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Bumsted-O'Brien KM, Hendrickson A, Haverkamp S, Ashery-Padan R, Schulte D. Expression of the homeodomain transcription factor Meis2 in the embryonic and postnatal retina. J Comp Neurol 2008; 505:58-72. [PMID: 17729288 DOI: 10.1002/cne.21458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Members of the Meis subfamily of homeodomain-containing transcription factors play important roles during development and disease. Here we report that the Meis family protein Meis2 is expressed by a subpopulation of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic amacrine (AM) cells in the adult and embryonic retina of different vertebrate species. In mice, Meis2-expressing (Meis2+) AM cells are not cholinergic or dopaminergic, but some are immunoreactive for neuronal nitric oxide synthase (bNOS). About 50% of the mouse Meis2+ AM cell population expresses the calcium-binding protein calretinin, and some Meis2+ AM cells show characteristics of Type II CD-15+ cells. AM cell expression of Meis2 is lost in a conditional knockout mouse model for Pax6, indicating a dependency upon Pax6. Bromodeoxyuridine pulse labeling experiments and immunohistochemical staining for the neuronal marker NeuN in embryonic mouse retinae indicate that Meis2 is an early marker for newly postmitotic AM cells. In addition, taking advantage of the protracted retinal development in humans, we show that newly generated AM cells express Meis2 before adopting the GABAergic or glycinergic neurotransmitter phenotype. As development proceeds, some AM cells lose Meis2 expression concomitantly with the appearance of glycine, while other AM cells retain Meis2 expression after they express GABA. These data identify Meis2 as a suitable marker for the study of AM cell diversity and development in addition to providing evidence for the stepwise specification of the glycinergic and GABAergic neurotransmitter phenotypes during AM cell differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keely M Bumsted-O'Brien
- Department of Neuroanatomy, Max-Planck-Institute for Brain Research, Deutschordenst. 46, 60218 Frankfurt, Germany
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52
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Fujieda H, Sasaki H. Expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in cholinergic and dopaminergic amacrine cells in the rat retina and the effects of constant light rearing. Exp Eye Res 2007; 86:335-43. [PMID: 18093585 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2007.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2007] [Revised: 10/26/2007] [Accepted: 11/08/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) regulates many aspects of neuronal development, including survival, axonal and dendritic growth and synapse formation. Despite recent advances in our understanding of the functional significance of BDNF in retinal development, the retinal cell types expressing BDNF remains poorly defined. The goal of the present study was to determine the localization of BDNF in the mammalian retina, with special focus on the subtypes of amacrine cells, and to characterize, at the cellular level, the effects of constant light exposure during early postnatal period on retinal expression of BDNF. Retinas from 3-week-old rats reared in a normal light cycle or constant light were subjected to double immunofluorescence staining using antibodies to BDNF and retinal cell markers. BDNF immunoreactivity was localized to ganglion cells, cholinergic amacrine cells and dopaminergic amacrine cells, but not to AII amacrine cells regardless of rearing conditions. Approximately 75% of BDNF-positive cells in the inner nuclear layer were cholinergic amacrine cells in animals reared in a normal lighting condition. While BDNF immunoreactivity in ganglion cells and cholinergic amacrine cells was significantly increased by constant light rearing, which in dopaminergic amacrine cells was apparently unaltered. The overall structure of the retina and the density of ganglion cells, cholinergic amacrine cells and AII amacrine cells were unaffected by rearing conditions, whereas the density of dopaminergic amacrine cells was significantly increased by constant light rearing. The present results indicate that cholinergic amacrine cells are the primary source of BDNF in the inner nuclear layer of the rat retina and provide the first evidence that cholinergic amacrine cells may be involved in the visual activity-dependent regulation of retinal development through the production of BDNF. The present data also suggest that the production or survival of dopaminergic amacrine cells is regulated by early visual experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Fujieda
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan.
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53
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Bassett EA, Pontoriero GF, Feng W, Marquardt T, Fini ME, Williams T, West-Mays JA. Conditional deletion of activating protein 2alpha (AP-2alpha) in the developing retina demonstrates non-cell-autonomous roles for AP-2alpha in optic cup development. Mol Cell Biol 2007; 27:7497-510. [PMID: 17724084 PMCID: PMC2169054 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.00687-07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Activating protein 2alpha (AP-2alpha) is known to be expressed in the retina, and AP-2alpha-null mice exhibit defects in the developing optic cup, including patterning of the neural retina (NR) and a replacement of the dorsal retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) with NR. In this study, we analyzed the temporal and spatial retinal expression patterns of AP-2alpha and created a conditional deletion of AP-2alpha in the developing retina. AP-2alpha exhibited a distinct expression pattern in the developing inner nuclear layer of the retina, and colocalization studies indicated that AP-2alpha was exclusively expressed in postmitotic amacrine cell populations. Targeted deletion of AP-2alpha in the developing retina did not result in observable retinal defects. Further examination of AP-2alpha-null mutants revealed that the severity of the RPE defect was variable and, although defects in retinal lamination occur at later embryonic stages, earlier stages showed normal lamination and expression of markers for amacrine and ganglion cells. Together, these data demonstrate that, whereas AP-2alpha alone does not play an intrinsic role in retinogenesis, it has non-cell-autonomous effects on optic cup development. Additional expression analyses showed that multiple AP-2 proteins are present in the developing retina, which will be important to future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin A Bassett
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 3Z5, Canada
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54
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Jin Y, Zhong YM, Yang XL. Natriuretic peptides are localized to rat retinal amacrine cells. Neurosci Lett 2007; 421:106-9. [PMID: 17566658 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2007.05.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2007] [Revised: 04/16/2007] [Accepted: 05/11/2007] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Natriuretic peptides (NPs) may act as neuromodulators through activation of three specific receptor subtypes (NPRs). In the present study we examined the expression of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), and C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) on different subtypes of retinal amacrine cells (ACs) in rat by immunofluorescence double labeling. All three NPs were moderately expressed in dopaminergic and cholinergic ACs, stained by tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), respectively. The immunostaining appeared on the membrane, cytoplasm and somatodendritic compartments of these ACs. In AII glycinergic ACs, labeled by parvalbumin (PV), however, only faint punctate staining, if any, was seen. These results suggest that NPs could be produced in ACs and play a neuromodulatory role in the inner retina. Together with a previous immunocytochemical study, showing that NPR-B is present in cultured rat GABAergic ACs, our results further suggest that NPs produced in ACs may also modulate their own activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Jin
- Institute of Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science and State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Fudan University, 138 Yixueyuan Road, Shanghai 200032, PR China
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55
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Lakowski J, Majumder A, Lauderdale JD. Mechanisms controlling Pax6 isoform expression in the retina have been conserved between teleosts and mammals. Dev Biol 2007; 307:498-520. [PMID: 17509554 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2007.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2006] [Revised: 03/16/2007] [Accepted: 04/12/2007] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The Pax6 gene plays several roles in retinal development, including control of cell proliferation, maintenance of the retinogenic potential of progenitor cells, and cell fate specification. Emerging evidence suggests that these different aspects of Pax6 gene function are mediated by different isoforms of the Pax6 protein; however, relatively little is known about the spatiotemporal expression of Pax6 isoforms in the vertebrate retina. Using bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) technology, we modified a zebrafish Pax6a BAC such that we could distinguish paired-containing Pax6a transcripts from paired-less Pax6a transcripts. In the zebrafish, the spatial and temporal onset of expression of these transcripts suggests that the paired-less isoform is involved in the cell fate decision leading to the generation of amacrine cells; however, because of limitations associated with transient transgenic analysis, it was not feasible to establish whether this promoter was active in all amacrine cells or in a specific population of amacrine cells. By making mice transgenic for the zebrafish Pax6a BAC reporter transgene, we were able to show that paired-containing and paired-less Pax6a transcripts were differentially expressed in amacrine subpopulations. Our study also directly demonstrates the functional conservation of the regulatory mechanisms governing Pax6 transcription in teleosts and mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jörn Lakowski
- Department of Cellular Biology, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
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56
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Lundmark PO, Pandi-Perumal SR, Srinivasan V, Cardinali DP. Role of melatonin in the eye and ocular dysfunctions. Vis Neurosci 2007; 23:853-62. [PMID: 17266777 DOI: 10.1017/s0952523806230189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2006] [Accepted: 08/02/2006] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Melatonin is a ubiquitous molecule and widely distributed in nature, with functional activity occurring in unicellular organisms, plants, fungi, and animals. Several studies have indicated that melatonin synthesis occurs in the retina of most vertebrates, including mammals. The retinal biosynthesis of melatonin and the mechanisms involved in the regulation of this process have been extensively studied. Circadian clocks located in the photoreceptors and retinal neurons regulate melatonin synthesis in the eye. Photoreceptors, dopaminergic amacrine neurons, and horizontal cells of the retina, corneal epithelium, stroma endothelium, and the sclera all have melatonin receptors, indicating a widespread ocular function for melatonin. In addition, melatonin is an effective antioxidant which scavenges free radicals and up-regulates several antioxidant enzymes. It also has a strong antiapoptotic signaling function, an effect that it exerts even during ischemia. Melatonin cytoprotective properties may have practical implications in the treatment of ocular diseases, like glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Per O Lundmark
- Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Buskerud University College, Kongsberg, Norway
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57
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Kao YH, Sterling P. Displaced GAD65 amacrine cells of the guinea pig retina are morphologically diverse. Vis Neurosci 2007; 23:931-9. [PMID: 17266785 DOI: 10.1017/s0952523806230293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2006] [Accepted: 10/30/2006] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The ganglion cell layer of mammalian retina contains numerous amacrine cells. Many belong to one type, the cholinergic starburst cell, but the other types have not been systematically identified. Using a new method to target sparsely represented cell types, we filled about 200 amacrine neurons in the ganglion cell layer of the guinea pig visual streak and identified 11 types. Ten of these resemble types identified in other species with somas in the inner nuclear layer, but one type has not been previously reported. Most of the types and nearly all the injected cells (95%) arborized low in the synaptic layer where they would co-stratify with various classes of ON ganglion cell. The displaced somas (7% of all amacrine cells) thus represent a heterogeneous pool, which are relatively accessible for study of their interactions with ON ganglion cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yen-Hong Kao
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6058, USA
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58
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Ke JB, Zhong YM. Expression of somatostatin receptor subtype 5 in rat retinal amacrine cells. Neuroscience 2007; 144:1025-32. [PMID: 17156933 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2006.10.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2006] [Revised: 10/27/2006] [Accepted: 10/27/2006] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Somatostatin (SRIF), as a neuroactive peptide in the CNS, exerts its actions via five subtypes of specific receptors (ssts). In this work, the localization of sst(5) was studied immunocytochemically in rat retinal amacrine cells (ACs). Labeling for sst(5) was diffusely distributed throughout the full thickness of the inner plexiform layer (IPL) and formed two distinct fluorescence bands in the distal part of the IPL. Double labeling experiments showed that sst(5) was expressed in GABAergic ACs. It was further shown that labeling for sst(5) was observed in both dopaminergic and cholinergic ACs, stained by tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), respectively. The immunostaining appeared mainly on the cell membranes and somatodendritic compartments of these ACs. For the cholinergic ACs, weak sst(5)-immunoreactivity was also observed in the processes terminating in the IPL. In contrast, no sst(5)-immunoreactivity was found in glycinergic AII ACs, stained by parvalbumin (PV). Furthermore, labeling for SRIF was co-localized with sst(5) in both dopaminergic and cholinergic ACs. These results suggest that sst(5) may serve as an autoreceptor or conventional receptor in retinal ACs.
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Affiliation(s)
- J-B Ke
- Institute of Neurobiology and Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, 138 Yixueyuan Road, Shanghai 200032, PR China
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59
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Firth SI, Feller MB. Dissociated GABAergic retinal interneurons exhibit spontaneous increases in intracellular calcium. Vis Neurosci 2006; 23:807-14. [PMID: 17020635 DOI: 10.1017/s095252380623013x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2006] [Accepted: 06/13/2006] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Early in development, before the retina is responsive to light, neurons exhibit spontaneous activity. Recently it was demonstrated that starburst amacrine cells, a unique class of neurons that secretes both GABA and acetylcholine, spontaneously depolarize. Networks comprised of spontaneously active starburst cells initiate correlated bursts of action potentials that propagate across the developing retina with a periodicity on the order minutes. To determine whether other retinal interneurons have similar “pacemaking” properties, we have utilized cultures of dissociated neurons from the rat retina. In the presence of antagonists for fast neurotransmitter receptors, distinct populations of neurons exhibited spontaneous, uncorrelated increases in intracellular calcium concentration. These increases in intracellular calcium concentration were sensitive to tetrodotoxin, indicating they are mediated by spontaneous membrane depolarizations. By combining immunofluorescence and calcium imaging, we found that 44% of spontaneously active neurons were GABAergic and included starburst amacrine cells. Whole cell voltage clamp recordings in the absence of antagonists for fast neurotransmitters revealed that after 7 days in culture, individual retinal neurons receive bursts of GABA-A receptor mediated synaptic input with a periodicity similar to that measured in spontaneously active GABAergic neurons. Low concentrations of GABA-A receptor antagonists did not alter the inter-burst interval despite significant reduction of post-synaptic current amplitude, indicating that pacemaker activity of GABAergic neurons was not influenced by network interactions. Together, these findings indicate that spiking GABAergic interneurons can function as pacemakers in the developing retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sally I Firth
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
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60
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Tian M, Yang XL. C-type natriuretic peptide modulates glutamate receptors on cultured rat retinal amacrine cells. Neuroscience 2006; 139:1211-20. [PMID: 16600513 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2006.02.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2005] [Revised: 02/08/2006] [Accepted: 02/23/2006] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
C-type natriuretic peptide, widely distributed in the CNS, may work as a neuromodulator. In this work, we investigated modulation by C-type natriuretic peptide of functional properties of glutamate receptors in rat retinal GABAergic amacrine cells in culture. Immunocytochemical data revealed that natriuretic peptide receptor-B was strongly expressed on the membrane of cultured GABAergic amacrine cells. By whole cell recording techniques we further identified the glutamate receptor expressed on the GABAergic amacrine cells as an AMPA-preferring subtype. Incubation with C-type natriuretic peptide suppressed the AMPA receptor-mediated current of these cells in a dose-dependent manner by decreasing the efficacy and apparent affinity for glutamate. The effect of C-type natriuretic peptide was reversed by HS-142-1, a guanylyl cyclase-coupled natriuretic peptide receptor-A/B antagonist. Meanwhile, the selective natriuretic peptide receptor-C agonist cANF did not change the glutamate current. In conjunction with the immunocytochemical data, these results suggest that the C-type natriuretic peptide effect may be mediated by natriuretic peptide receptor-B. Furthermore, incubation of retinal cultures in the C-type natriuretic peptide-containing medium elevated cGMP immunoreactivity in the GABAergic amacrine cells, and the C-type natriuretic peptide effect on the glutamate current was mimicked by application of 8-Br-cGMP. It is therefore concluded that C-type natriuretic peptide may modulate the glutamate current by increasing the intracellular concentration of cGMP in these cells via activation of natriuretic peptide receptor-B.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Tian
- Institute of Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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61
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Kielczewski JL, Pease ME, Quigley HA. The effect of experimental glaucoma and optic nerve transection on amacrine cells in the rat retina. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2005; 46:3188-96. [PMID: 16123418 PMCID: PMC1236985 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.05-0321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To detect alterations in amacrine cells associated with retinal ganglion cell (RGC) depletion caused by experimental optic nerve transection and glaucoma. METHODS Intraocular pressure (IOP) was elevated unilaterally in 18 rats by translimbal trabecular laser treatment, and eyes were studied at 1 (n = 6), 2 (n = 5), and 3 (n = 7) months. Complete optic nerve transection was performed unilaterally in nine rats with survival for 1 (n = 4) and 3 (n = 5) months. Serial cryosections (five per eye) were immunohistochemically labeled with rabbit anti-gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and anti-glycine antibodies. Cells in the ganglion cell and inner nuclear layers that labeled for GABA or glycine were counted in a masked fashion under bright-field microscopy. Additional labeling with other RGC and amacrine antigens was also performed. RGC loss was quantified by axon counts. RESULTS Amacrine cells identified by GABA and glycine labeling were not significantly affected by experimental glaucoma, with a mean decrease of 15% compared with bilaterally untreated control cells (557 +/- 186 neurons/mm [glaucoma] versus 653.9 +/- 114.4 neurons/mm [control] of retina; P = 0.15, t-test). There was no significant trend for amacrine cell counts to be lower in eyes with fewer RGCs (r = -0.39, P = 0.11). By contrast, there was highly significant loss of GABA and glycine staining 3 months after nerve transection, both in the treated and the fellow eyes (P < 0.0001, t-test). However, there was a substantial number of remaining amacrine cells in transected retinas, as indicated by labeling for calretinin and calbindin. CONCLUSIONS Experimental glaucoma causes minimal change in amacrine cells and their expression of neurotransmitters. After nerve transection, neurotransmitter presence declines, but many amacrine cell bodies remain. Differences among optic nerve injury models, as well as effects on "untreated" fellow eyes, should be recognized.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Harry A. Quigley
- Corresponding author: Harry A. Quigley, Wilmer 122, Johns Hopkins Hospital, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21287;
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62
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Loeliger M, Rees S. Immunocytochemical development of the guinea pig retina. Exp Eye Res 2005; 80:9-21. [PMID: 15652521 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2004.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2004] [Accepted: 08/03/2004] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to establish the neurochemical profile of amacrine and horizontal cells during ontogeny in the guinea pig, a precocial species where significant retinal development occurs prenatally as opposed to altricial species where development largely occurs postnatally. The expression of neurochemical markers of horizontal cells and specific amacrine cell populations was investigated from 20 days of gestation (dg, term approximately 67 dg) to adulthood. Amacrine cell populations were identified immunohistochemically using antibodies to gamma-amino-butyric acid, cholineacetyltransferase, calbindin, calretinin, neuronal nitric oxide synthetase and tyrosine hydroxylase; horizontal cells were labelled with calbindin. All markers were present at 30 dg and had attained their mature (adult) laminar distribution and expression by 60 dg. Horizontal cells appeared in their final location at 30 dg with amacrine cell populations appearing in their final locations by 45 dg. Thus, in the guinea pig retina, the amacrine and horizontal cell populations investigated in this study are fully mature prior to birth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Loeliger
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Melbourne, Grattan St, Melbourne, Vic. 3010, Australia.
