Normal physiology and retinal degeneration in the Drosophila visual system

The Drosophila genetic system has been exploited to identify and analyze many genes that are responsible for the specialized cellular processes and biochemical mechanisms of the photoreceptor cell. The results establish that disruption of many different cellular processes can trigger retinal degeneration. The rhodopsin gene family provides an example in which mutations are known to trigger retinal degeneration in both vertebrates and invertebrates. The Drosophila research has established that dominant rhodopsin mutations disrupt the protein maturation process. This review emphasizes the unique and powerful experimental approaches of Drosophila that are being applied towards understanding the many causes of retinal degeneration.