Guanylate Cyclase Activator 1A, Retina (GUCA1A)

GUCA1A plays a role in the recovery of retinal photoreceptors from photobleaching. In the recovery phase, the phototransduction messeneger cGMP is replenished by retinal guanylyl cyclase-1 (GC1). GC1 is activated by decreasing Ca(2+) concentrations following photobleaching.

The protein encoded by this gene, guanylyl cyclase activating protein 1 (GCAP1), mediates the sensitivity of GC1 to Ca(2+) concentrations. GCAP1 promotes activity of GC1 at low Ca(2+) concentrations and inhibits GC1 activity at high Ca(2+) concentrations. Mutations in this gene cause autosomal dominant cone dystrophy (COD3); a disease characterized by reduced visual acuity associated with progressive loss of color vision.