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63
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Catalani E, Gangitano C, Bosco L, Casini G. Expression of the neurokinin 1 receptor in the mouse retina. Neuroscience 2005; 128:519-30. [PMID: 15381281 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2004.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/02/2004] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have revealed that the expression pattern of the neurokinin 1 receptor (the preferred receptor for substance P, SP) varies in different mammalian retinas. We investigated NK1 receptor expression in the mouse retina to provide background information for future studies in transgenic mice on SP functional roles in the retina. Mouse retinal sections were treated for single and double-label immunofluorescence. NK1 receptor immunoreactivity was in bipolar cells and in numerous amacrine cells. Double-label studies showed that NK1 receptor-expressing bipolar cells constituted a population of ON-type cone bipolar cells, since they were distinct from rod bipolar cells and contained glycine. They were nonrandomly distributed with highest density in central retina. These cells were similar and may correspond to the population of NK1 receptor-expressing bipolar cells of the rabbit retina. Different subsets of NK1 receptor-expressing amacrine cells were identified on the basis of the expression of selected neurotransmitter substances: i) about 23% of NK1 receptor-expressing amacrine cells also contained glycine; ii) the remaining 77% were likely to be GABAergic, although some inconsistency was observed in the GABA immunostaining obtained with two different GABA antibodies; iii) all dopaminergic amacrine cells also expressed NK1 receptors; iv) about one third of SP-containing amacrine cells also expressed NK1 receptors. These findings confirm and expand previous observations in rat and rabbit retinas. In particular, common to all three species is the expression of NK1 receptors in dopaminergic amacrine cells, indicating that SP neurotransmission may be a universal feature of the circuitry of the dopaminergic amacrine cell. Peculiar to the mouse retina is the presence of putative NK1 autoreceptors expressed by SP-containing amacrine cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Catalani
- Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali, Università della Tuscia, Largo dell'Università, Blocco D snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
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64
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Moon JI, Kim IB, Gwon JS, Park MH, Kang TH, Lim EJ, Choi KR, Chun MH. Changes in retinal neuronal populations in the DBA/2J mouse. Cell Tissue Res 2005; 320:51-9. [PMID: 15714280 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-004-1062-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2004] [Accepted: 11/26/2004] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
DBA/2J (D2) mice develop a form of progressive pigmentary glaucoma with increasing age. We have compared retinal cell populations of D2 mice with those in control C57BL/6J mice to provide information on retinal histopathology in the D2 mouse. The D2 mouse retina is characterized by a reduction in retinal thickness caused mainly by a thinning of the inner retinal layers. Immunocytochemical staining for specific inner retinal neuronal markers, viz., calbindin for horizontal cells; protein kinase C (PKC) and recoverin for bipolar cells, glycine, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) for amacrine cells, and osteopontin (OPN) for ganglion cells, was performed to detect preferentially affected neurons in the D2 mouse retina. Calbindin, PKC, and recoverin immunoreactivities were not significantly altered. Amacrine cells immunoreactive for GABA, ChAT, and OPN were markedly decreased in number, whereas NOS-immunoreactive amacrine cells increased in number. However, no changes were observed in the population of glycine-immunoreactive amacrine cells. These findings indicate a significant loss of retinal ganglion and some amacrine cells, whereas glycinergic amacrine cells, horizontal, and bipolar cells are almost unaffected in the D2 mouse. The reduction in amacrine cells appears to be attributable to a loss of GABAergic and particularly cholinergic amacrine cells. The increase in nitrergic neurons with the consequent increase in NOS and NO may be important in the changes in the retinal organization that lead to glaucomain D2 mice. Thus, the D2 mouse retina represents a useful model for studying the pathogenesis of glaucoma and mechanisms of retinal neuronal death and for evaluating neuroprotection strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung-Il Moon
- Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, 137-701, Korea
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65
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Bytyqi AH, Layer PG. Lamina formation in the Mongolian gerbil retina (Meriones unguiculatus). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2005; 209:217-25. [PMID: 15668778 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-004-0443-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/27/2004] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Retinae of nocturnal rodents, such as mice and rats, are almost exclusively rod-dominated. The gerbil, in contrast, shows active periods during day and night and uses both rod- and cone-based vision. However, its retina has not been studied in detail, except for one developmental study analysing its prenatal period (Wikler et al. 1989). Here, the formation of the laminar structure of the gerbil retina was studied from birth until late adult stages. At birth, the retina consisted of a wide neuroblastic layer, with 30% of cells still dividing, a rate decreasing to nearly zero by P6. Shortly after birth, segregation of a ganglion cell layer began. All retinal layers reached their final size around P20, as determined from DAPI-stained cryosections. Muller glial cells developed their typical structure from P1 onwards, e.g. announcing an outer plexiform layer (OPL) at P5, as analysed by the Ret-G7 and glutamine synthetase antibodies. The analyses of the inner retina were performed by antibodies to calretinin (CR) and calbindin (CB). CR is expressed in ganglion cells followed by amacrine cells from P1 onwards; their processes formed four subbands in the inner plexiform layer (IPL) and appeared sequentially after P5 until P20. CB stained a subtype of horizontal cells with their processes into the OPL from P14 onwards. The rod-specific antibody rho4D2 announced photoreceptors at P4, showing signs of outer segments from P10 onwards. The study shows that the formation of all retinal layers in the gerbil occurs postnatally. This and the fact that the gerbil retina is not exclusively rod-dominated could render the gerbil a valuable model for in vitro studies of retinogenesis in rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Afrim H Bytyqi
- Darmstadt University of Technology, Developmental Biology and Neurogenetics, Schnittspahnstrasse 3, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
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Partida GJ, Lee SC, Haft-Candell L, Nichols GS, Ishida AT. DARPP-32-like immunoreactivity in AII amacrine cells of rat retina. J Comp Neurol 2005; 480:251-63. [PMID: 15515184 PMCID: PMC3232744 DOI: 10.1002/cne.20330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies demonstrated that the dopamine- and adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate-regulated phosphatase inhibitor known as "DARPP-32" is present in rat, cat, monkey, and human retinas. We have followed up these studies by asking what specific cell subtypes contain DARPP-32. Using a polyclonal antibody directed against a peptide sequence of human DARPP-32, we immunostained adult rat retinas that were either transretinally sectioned or flat mounted and found DARPP-32-like immunoreactivity in some cells of the amacrine cell layer across the entire retinal surface. We report here, based on the shape and spatial distribution of these cells, their staining by an anti-parvalbumin antibody, and their juxtaposition with processes containing tyrosine hydroxylase, that DARPP-32-like immunoreactivity is present in AII amacrine cells of rat retina. These results suggest that the response of AII amacrine cells to dopamine is not mediated as simply as previously supposed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Andrew T. Ishida
- Correspondence to: Andrew Ishida at the address given above, tel & fax: (530) 752-3569,
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67
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Kang TH, Choi YK, Kim IB, Oh SJ, Chun MH. Identification and characterization of an aquaporin 1 immunoreactive amacrine-type cell of the mouse retina. J Comp Neurol 2005; 488:352-67. [PMID: 15952169 DOI: 10.1002/cne.20589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Using immunocytochemistry, a type of amacrine cell that is immunoreactive for aquaporin 1 was identified in the mouse retina. AQP1 immunoreactivity was found in photoreceptor cells of the outer nuclear layer (ONL) and in a distinct type of amacrine cells of the inner nuclear layer (INL). AQP1-immunoreactive (IR) amacrine cell somata were located in the INL and their processes extended through strata 3 and 4 of the inner plexiform layer (IPL) with thin varicosities. The density of the AQP1-IR amacrine cells increased from 100/mm(2) in the peripheral retina to 350/mm(2) in the central retina. The AQP1-IR amacrine cells comprise 0.5% of the total amacrine cells. The AQP1-IR amacrine cell bodies formed a regular mosaic, which suggested that they represent a single type of amacrine cell. Double labeling with AQP1 and glycine, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) or GAD(65) antiserum demonstrated that the AQP1-IR amacrine cells expressed GABA or GAD(65) but not glycine. Their synaptic input was primarily from other amacrine cell processes. They also received synaptic inputs from a few cone bipolar cells. The primary synaptic targets were ganglion cells, followed by other amacrine cells and cone bipolar cells. In addition, gap junctions between an AQP1-IR amacrine process and another amacrine process were rarely observed. In summary, a GABAergic amacrine cell type labeled by an antibody against AQP1 was identified in the mouse retina and was found to play a possible role in transferring a certain type of visual information from other amacrine or a few cone bipolar cells primarily to ganglion cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tae-Hoon Kang
