Progressive Rod Cone Degeneration (PRCD)

Progressive rod-cone degeneration (prcd) is a late-onset, autosomal recessive photoreceptor degeneration in dogs resulting from mutation in the Prcd gene.

The deduced 54-amino acid peptide has an N-terminal signal peptide and a C-terminal transmembrane domain. The first 28 amino acids of PRCD are completely conserved between human and dog. Epitope-tagged PRCD was expressed throughout the cytoplasm of transfected COS cells, with greatest labeling around the nucleus.Zangerl et al. (2006) determined that the PRCD gene contains 4 exons, the last of which is noncoding. Within the promoter region, PRCD has several putative TATA boxes and CAAT motifs, as well as binding sites for 36 different transcription factors.