Significance
Retinal rod bipolar cells (RBCs), the second-order neurons of the mammalian rod visual pathway, are able to modulate their sensitivity to remain functional across a wide range of light intensities, from starlight to daylight. Evidence suggests that this modulation requires the serine/threonine kinase, PKCα, though the specific mechanism by which PKCα modulates RBC physiology is unknown. This study examined PKCα phosophorylation patterns in mouse rod bipolar cells and then used a phosphoproteomics approach to identify PKCα-dependent phosphoproteins in the mouse retina. A small number of retinal proteins showed significant PKCα-dependent phosphorylation, including BORG4 and TPBG, suggesting a potential contribution to PKCα-dependent modulation of RBC physiology.