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 137-701, Korea
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68
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Badea TC, Nathans J. Quantitative analysis of neuronal morphologies in the mouse retina visualized by using a genetically directed reporter. J Comp Neurol 2004; 480:331-51. [PMID: 15558785 DOI: 10.1002/cne.20304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 187] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
An alkaline phosphatase (AP) reporter has been used to visualize detailed morphologies for all major classes of retinal neurons in the adult mouse. The analysis was performed on retinas in which AP expression was activated by Cre-mediated DNA recombination in a small fraction of cells. Recombination was controlled pharmacologically and, to a first approximation, appears to have occurred randomly. The morphologies of 794 inner retinal neurons have been analyzed by measuring arbor area, stratification level, and neurite branching patterns. When analyzed in this multidimensional parametric space, the cells can be clustered into subgroups by visual inspection and by using the Ward's and K-means algorithms. One application of this cell morphology data set and cluster analysis is as a standard for comparison with the retinas of genetically altered mice. This work illustrates the utility and feasibility of genetically directed marking methods for large-scale surveys of neuronal morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tudor Constantin Badea
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
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69
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Abstract
The retina consists of many parallel circuits designed to maximize the gathering of important information from the environment. Each of these circuits is comprised of a number of different cell types combined in modules that tile the retina. To a subterranean animal, vision is of relatively less importance. Knowledge of how circuits and their elements are altered in response to the subterranean environment is useful both in understanding processes of regressive evolution and in retinal processing itself. We examined common cell types in the retina of the naked mole-rat,Heterocephalus glaberwith immunocytochemical markers and retrograde staining of ganglion cells from optic nerve injections. The stains used show that the naked mole-rat eye has retained multiple ganglion cell types, 1–2 types of horizontal cell, rod bipolar and multiple types of cone bipolar cells, and several types of common amacrine cells. However, no labeling was found with antibodies to the dopamine-synthesizing enzyme, tyrosine hydroxylase. Although most of the well-characterized mammalian cell types are present in the regressive mole-rat eye, their structural organization is considerably less regular than in more sighted mammals. We found less precision of depth of stratification in the inner plexiform layer and also less precision in their lateral coverage of the retina. The results suggest that image formation is not very important in these animals, but that circuits beyond those required for circadian entrainment remain in place.
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70
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Wright LL, Vaney DI. The type 1 polyaxonal amacrine cells of the rabbit retina: A
tracer-coupling study. Vis Neurosci 2004; 21:145-55. [PMID: 15259566 DOI: 10.1017/s0952523804042063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The type 1 polyaxonal (PA1) cell is a distinct type of axon-bearing
amacrine cell whose soma commonly occupies an interstitial position in
the inner plexiform layer; the proximal branches of the sparse
dendritic tree produce 1–4 axon-like processes, which form an
extensive axonal arbor that is concentric with the smaller dendritic
tree (Dacey, 1989; Famiglietti, 1992a,b). In this study, intracellular
injections of Neurobiotin have revealed the complete dendritic and
axonal morphology of the PA1 cells in the rabbit retina, as well as
labeling the local array of PA1 cells through homologous tracer
coupling. The dendritic-field area of the PA1 cells increased from a
minimum of 0.15 mm2 (0.44-mm equivalent diameter) on the
visual streak to a maximum of 0.67 mm2 (0.92-mm diameter) in
the far periphery; the axonal-field area also showed a 3-fold variation
across the retina, ranging from 3.1 mm2 (2.0-mm diameter) to
10.2 mm2 (3.6-mm diameter). The increase in dendritic- and
axonal-field size was accompanied by a reduction in cell density, from
60 cells/mm2 in the visual streak to 20
cells/mm2 in the far periphery, so that the PA1 cells
showed a 12 times overlap of their dendritic fields across the retina
and a 200–300 times overlap of their axonal fields. Consequently,
the axonal plexus was much denser than the dendritic plexus, with each
square millimeter of retina containing ∼100 mm of dendrites and
∼1000 mm of axonal processes. The strong homologous tracer coupling
revealed that ∼45% of the PA1 somata were located in the inner
nuclear layer, ∼50% in the inner plexiform layer, and ∼5% in
the ganglion cell layer. In addition, the Neurobiotin-injected PA1
cells sometimes showed clear heterologous tracer coupling to a regular
array of small ganglion cells, which were present at half the density
of the PA1 cells. The PA1 cells were also shown to contain elevated
levels of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), like other axon-bearing
amacrine cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Layne L Wright
- Vision, Touch & Hearing Research Centre, School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Queensland, Australia
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71
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Lee EJ, Kim HJ, Lim EJ, Kim IB, Kang WS, Oh SJ, Rickman DW, Chung JW, Chun MH. AII amacrine cells in the mammalian retina show disabled-1 immunoreactivity. J Comp Neurol 2004; 470:372-81. [PMID: 14961563 DOI: 10.1002/cne.20010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Disabled 1 (Dab1) is an adapter molecule in a signaling pathway, stimulated by Reelin, which controls cell positioning in the developing brain. It has been localized to AII amacrine cells in the mouse and guinea pig retinas. This study was conducted to identify whether Dab1 is commonly localized to AII amacrine cells in the retinas of other mammals. We investigated Dab1-labeled cells in human, rat, rabbit, and cat retinas in detail by immunocytochemistry with antisera against Dab1. Dab1 immunoreactivity was found in certain populations of amacrine cells, with lobular appendages in the outer half of the inner plexiform layer (IPL) and a bushy, smooth dendritic tree in the inner half of the IPL. Double-labeling experiments demonstrated that all Dab1-immunoreactive amacrine cells were immunoreactive to antisera against calretinin or parvalbumin (i.e., other markers for AII amacrine cells in the mammalian retina) and that they made contacts with the axon terminals of the rod bipolar cells in the IPL close to the ganglion cell layer. Furthermore, all Dab1-labeled amacrine cells showed glycine transporter-1 immunoreactivity, indicating that they are glycinergic. The peak density was relatively high in the human and rat retinas, moderate in the cat retina, and low in the rabbit retina. Together, these morphological and histochemical observations clearly indicate that Dab1 is commonly localized to AII amacrine cells and that antiserum against Dab1 is a reliable and specific marker for AII amacrine cells of diverse mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eun-Jin Lee
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 137-701, Korea
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72
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Mills SL, Catania KC. Identification of retinal neurons in a regressive rodent eye (the naked mole-rat). Vis Neurosci 2004; 21:107-17. [PMID: 15259562 PMCID: PMC1829152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
The retina consists of many parallel circuits designed to maximize the gathering of important information from the environment. Each of these circuits is comprised of a number of different cell types combined in modules that tile the retina. To a subterranean animal, vision is of relatively less importance. Knowledge of how circuits and their elements are altered in response to the subterranean environment is useful both in understanding processes of regressive evolution and in retinal processing itself. We examined common cell types in the retina of the naked mole-rat, Heterocephalus glaber with immunocytochemical markers and retrograde staining of ganglion cells from optic nerve injections. The stains used show that the naked mole-rat eye has retained multiple ganglion cell types, 1-2 types of horizontal cell, rod bipolar and multiple types of cone bipolar cells, and several types of common amacrine cells. However, no labeling was found with antibodies to the dopamine-synthesizing enzyme, tyrosine hydroxylase. Although most of the well-characterized mammalian cell types are present in the regressive mole-rat eye, their structural organization is considerably less regular than in more sighted mammals. We found less precision of depth of stratification in the inner plexiform layer and also less precision in their lateral coverage of the retina. The results suggest that image formation is not very important in these animals, but that circuits beyond those required for circadian entrainment remain in place.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen L Mills
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, University of Texas at Houston-Health Science Center, Houston 77030, USA.
