Rods and cones are retinal photoreceptor neurons required for our visual sensation. Because of their highly polarized structures and well-characterized processes of G protein-coupled receptor-mediated phototransduction signaling, these photoreceptors have been excellent models for studying the compartmentalization and sorting of proteins. Rods and cones have a modified ciliary compartment called the outer segment (OS) as well as non-OS compartments. The distinct membrane protein compositions between OS and non-OS compartments suggest that the OS is separated from the rest of the cellular compartments by multiple barriers or gates that are selectively permissive to specific cargoes. This review discusses the mechanisms of protein sorting and compartmentalization in photoreceptor neurons. Proper sorting and compartmentalization of membrane proteins are required for signal transduction and transmission. This review also discusses the roles of compartmentalized signaling, which is compromised in various retinal ciliopathies.
Keywords: ciliopathy; protein trafficking; rhodopsin mislocalization; rod and cone photoreceptor cells.