Abstract 1478 Investigating Ahcy Protein Interacting Partners in Drosophila S2 Cells

Light exposure has been linked to ocular diseases, such as glaucoma and cataracts, by increasing oxidative stress and reactive oxygen species (ROS) within the eye. The Drosophila retina can be used as a model for light-induced oxidative stress because of its sensitivity to blue light-induced damage. We identified Adenosylhomocysteine (AHCY) as being oxidized on a critical C195 cysteine residue under blue light. AHCY is an essential tetrameric enzyme that functions in one-carbon metabolism to catalyze the breakdown of S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) into adenosine and homocysteine.