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73
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Haverkamp S, Wässle H. Characterization of an amacrine cell type of the mammalian retina immunoreactive for vesicular glutamate transporter 3. J Comp Neurol 2003; 468:251-63. [PMID: 14648683 DOI: 10.1002/cne.10962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Immunocytochemical staining of vertical sections through rat, mouse, and macaque monkey retinae with antibodies against the vesicular glutamate transporter vesicular glutamate transporter 3 (vGluT3) showed a sparse population of amacrine cells. The labeled cells had similar appearances in the three species and probably represent homologous types. They were studied in detail in the rat retina. The thin varicose dendrites of vGluT3 amacrine cells formed a convoluted dendritic tree of approximately 100 microm in diameter that was bistratified in the center of the inner plexiform layer. The dendrites of vGluT3 cells were squeezed between the two strata of cholinergic dendrites. The density of vGluT3 cells was measured in retinal wholemounts and increased from 200/mm2 in peripheral retina to 400/mm2 in central retina, accounting for about 1% of all amacrine cells in the rat retina. The vGluT3 cells had a two- to threefold dendritic overlap, and their cell bodies formed a regular mosaic, suggesting they represent a single type of amacrine cell. The vGluT3 amacrine cells expressed glycine and glycine transporter 1 (GlyT1) but not the vesicular glycine transporter (vesicular inhibitory amino acid transporter). They also expressed glutamate; hence, there is the possibility that, comparable to cholinergic amacrine cells, they are "dual transmitter" amacrine cells. The synaptic input of vGluT3 cells was studied by electron microscopy. They received input from bipolar cells at ribbon synapses and from other amacrine cells at conventional synapses. The types of bipolar cells possibly involved with vGluT3 cells were demonstrated by double labeling sections for vGluT3 and the calcium-binding protein CaB5. The axon terminals of type 3 and 5 bipolar cells costratified with vGluT3 dendrites, and it is possible that vGluT3 cells have ON and OFF light responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silke Haverkamp
- Department of Neuroanatomy, Max-Planck-Institute for Brain Research, D-60528 Frankfurt/Main, Germany
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74
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Sun D, Rait JL, Kalloniatis M. Inner retinal neurons display differential responses to N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor activation. J Comp Neurol 2003; 465:38-56. [PMID: 12926015 DOI: 10.1002/cne.10830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) responses of neurons from within the inner rabbit retina were mapped using a channel permeable cation, 1-amino-4-guanidobutane (agmatine, AGB). Serial sections were subsequently probed with immunoglobulins targeting AGB, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and glycine to visualize the NMDA responses of neurochemical subpopulations of neurons. Most inner retinal subpopulations of neurons demonstrated an NMDA concentration-dependent increase in activation. This NMDA-induced activation displayed a distinct pattern, with the most sensitive class to least sensitive class ranking being GC > GABA cAC > GABA/Gly cAC > Gly cAC > GABA dAC (GC, ganglion cells; AC, amacrine cells; c, conventional; d, displaced; Gly, glycine). The variable NMDA response may reflect differences in NMDA receptor subunit disposition or differences in receptor density. In addition to the variable NMDA activation pattern, we found that virtually all ganglion cells (87%) showed NMDA-gated AGB entry, compared with only 58% of amacrine cells. We conclude that a large cohort of amacrine cells do not possess functional NMDA receptors. In addition to most ganglion cells being activated by NMDA, a large subpopulation displayed the highest sensitivity to NMDA application. The functional significance of this finding is that the ganglion cell population will be the first neuronal class to be susceptible to glutamate-induced neurotoxicity mediated through the NMDA receptor. The addition of betaxolol significantly reduced NMDA-mediated AGB entry into most neuronal groups (ganglion cells, GABA, and glycine amacrine cells), with the greatest effect being on ganglion cells. Betaxolol had no significant effect on NMDA-gated entry of AGB on the GABA/Gly amacrine cell population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Sun
- Department of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Auckland, New Zealand
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75
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Scher J, Wankiewicz E, Brown GM, Fujieda H. AII amacrine cells express the MT1 melatonin receptor in human and macaque retina. Exp Eye Res 2003; 77:375-82. [PMID: 12907170 DOI: 10.1016/s0014-4835(03)00123-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
AII amacrine cells are critical interneurons in the rod pathway of mammalian retina, active primarily in dim lighting conditions. Melatonin, a neuromodulator produced at night in the retina, is believed to induce retinal adaptation to dim lighting conditions in most vertebrate species examined to date, including humans. We hypothesized that melatonin may influence retinal light adaptation by acting on AII cells directly and thus investigated whether melatonin receptors were expressed in AII neurons. Postmortem nonpathological eyes from four human donors as well as two eyes from two Macaque Fasicularis monkeys were analyzed. Double immunocytochemistry was performed using an anti-MT(1) antibody and an antibody to calretinin, an AII marker. Analysis utilized confocal microscopy. A polyclonal anti-calretinin antibody labelled amacrine cells exhibiting the distinct AII morphology, in both human and macaque retina. MT(1) immunoreactivity in macaque retina was similar to human staining, in that horizontal, amacrine and ganglion cell bodies were stained, as were inner segments of photoreceptors. In human retina 86% of calretinin positive cells expressed the MT(1) receptor peripherally, whereas centrally, 78% colocalization was observed. In the macaque retina, 100% of AII amacrine cells expressed MT(1) immunoreactivity both centrally and peripherally. That virtually all AII neurons express the MT(1) receptor in both human and macaque retina, may provide the first evidence demonstrating a role for melatonin in AII regulation, furthering the hypothesis of melatonin function in retinal light adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judite Scher
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, 1 Kings College Circle, Rm 3321, Ont., M5S 1A8, Toronto, Canada.
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76
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Ong JM, Zorapapel NC, Aoki AM, Brown DJ, Nesburn AB, Rich KA, Kenney CM. Impaired electroretinogram (ERG) response in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice. Curr Eye Res 2003; 27:15-24. [PMID: 12868005 DOI: 10.1076/ceyr.27.2.15.15460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE We investigated the effects of 35 weeks of a cholesterol diet in apolipoprotein E (apoE)-deficient mice on their ERG response. METHODS C57BL/6J and apoE-deficient mice were fed regular mouse chow (C57-R and ApoE-R, respectively) or a cholesterol-containing diet (C57-C and ApoE-C, respectively). Retinal function was assessed by dark-adapted electroretinography (ERG). Retina tissue was also analyzed by immunohistochemical staining and nucleic acid array expression analysis performed by gene array technology. RESULTS ApoE-C mice had diminished a- and b-wave amplitudes (60.7% +/- 8.4% (p < 0.005) and 44.8% +/- 10% (p < 0.005) of control values, respectively). Gene expression profiling revealed upregulation of several pro-apoptotic genes. Furthermore, immunohistochemistry showed increased Bax immunoreactivity. CONCLUSIONS In the hypercholesterolemic mice, we demonstrated a loss of ERG response and induction of apoptotic activity at the gene and protein levels. Our current and previous findings suggest that cholesterol metabolism plays an important role in retinal function.
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Affiliation(s)
- John M Ong
- Molecular Eye Research Laboratory, Burns and Allen Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA.
