Pikachurin (PK)

Pikachurin is an extracellular matrix-like retinal protein first described in 2008 in Japan by Shigeru Sato et al., and named after Pikachu, the highly popular mascot of the Pokémon franchise. The protein is colocalized with both dystrophin and dystroglycan at the ribbon synapses. Pikachurin is a dystroglycan-interacting protein which has an essential role in the precise interactions between the photoreceptor ribbon synapse and the bipolar dendrites.The name of this "nimble" protein was inspired due to Pikachu's "lightning-fast moves and shocking electric effects".Since Pikachurin seems to provide better visual acuity, Sato et al. of the Osaka Bioscience Institute believe that the protein could be used to develop a treatment for retinitis pigmentosa and other eye disorders.