1
|
Li H, Yu H, Kim YK, Wang F, Teodoro G, Jiang Y, Nickerson JM, Kong J. Computational Model-Based Estimation of Mouse Eyeball Structure From Two-Dimensional Flatmount Microscopy Images. Transl Vis Sci Technol 2021; 10:25. [PMID: 34004004 PMCID: PMC8088229 DOI: 10.1167/tvst.10.4.25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells serve as a supporter for the metabolism and visual function of photoreceptors and a barrier for photoreceptor protection. Morphology dynamics, spatial organization, distribution density, and growth patterns of RPE cells are important for further research on these RPE main functions. To enable such investigations within the authentic eyeball structure, a new method for estimating the three-dimensional (3D) eyeball sphere from two-dimensional tissue flatmount microscopy images was investigated. Methods An error-correction term was formulated to compensate for the reconstruction error as a result of tissue distortions. The effect of the tissue-distortion error was evaluated by excluding partial data points from the low- and high-latitude zones. The error-correction parameter was learned automatically using a set of samples with the ground truth eyeball diameters measured with noncontact light-emitting diode micrometry at submicron accuracy and precision. Results The analysis showed that the error-correction term in the reconstruction model is a valid method for modeling tissue distortions in the tissue flatmount preparation steps. With the error-correction model, the average relative error of the estimated eyeball diameter was reduced from 14% to 5%, and the absolute error was reduced from 0.22 to 0.03 mm. Conclusions A new method for enabling RPE morphometry analysis with respect to locations on an eyeball sphere was created, an important step in increasing RPE research and eye disease diagnosis. Translational Relevance This method enables one to derive RPE cell information from the 3D eyeball surface and helps characterize eyeball volume growth patterns under diseased conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hongxiao Li
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Hanyi Yu
- Department of Computer Science, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Yong-Kyu Kim
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hallym University College of Medicine, Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Fusheng Wang
- Department of Computer Science, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - George Teodoro
- Department of Computer Science, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Yi Jiang
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Jun Kong
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Berg DJ, Kartheiser K, Leyrer M, Saali A, Berson DM. Transcriptomic Signatures of Postnatal and Adult Intrinsically Photosensitive Ganglion Cells. eNeuro 2019; 6:ENEURO.0022-19.2019. [PMID: 31387875 PMCID: PMC6712207 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0022-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Revised: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) are rare mammalian photoreceptors essential for non-image-forming vision functions, such as circadian photoentrainment and the pupillary light reflex. They comprise multiple subtypes distinguishable by morphology, physiology, projections, and levels of expression of melanopsin (Opn4), their photopigment. The molecular programs that distinguish ipRGCs from other ganglion cells and ipRGC subtypes from one another remain elusive. Here, we present comprehensive gene expression profiles of early postnatal and adult mouse ipRGCs purified from two lines of reporter mice that mark different sets of ipRGC subtypes. We find dozens of novel genes highly enriched in ipRGCs. We reveal that Rasgrp1 and Tbx20 are selectively expressed in subsets of ipRGCs, though these molecularly defined groups imperfectly match established ipRGC subtypes. We demonstrate that the ipRGCs regulating circadian photoentrainment are diverse at the molecular level. Our findings reveal unexpected complexity in gene expression patterns across mammalian ipRGC subtypes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Berg
- Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology, and Biochemistry Program, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912
| | | | - Megan Leyrer
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912
| | - Alexandra Saali
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912
| | - David M Berson
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Wisard J, Chrenek MA, Wright C, Dalal N, Pardue MT, Boatright JH, Nickerson JM. Non-contact measurement of linear external dimensions of the mouse eye. J Neurosci Methods 2010; 187:156-66. [PMID: 20067806 PMCID: PMC2832717 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2010.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2009] [Revised: 01/04/2010] [Accepted: 01/05/2010] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Biometric analyses of quantitative traits in eyes of mice can reveal abnormalities related to refractive or ocular development. Due to the small size of the mouse eye, highly accurate and precise measurements are needed to detect meaningful differences. We sought a non-contact measuring technique to obtain highly accurate and precise linear dimensions of the mouse eye. Laser micrometry was validated with gauge block standards. Simple procedures to measure eye dimensions on three axes were devised. Mouse eyes from C57BL/6J and rd10 on a C57BL/6J background were dissected and extraocular muscle and fat removed. External eye dimensions of axial length (anterior-posterior (A-P) axis) and equatorial diameter (superior-inferior (S-I) and nasal-temporal (N-T) axes) were obtained with a laser micrometer. Several approaches to prevent or ameliorate evaporation due to room air were employed. The resolution of the laser micrometer was less than 0.77 microm, and it provided accurate and precise non-contact measurements of eye dimensions on three axes. External dimensions of the eye strongly correlated with eye weight. The N-T and S-I dimensions of the eye correlated with each other most closely from among the 28 pair-wise combinations of the several parameters that were collected. The equatorial axis measurements correlated well from the right and left eye of each mouse. The A-P measurements did not correlate or correlated poorly in each pair of eyes. The instrument is well suited for the measurement of enucleated eyes and other structures from most commonly used species in experimental vision research and ophthalmology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey Wisard
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
| | | | - Charles Wright
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
| | - Nupur Dalal
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
| | - Machelle T. Pardue
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
- Rehabilitation Research and Development Center of Excellence, Atlanta VA Hospital, Decatur, GA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Schulte D, Bumsted-O'Brien KM. Molecular mechanisms of vertebrate retina development: Implications for ganglion cell and photoreceptor patterning. Brain Res 2008; 1192:151-64. [PMID: 17553468 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2007.04.079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2007] [Revised: 04/05/2007] [Accepted: 04/20/2007] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Although the neural retina appears as a relatively uniform tissue when viewed from its surface, it is in fact highly patterned along its anterior-posterior and dorso-ventral axes. The question of how and when such patterns arise has been the subject of intensive investigations over several decades. Most studies aimed at understanding retinal pattern formation have used the retinotectal map, the ordered projections of retinal ganglion cells to the brain, as a functional readout of the pattern. However, other cell types are also topographically organized in the retina. The most commonly recognized example of such a topographic cellular organization is the differential distribution of photoreceptor types across the retina. Photoreceptor patterns are highly species-specific and may represent an important adaptation to the visual niche a given species occupies. Nevertheless, few studies have addressed this functional readout of pattern to date and our understanding of its development has remained superficial. Here, we review recent advances in understanding the molecular cascades that control regionalization of the eye anlage, relate these findings to the development of photoreceptor patterns and discuss common and unique strategies involved in both aspects of retinal pattern formation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dorothea Schulte
- Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Department of Neuroanatomy, Deutschordenst. 46, D-60218 Frankfurt, Germany.
| | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
Mao CA, Kiyama T, Pan P, Furuta Y, Hadjantonakis AK, Klein WH. Eomesodermin, a target gene of Pou4f2, is required for retinal ganglion cell and optic nerve development in the mouse. Development 2007; 135:271-80. [PMID: 18077589 DOI: 10.1242/dev.009688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The mechanisms regulating retinal ganglion cell (RGC) development are crucial for retinogenesis and for the establishment of normal vision. However, these mechanisms are only vaguely understood. RGCs are the first neuronal lineage to segregate from pluripotent progenitors in the developing retina. As output neurons, RGCs display developmental features very distinct from those of the other retinal cell types. To better understand RGC development, we have previously constructed a gene regulatory network featuring a hierarchical cascade of transcription factors that ultimately controls the expression of downstream effector genes. This has revealed the existence of a Pou domain transcription factor, Pou4f2, that occupies a key node in the RGC gene regulatory network and that is essential for RGC differentiation. However, little is known about the genes that connect upstream regulatory genes, such as Pou4f2 with downstream effector genes responsible for RGC differentiation. The purpose of this study was to characterize the retinal function of eomesodermin (Eomes), a T-box transcription factor with previously unsuspected roles in retinogenesis. We show that Eomes is expressed in developing RGCs and is a mediator of Pou4f2 function. Pou4f2 directly regulates Eomes expression through a cis-regulatory element within a conserved retinal enhancer. Deleting Eomes in the developing retina causes defects reminiscent of those in Pou4f2(-/-) retinas. Moreover, myelin ensheathment in the optic nerves of Eomes(-/-) embryos is severely impaired, suggesting that Eomes regulates this process. We conclude that Eomes is a crucial regulator positioned immediately downstream of Pou4f2 and is required for RGC differentiation and optic nerve development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chai-An Mao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
Brown DD, Martz SN, Binder O, Goetz SC, Price BMJ, Smith JC, Conlon FL. Tbx5 and Tbx20 act synergistically to control vertebrate heart morphogenesis. Development 2005; 132:553-63. [PMID: 15634698 PMCID: PMC1635804 DOI: 10.1242/dev.01596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Members of the T-box family of proteins play a fundamental role in patterning the developing vertebrate heart; however, the precise cellular requirements for any one family member and the mechanism by which individual T-box genes function remains largely unknown. In this study, we have investigated the cellular and molecular relationship between two T-box genes, Tbx5 and Tbx20. We demonstrate that blocking Tbx5 or Tbx20 produces phenotypes that display a high degree of similarity, as judged by overall gross morphology, molecular marker analysis and cardiac physiology, implying that the two genes are required for and have non-redundant functions in early heart development. In addition, we demonstrate that although co-expressed, Tbx5 and Tbx20 are not dependent on the expression of one another, but rather have a synergistic role during early heart development. Consistent with this proposal, we show that TBX5 and TBX20 can physically interact and map the interaction domains, and we show a cellular interaction for the two proteins in cardiac development, thus providing the first evidence for direct interaction between members of the T-box gene family.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel D. Brown
- Department of Genetics, Fordham Hall, UNC-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA
- Department of Biology, Fordham Hall, UNC-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA
| | - Shauna N. Martz
- Department of Genetics, Fordham Hall, UNC-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA
| | - Olav Binder
- Department of Genetics, Fordham Hall, UNC-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA
| | - Sarah C. Goetz
- Department of Genetics, Fordham Hall, UNC-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA
- Department of Biology, Fordham Hall, UNC-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA
| | - Brenda M. J. Price
- Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute of Cancer and Developmental Biology and Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QR, UK
| | - Jim C. Smith
- Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute of Cancer and Developmental Biology and Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QR, UK
| | - Frank L. Conlon
- Department of Genetics, Fordham Hall, UNC-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA
- Department of Biology, Fordham Hall, UNC-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA
- *Author for correspondence (e-mail: )
| |
Collapse
|