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77
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Abstract
In the retina, dopaminergic amacrine (interplexiform) cells establish multiple synapses on the perikarya of AII amacrines, the neurons that distribute rod signals to on- and off-cone bipolars. We used triple-label immunocytochemistry and confocal microscopy to identify the receptors contained within the postsynaptic active zone of these synapses in both mouse and rat retinas. We found that at the interface between the dendrites of the dopaminergic neurons and the AII amacrine cell perikarya clusters of postsynaptic gamma-aminobutyric acid type A (GABA(A)) receptors are situated in register with aggregates of presynaptic organelles immunoreactive for GABA, the GABA vesicular transporter, and the vesicular monoamine transporter-2. D1 and D23 dopamine receptors, on the other hand, do not form clusters on the surface of the perikarya of AII amacrine cells. We suggest that the synapses between retinal dopaminergic neurons and AII amacrine cells are GABAergic and that both GABA and dopamine are released by the presynaptic endings. GABA acts on the ionotropic receptors clustered at the postsynaptic active zone, whereas dopamine diffuses to more distant, slower-acting metabotropic receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimo Contini
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 200 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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78
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Abstract
Y-type retinal ganglion cells show a pronounced, nonlinear, frequency-doubling behavior in response to modulated sinewave gratings. This is not observed in X-type cells. The source of this spatial nonlinear summation is still under debate. We have designed a realistic biophysical model of the cat retina to test the influence of different retinal cell classes and subcircuits on the linearity of ganglion cell responses. The intraretinal connectivity consists of the fundamental feedforward pathway via bipolar cells, lateral horizontal cell connectivity, and two amacrine circuits. The wiring diagram of X- and Y-cells is identical apart from two aspects: (1) Y-cells have a wider receptive field and (2) they receive input from a nested amacrine circuit consisting of narrow- and wide-field amacrine cells. The model was tested with contrast-reversed gratings. First and second harmonic response components were determined to estimate the degree of nonlinearity. By means of circuit dissection, we found that a high degree of the Y-cell nonlinear behavior arises from the spatial integration of temporal photoreceptor nonlinearities. Furthermore, we found a weaker and less uniform influence of the nested amacrine circuit. Different sources of nonlinearities interact in a multiplicative manner, and the influence of the amacrine circuit is approximately 25% weaker than that of the photoreceptor. The model predicts that significant nonlinearities occur already at the level of horizontal cell responses. Pharmacological inactivation of the amacrine circuit is expected to exert a milder effect in reducing ganglion cell nonlinearity.
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79
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Hennig MH, Funke K, Wörgötter F. The influence of different retinal subcircuits on the nonlinearity of ganglion cell behavior. J Neurosci 2002; 22:8726-38. [PMID: 12351748 PMCID: PMC6757783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Y-type retinal ganglion cells show a pronounced, nonlinear, frequency-doubling behavior in response to modulated sinewave gratings. This is not observed in X-type cells. The source of this spatial nonlinear summation is still under debate. We have designed a realistic biophysical model of the cat retina to test the influence of different retinal cell classes and subcircuits on the linearity of ganglion cell responses. The intraretinal connectivity consists of the fundamental feedforward pathway via bipolar cells, lateral horizontal cell connectivity, and two amacrine circuits. The wiring diagram of X- and Y-cells is identical apart from two aspects: (1) Y-cells have a wider receptive field and (2) they receive input from a nested amacrine circuit consisting of narrow- and wide-field amacrine cells. The model was tested with contrast-reversed gratings. First and second harmonic response components were determined to estimate the degree of nonlinearity. By means of circuit dissection, we found that a high degree of the Y-cell nonlinear behavior arises from the spatial integration of temporal photoreceptor nonlinearities. Furthermore, we found a weaker and less uniform influence of the nested amacrine circuit. Different sources of nonlinearities interact in a multiplicative manner, and the influence of the amacrine circuit is approximately 25% weaker than that of the photoreceptor. The model predicts that significant nonlinearities occur already at the level of horizontal cell responses. Pharmacological inactivation of the amacrine circuit is expected to exert a milder effect in reducing ganglion cell nonlinearity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias H Hennig
- Institute for Neuronal Computational Intelligence and Technology, Department of Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, United Kingdom.
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80
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Kim IB, Lee EJ, Oh SJ, Park CB, Pow DV, Chun MH. Light and electron microscopic analysis of aquaporin 1-like-immunoreactive amacrine cells in the rat retina. J Comp Neurol 2002; 452:178-91. [PMID: 12271491 DOI: 10.1002/cne.10359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Aquaporin 1 (AQP1; also known as CHIP, a channel-forming integral membrane protein of 28 kDa) is the first protein to be shown to function as a water channel and has been recently shown to be present in the rat retina. We previously showed (Kim et al. [1998] Neurosci Lett 244:52-54) that AQP1-like immunoreactivity is present in a certain population of amacrine cells in the rat retina. This study was conducted to characterize these cells in more detail. With immunocytochemistry using specific antisera against AQP1, whole-mount preparations and 50-microm-thick vibratome sections were examined by light and electron microscopy. These cells were a class of amacrine cells, which had symmetric bistratified dendritic trees ramified in stratum 2 and in the border of strata 3 and 4 of the inner plexiform layer (IPL). Their dendritic field diameters ranged from 90 to 230 microm. Double labeling with antisera against AQP1 and gamma-aminobutyric acid or glycine demonstrated that these AQP1-like-immunoreactive amacrine cells were immunoreactive for glycine. Their most frequent synaptic input was from other amacrine cell processes in both sublaminae a and b of the IPL, followed by a few cone bipolar cells. Their primary targets were other amacrine cells and ganglion cells in both sublaminae a and b of the IPL. In addition, synaptic output onto bipolar cells was rarely observed in sublamina b of the IPL. Thus, the AQP1 antibody labels a class of glycinergic amacrine cells with small to medium-sized dendritic fields in the rat retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- In-Beom Kim
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 505 Banpo-dong, Socho-gu, Seoul 137-701, Korea
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81
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Brown NL, Patel S, Brzezinski J, Glaser T. Math5 is required for retinal ganglion cell and optic nerve formation. Development 2001; 128:2497-508. [PMID: 11493566 PMCID: PMC1480839 DOI: 10.1242/dev.128.13.2497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 303] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The vertebrate retina contains seven major neuronal and glial cell types in an interconnected network that collects, processes and sends visual signals through the optic nerve to the brain. Retinal neuron differentiation is thought to require both intrinsic and extrinsic factors, yet few intrinsic gene products have been identified that direct this process. Math5 (Atoh7) encodes a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor that is specifically expressed by mouse retinal progenitors. Math5 is highly homologous to atonal, which is critically required for R8 neuron formation during Drosophila eye development. Like R8 cells in the fly eye, retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are the first neurons in the vertebrate eye. Here we show that Math5 mutant mice are fully viable, yet lack RGCs and optic nerves. Thus, two evolutionarily diverse eye types require atonal gene family function for the earliest stages of retinal neuron formation. At the same time, the abundance of cone photoreceptors is significantly increased in Math5−/− retinae, suggesting a binary change in cell fate from RGCs to cones. A small number of nascent RGCs are detected during embryogenesis, but these fail to develop further, suggesting that committed RGCs may also require Math5 function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadean L. Brown
- Departments of Internal Medicine and Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0650, USA
- Department of Pediatrics at Children’s Memorial Institute for Education and Research, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, IL 60614-3394, USA
- *Authors for correspondence (e-mail: and )
| | - Sima Patel
- Department of Pediatrics at Children’s Memorial Institute for Education and Research, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, IL 60614-3394, USA
| | - Joseph Brzezinski
- Departments of Internal Medicine and Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0650, USA
| | - Tom Glaser
- Departments of Internal Medicine and Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0650, USA
- *Authors for correspondence (e-mail: and )
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Marquardt T, Ashery-Padan R, Andrejewski N, Scardigli R, Guillemot F, Gruss P. Pax6 is required for the multipotent state of retinal progenitor cells. Cell 2001; 105:43-55. [PMID: 11301001 DOI: 10.1016/s0092-8674(01)00295-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 678] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The molecular mechanisms mediating the retinogenic potential of multipotent retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) are poorly defined. Prior to initiating retinogenesis, RPCs express a limited set of transcription factors implicated in the evolutionary ancient genetic network that initiates eye development. We elucidated the function of one of these factors, Pax6, in the RPCs of the intact developing eye by conditional gene targeting. Upon Pax6 inactivation, the potential of RPCs becomes entirely restricted to only one of the cell fates normally available to RPCs, resulting in the exclusive generation of amacrine interneurons. Our findings demonstrate furthermore that Pax6 directly controls the transcriptional activation of retinogenic bHLH factors that bias subsets of RPCs toward the different retinal cell fates, thereby mediating the full retinogenic potential of RPCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Marquardt
- Max-Planck-Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Am Fassberg 11, D-37077, Göttingen, Germany
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83
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Abstract
We have studied the expression pattern of neuronal connexin36 (Cx36) in the mouse and rat retina. In vertical sections of both retinas, a polyclonal antibody directed against Cx36 produced punctate labeling in the inner plexiform layer (IPL). Intense immunoreactivity was localized to the entire OFF sublamina of the IPL, and much weaker staining could be observed in the ON sublamina. Double-labeling experiments in the rat retina with antibodies directed against parvalbumin indicate that Cx36 is expressed on dendrites of AII amacrine cells. Cx36-like immunoreactivity in sublamina a of the IPL did not overlap with lobular appendages or cell bodies of AII amacrine cells. In a mouse retinal slice preparation, AII amacrine and ON cone bipolar cells were intracellularly injected with Neurobiotin and counterstained with antibody against Cx36. Punctate labeling appeared to be in register with dendritic arborization of AII amacrines and cone bipolar cells in the ON sublamina of the IPL. Whereas AII amacrine cells isolated from the rat retina clearly displayed Cx36-like immunoreactivity, isolated ON cone bipolar cells were negative for Cx36. Axon terminals of rod bipolar cells were decorated with Cx36-positive contacts but did not express Cx36 themselves. These results indicate that Cx36 is expressed by AII amacrine cells in homologous and heterologous gap junctions made with AII amacrines and cone bipolar cells, respectively. The heterologous gap junctions appear to be heterotypic, because ON cone bipolar cells do not express Cx36.
