant to the
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Florida, from Research to
Prevent Blindness. WCS is the recipient of a Career Development Award
from the Research to Prevent Blindness Foundation.
Submitted for publication January 12, 2000; revised March 8, 2000; accepted March 15, 2000.
Commercial relationships policy: N.
Corresponding author: Vsevolod V. Gurevich, Ralph and Muriel Roberts Laboratory for Vision Science, Sun Health Research Institute, Sun City, AZ 85351. vsevolod_gurevich{at}mail.sunhealth.org
 |
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