# Cellular Mechanisms of Photoreceptor Disk Morphogenesis

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · 2024 · $458,936

## Abstract

Project Summary
The photoreceptor cilium is the most elaborate of all primary cilia. Its plasma membrane is extensively
amplified to form a stack of disk membranes that contain a very high concentration of the visual receptor,
opsin. This stack of disks forms the photoreceptor outer segment, and its organization is central to visual
sensitivity and spatial resolution. The overall goal of the proposed research is to understand the cellular
mechanisms involved in the morphogenesis of the disk membranes.
 The research plan is built on the application of molecular tools, with the use of advanced microscopy,
including EM tomography and live-cell super-resolution microscopy, for high resolution, 3-D analysis. The
long-term goal of the proposed research is to provide a molecular understanding of photoreceptor disk
morphogenesis, including the mechanisms for delivering essential proteins to the site of membrane growth.
The Specific Aims will address unknown aspects of the ciliary localization of opsin, and the roles of disk
morphogenetic proteins in initiating lamellar growth, using both mouse rod photoreceptors in vivo and
cultures of cells bearing unspecialized cilia. Our findings will provide understanding of a key area of
photoreceptor cell biology. They will also be fundamental to our understanding of the pathogenesis of retinal
disease that ensues from perturbations of disk membrane morphogenesis.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10819594
- **Project number:** 5R01EY033035-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES
- **Principal Investigator:** DAVID S WILLIAMS
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $458,936
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-05-01 → 2026-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10819594

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10819594, Cellular Mechanisms of Photoreceptor Disk Morphogenesis (5R01EY033035-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10819594. Licensed CC0.

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