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84
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Feigenspan A, Teubner B, Willecke K, Weiler R. Expression of neuronal connexin36 in AII amacrine cells of the mammalian retina. J Neurosci 2001; 21:230-9. [PMID: 11150340 PMCID: PMC6762459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2000] [Revised: 10/04/2000] [Accepted: 10/12/2000] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
We have studied the expression pattern of neuronal connexin36 (Cx36) in the mouse and rat retina. In vertical sections of both retinas, a polyclonal antibody directed against Cx36 produced punctate labeling in the inner plexiform layer (IPL). Intense immunoreactivity was localized to the entire OFF sublamina of the IPL, and much weaker staining could be observed in the ON sublamina. Double-labeling experiments in the rat retina with antibodies directed against parvalbumin indicate that Cx36 is expressed on dendrites of AII amacrine cells. Cx36-like immunoreactivity in sublamina a of the IPL did not overlap with lobular appendages or cell bodies of AII amacrine cells. In a mouse retinal slice preparation, AII amacrine and ON cone bipolar cells were intracellularly injected with Neurobiotin and counterstained with antibody against Cx36. Punctate labeling appeared to be in register with dendritic arborization of AII amacrines and cone bipolar cells in the ON sublamina of the IPL. Whereas AII amacrine cells isolated from the rat retina clearly displayed Cx36-like immunoreactivity, isolated ON cone bipolar cells were negative for Cx36. Axon terminals of rod bipolar cells were decorated with Cx36-positive contacts but did not express Cx36 themselves. These results indicate that Cx36 is expressed by AII amacrine cells in homologous and heterologous gap junctions made with AII amacrines and cone bipolar cells, respectively. The heterologous gap junctions appear to be heterotypic, because ON cone bipolar cells do not express Cx36.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Feigenspan
- Department of Biology, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany, and Institute for Molecular Genetics, Universität Bonn, 53117 Bonn,
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85
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Masland RH, Raviola E. Confronting complexity: strategies for understanding the microcircuitry of the retina. Annu Rev Neurosci 2000; 23:249-84. [PMID: 10845065 DOI: 10.1146/annurev.neuro.23.1.249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The mammalian retina contains upward of 50 distinct functional elements, each carrying out a specific task. Such diversity is not rare in the central nervous system, but the retina is privileged because its physical location, the distinctive morphology of its neurons, the regularity of its architecture, and the accessibility of its inputs and outputs permit a unique variety of experiments. Recent strategies for confronting the retina's complexity attempt to marry genetic approaches to new kinds of anatomical and electrophysiological techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- R H Masland
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston 02114, USA.
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86
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Abstract
To determine the rate and statistics of light-evoked transmitter release from bipolar synapses, intracellular recordings were made from ON-alpha ganglion cells in the periphery of the intact, superfused, cat retina. Sodium channels were blocked with tetrodotoxin to prevent action potentials. A light bar covering the receptive field center excited the bipolar cells that contact the alpha cell and evoked a transient then a sustained depolarization. The sustained depolarization was quantified as change in mean voltage (Deltav), and the increase in voltage noise that accompanied it was quantified as change in voltage variance (Deltasigma(2)). As light intensity increased, Deltav and Deltasigma(2) both increased, but their ratio held constant. This behavior is consistent with Poisson arrival of transmitter quanta at the ganglion cell. The response component attributable to glutamate quanta from bipolar synapses was isolated by application of 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline (CNQX). As CNQX concentration increased, the signal/noise ratio of this response component (Deltav(CNQX)/Deltasigma(CNQX)) held constant. This is also consistent with Poisson arrival and justified the application of fluctuation analysis. Two different methods of fluctuation analysis applied to Deltav(CNQX) and Deltasigma(CNQX) produced similar results, leading to an estimate that a just-maximal sustained response was caused by approximately 3,700 quanta s(-1). The transient response was caused by a rate that was no more than 10-fold greater. Because the ON-alpha cell at this retinal locus has approximately 2,200 bipolar synapses, one synapse released approximately 1.7 quanta s(-1) for the sustained response and no more than 17 quanta s(-1) for the transient. Consequently, within the ganglion cell's integration interval, here calculated to be approximately 16 ms, a bipolar synapse rarely releases more than one quantum. Thus for just-maximal sustained and transient depolarizations, the conductance modulated by a single bipolar cell synapse is limited to the quantal conductance ( approximately 100 pS at its peak). This helps preserve linear summation of quanta. The Deltav/Deltasigma(2) ratio remained constant even as the ganglion cell's response saturated, which suggested that even at the peak of sensory input, summation remains linear, and that saturation occurs before the bipolar synapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Freed
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6058, USA
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87
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Roerig B, Feller MB. Neurotransmitters and gap junctions in developing neural circuits. BRAIN RESEARCH. BRAIN RESEARCH REVIEWS 2000; 32:86-114. [PMID: 10751659 DOI: 10.1016/s0165-0173(99)00069-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
A growing body of evidence suggests that highly correlated, spontaneous neural activity plays an important role in shaping connections in the developing nervous system prior to the maturation of sensory afferents. In this article we discuss the mechanisms involved in the generation and the regulation of spontaneous activity patterns in the developing retina and the developing neocortex. Spontaneous activity in the developing retina propagates across the ganglion cell layer as waves of action potentials and drives rhythmic increases in intracellular calcium in retinal neurons. Retinal waves are mediated by a combination of chemical synaptic transmission and gap junctions, and the circuitry responsible for generating retinal waves changes with age and between species. In the developing cortex, spontaneous calcium elevations propagate across clusters of cortical neurons called domains. Cortical domains are generated by a regenerative mechanism involving second messenger diffusion through gap junctions and subsequent calcium release from internal stores. The neocortical gap junction system is regulated by glutamate-triggered second messenger systems as well as neuromodulatory transmitters, suggesting extensive interactions between synaptic transmission and information flow through gap junctions. The interaction between gap junctions and chemical synaptic transmission observed in these developing networks represent a powerful mechanism by which activity across large groups of neurons can be correlated.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Roerig
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
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88
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89
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Macneil MA, Heussy JK, Dacheux RF, Raviola E, Masland RH. The shapes and numbers of amacrine cells: Matching of photofilled with Golgi-stained cells in the rabbit retina and comparison with other mammalian species. J Comp Neurol 1999. [DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1096-9861(19991018)413:2<305::aid-cne10>3.0.co;2-e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 192] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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90
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Abstract
gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA), is a main source of inhibitory modulation of the rod pathway in the mammalian retina. The authors previously showed that rod bipolar cells express at least three types of ionotropic GABA receptors. Here, the authors sought to determine which neurons are the presynaptic partners at these synapses in the rabbit retina. Indoleamine-accumulating amacrine cells (IACs) were immunolabeled with an antiserum against serotonin (5HT) in vertical sections and wholemounts of rabbit retinae that had been preloaded with 5HT. The tissue was double labeled for the rho subunits of the GABA(C) receptor or the alpha3 subunit of the GABA(A) receptor. Punctate immunofluorescence was observed for both receptor subunits and was found to coincide with the dendrites and varicosities of IACs. The localization of rho subunits was examined at the ultrastructural level by using postembedding techniques on slam-frozen, cryosubstituted tissue. Double labeling at the electron microscopic level revealed that 5HT-immunoreactive processes were presynaptic to rod bipolar cells through GABA(C) receptors. Intracellular injection of the two morphologic subclasses of IAC amacrine cells, S1 and S2, with Lucifer yellow followed by immunolabeling for the alpha3 or rho subunits revealed that varicosities on the dendrites of both cell types were in register with alpha3- and rho-immunoreactive puncta. Taken together, these results suggest that IACs are presynaptic to rod bipolar cells through GABA(C) receptors and possibly through GABA(A) receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- E L Fletcher
- Max-Planck-Institut für Hirnforschung, D-60528 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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91
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Massey SC, Mills SL. Antibody to calretinin stains AII amacrine cells in the rabbit retina: Double-label and confocal analyses. J Comp Neurol 1999. [DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1096-9861(19990816)411:1<3::aid-cne2>3.0.co;2-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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92
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Mills SL, Massey SC. AII amacrine cells limit scotopic acuity in central macaque retina: A confocal analysis of calretinin labeling. J Comp Neurol 1999. [DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1096-9861(19990816)411:1<19::aid-cne3>3.0.co;2-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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93
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Abstract
We report a quantitative analysis of the major populations of cells present in the retina of the C57 mouse. Rod and cone photoreceptors were counted using differential interference contrast microscopy in retinal whole mounts. Horizontal, bipolar, amacrine, and Müller cells were identified in serial section electron micrographs assembled into serial montages. Ganglion cells and displaced amacrine cells were counted by subtracting the number of axons in the optic nerve, learned from electron microscopy, from the total neurons of the ganglion cell layer. The results provide a base of reference for future work on genetically altered animals and put into perspective certain recent studies. Comparable data are now available for the retinas of the rabbit and the monkey. With the exception of the monkey fovea, the inner nuclear layers of the three species contain populations of cells that are, overall, quite similar. This contradicts the previous belief that the retinas of lower mammals are "amacrine-dominated", and therefore more complex, than those of higher mammals.
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94
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Santos PF, Caramelo OL, Carvalho AP, Duarte CB. [3H]acetylcholine release from rat amacrine-like neurons is inhibited by adenosine A1 receptor activation. Neuroreport 1998; 9:3693-8. [PMID: 9858381 DOI: 10.1097/00001756-199811160-00023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
We studied the effect of endogenous adenosine on the release of [3H]acetylcholine ([3H]ACh) in cultures enriched (96.4+/-0.4%) in rat cholinergic amacrine-like neurons, as determined by labeling with an antibody against choline acetyltransferase. A small population of these cells also contained GABA. Using these cultures we observed that both [3H]ACh release, which was largely Ca2+-dependent, and 45Ca2+ influx, evoked by depolarization with 50 mM KCl, were increased when adenosine A1 receptor activation was prevented by removal of endogenous adenosine with adenosine deaminase, or by application of the A1 receptor antagonist DPCPX. Our results indicate that, in cultured rat amacrine-like neurons, the activation of A1 receptors decreases calcium influx and, thereby, inhibits [3H]ACh release.
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Affiliation(s)
- P F Santos
- Center for Neuroscience of Coimbra, Department of Zoology, University of Coimbra, Portugal
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95
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Jeon CJ, Strettoi E, Masland RH. The major cell populations of the mouse retina. J Neurosci 1998; 18:8936-46. [PMID: 9786999 PMCID: PMC6793518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
We report a quantitative analysis of the major populations of cells present in the retina of the C57 mouse. Rod and cone photoreceptors were counted using differential interference contrast microscopy in retinal whole mounts. Horizontal, bipolar, amacrine, and Müller cells were identified in serial section electron micrographs assembled into serial montages. Ganglion cells and displaced amacrine cells were counted by subtracting the number of axons in the optic nerve, learned from electron microscopy, from the total neurons of the ganglion cell layer. The results provide a base of reference for future work on genetically altered animals and put into perspective certain recent studies. Comparable data are now available for the retinas of the rabbit and the monkey. With the exception of the monkey fovea, the inner nuclear layers of the three species contain populations of cells that are, overall, quite similar. This contradicts the previous belief that the retinas of lower mammals are "amacrine-dominated", and therefore more complex, than those of higher mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- C J Jeon
- Department of Biology, Kyungpook National University, Taegu, Korea
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96
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Burgi PY, Grzywacz NM. A biophysical model for the developmental time course of retinal orientation selectivity. Vision Res 1998; 38:2787-800. [PMID: 9775326 DOI: 10.1016/s0042-6989(97)00323-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
A quantitative study of the time course of development of the percentage of orientationally selective and isotropic ganglion cells in turtle retina has recently been performed. This study revealed that as soon as ganglion cells start responding to light, a large percentage of them are selective to the orientations of moving visual stimuli. This percentage decreases with age to reach a minimum around hatching, increases dramatically after birth and finally, decreases again following the first month of life to reach adult level. Concomitantly, the percentage of cells responding isotropically to the orientation of elongated stimuli increases monotonically until about 30 days after birth, stabilizing afterwards. To account for both time courses, we propose a biophysical model implementing features ubiquitous to developing vertebrate retinas. These features include early dendritic and synaptic spatial polarization, dendritic growth, and waves of activity generated spontaneously or by visual stimulation sweeping across the inner plexiform layer (IPL). The model also assumes a physiologically plausible Hebbian rule, which includes long-term potentiation and depression. Computer simulations of this model yield good fits of the data. The quality of these fits confirms and extends results from an earlier model using computationally-simple mechanisms, which suggested that early dendritic polarization might be the seed for mature orientation selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Y Burgi
- Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute, San Francisco, CA 94115, USA
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97
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Abstract
We report a quantitative survey of the population of amacrine cells present in the retina of the rabbit. The cells' dendritic shape and level of stratification were visualized by a photochemical method in which a fluorescent product was created within an individual cell by focal irradiation of that cell's nucleus. A systematically random sample of 261 amacrine cells was examined. Four previously known amacrine cells were revealed at their correct frequencies. Our central finding is that the heterogeneous collection of other amacrine cells is broadly distributed among at least 22 types: only one type of amacrine cell makes up more than 5% of the total amacrine cell population. With these results, the program of identification and classification of retinal neurons begun by Cajal is nearing completion. The complexity encountered has implications both for the retina and for the many regions of the central nervous system where less is known.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A MacNeil
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston 02114, USA
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98
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He S, Masland RH. Retinal direction selectivity after targeted laser ablation of starburst amacrine cells. Nature 1997; 389:378-82. [PMID: 9311778 DOI: 10.1038/38723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Directionally selective retinal ganglion cells respond strongly when a stimulus moves in their preferred direction, but respond little or not at all when it moves in the opposite direction. This selectivity represents a classic paradigm of computation by neural microcircuits, but its cellular mechanism remains obscure. The directionally selective ganglion cells receive many synapses from a type of amacrine cell termed 'starburst' because of its regularly spaced, evenly radiating dendrites. Starburst amacrine cells have a synaptic asymmetry that has been proposed as the source of the directional response in the ganglion cells. Here we report experiments that make this unlikely, and offer an alternative concept of the function of starburst cells. We labelled starburst cells in living retinas, then killed them by targeted laser ablation while recording from individual directionally selective ganglion cells. Ablating starburst cells revealed no asymmetric contribution to the ganglion cell response. Instead of being direction discriminators, the starburst cells appear to potentiate generically the responses of ganglion cells to moving stimuli. The origin of direction selectivity probably lies with another type of amacrine cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- S He
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston 02114, USA
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99
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Abstract
The retina is a remarkably sophisticated instrument and much of its internal circuitry is poorly characterized. A major problem for studies aimed at better understanding the retina is that the neurons in its middle layers are varied in type and relatively inaccessible. Two approaches that have facilitated progress towards elucidating retinal function include population-based studies of the anatomy of the retina and multi-electrode recordings from its output; in combination, they enable the neuronal system of the retina to be examined as a whole.
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Affiliation(s)
- R H Masland
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Wellman #429, Massachusetts General Hospital, 50 Blossom Street, Boston, 02114, USA.
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