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Sengupta T, Koonce NL, Vázquez-Martínez N, Moyle MW, Duncan LH, Emerson SE, Han X, Shao L, Wu Y, Santella A, Fan L, Bao Z, Mohler W, Shroff H, Colón-Ramos DA. Differential adhesion regulates neurite placement via a retrograde zippering mechanism. eLife 2021; 10:71171. [PMID: 34783657 PMCID: PMC8843091 DOI: 10.7554/elife.71171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
During development, neurites and synapses segregate into specific neighborhoods or layers within nerve bundles. The developmental programs guiding placement of neurites in specific layers, and hence their incorporation into specific circuits, are not well understood. We implement novel imaging methods and quantitative models to document the embryonic development of the C. elegans brain neuropil, and discover that differential adhesion mechanisms control precise placement of single neurites onto specific layers. Differential adhesion is orchestrated via developmentally-regulated expression of the IgCAM SYG-1, and its partner ligand SYG-2. Changes in SYG-1 expression across neuropil layers result in changes in adhesive forces, which sort SYG-2-expressing neurons. Sorting to layers occurs, not via outgrowth from the neurite tip, but via an alternate mechanism of retrograde zippering, involving interactions between neurite shafts. Our study indicates that biophysical principles from differential adhesion govern neurite placement and synaptic specificity in vivo in developing neuropil bundles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Titas Sengupta
- Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, United States
| | - Noelle L Koonce
- Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, United States
| | | | - Mark W Moyle
- Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, United States
| | | | - Sarah E Emerson
- Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, United States
| | - Xiaofei Han
- National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Lin Shao
- Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, United States
| | - Yicong Wu
- National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Anthony Santella
- Developmental Biology Program, Molecular Cytology Core, Sloan-Kettering Institute, New York, United States
| | - Li Fan
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, United States
| | - Zhirong Bao
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, New York, United States
| | - William Mohler
- Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, United States
| | - Hari Shroff
- National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
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Ning K, Sendayen BE, Kowal TJ, Wang B, Jones BW, Hu Y, Sun Y. Primary Cilia in Amacrine Cells in Retinal Development. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2021; 62:15. [PMID: 34241625 PMCID: PMC8287049 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.62.9.15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Primary cilia are conserved organelles found in polarized cells within the eye that regulate cell growth, migration, and differentiation. Although the role of cilia in photoreceptors is well-studied, the formation of cilia in other retinal cell types has received little attention. In this study, we examined the ciliary profile focused on the inner nuclear layer of retinas in mice and rhesus macaque primates. Methods Retinal sections or flatmounts from Arl13b-Cetn2 tg transgenic mice were immunostained for cell markers (Pax6, Sox9, Chx10, Calbindin, Calretinin, ChaT, GAD67, Prox1, TH, and vGluT3) and analyzed by confocal microscopy. Primate retinal sections were immunostained for ciliary and cell markers (Pax6 and Arl13b). Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and ERGs were used to assess visual function of Vift88 mice. Results During different stages of mouse postnatal eye development, we found that cilia are present in Pax6-positive amacrine cells, which were also observed in primate retinas. The cilia of subtypes of amacrine cells in mice were shown by immunostaining and electron microscopy. We also removed primary cilia from vGluT3 amacrine cells in mouse and found no significant vision defects. In addition, cilia were present in the outer limiting membrane, suggesting that a population of Müller glial cells forms cilia. Conclusions We report that several subpopulations of amacrine cells in inner nuclear layers of the retina form cilia during early retinal development in mice and primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Ning
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, United States
| | - Brent E Sendayen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, United States.,Palo Alto Veterans Administration, Palo Alto, California, United States
| | - Tia J Kowal
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, United States
| | - Biao Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, United States
| | - Bryan W Jones
- Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
| | - Yang Hu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, United States
| | - Yang Sun
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, United States.,Palo Alto Veterans Administration, Palo Alto, California, United States
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Microfluidic and Microscale Assays to Examine Regenerative Strategies in the Neuro Retina. MICROMACHINES 2020; 11:mi11121089. [PMID: 33316971 PMCID: PMC7763644 DOI: 10.3390/mi11121089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Bioengineering systems have transformed scientific knowledge of cellular behaviors in the nervous system (NS) and pioneered innovative, regenerative therapies to treat adult neural disorders. Microscale systems with characteristic lengths of single to hundreds of microns have examined the development and specialized behaviors of numerous neuromuscular and neurosensory components of the NS. The visual system is comprised of the eye sensory organ and its connecting pathways to the visual cortex. Significant vision loss arises from dysfunction in the retina, the photosensitive tissue at the eye posterior that achieves phototransduction of light to form images in the brain. Retinal regenerative medicine has embraced microfluidic technologies to manipulate stem-like cells for transplantation therapies, where de/differentiated cells are introduced within adult tissue to replace dysfunctional or damaged neurons. Microfluidic systems coupled with stem cell biology and biomaterials have produced exciting advances to restore vision. The current article reviews contemporary microfluidic technologies and microfluidics-enhanced bioassays, developed to interrogate cellular responses to adult retinal cues. The focus is on applications of microfluidics and microscale assays within mammalian sensory retina, or neuro retina, comprised of five types of retinal neurons (photoreceptors, horizontal, bipolar, amacrine, retinal ganglion) and one neuroglia (Müller), but excludes the non-sensory, retinal pigmented epithelium.
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Optimized culture of retinal ganglion cells and amacrine cells from adult mice. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0242426. [PMID: 33284815 PMCID: PMC7721191 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0242426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell culture is widely utilized to study the cellular and molecular biology of different neuronal cell populations. Current techniques to study enriched neurons in vitro are primarily limited to embryonic/neonatal animals and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Although the use of these cultures is valuable, the accessibility of purified primary adult neuronal cultures would allow for improved assessment of certain neurological diseases and pathways at the cellular level. Using a modified 7-step immunopanning technique to isolate for retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and amacrine cells (ACs) from adult mouse retinas, we have successfully developed a model of neuronal culture that maintains for at least one week. Isolations of Thy1.2+ cells are enriched for RGCs, with the isolation cell yield being congruent to the theoretical yield of RGCs in a mouse retina. ACs of two different populations (CD15+ and CD57+) can also be isolated. The populations of these three adult neurons in culture are healthy, with neurite outgrowths in some cases greater than 500μm in length. Optimization of culture conditions for RGCs and CD15+ cells revealed that neuronal survival and the likelihood of neurite outgrowth respond inversely to different culture media. Serially diluted concentrations of puromycin decreased cultured adult RGCs in a dose-dependent manner, demonstrating the potential usefulness of these adult neuronal cultures in screening assays. This novel culture system can be used to model in vivo neuronal behaviors. Studies can now be expanded in conjunction with other methodologies to study the neurobiology of function, aging, and diseases.
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Shaw PX, Fang J, Sang A, Wang Y, Kapiloff MS, Goldberg JL. Soluble Adenylyl Cyclase Is Required for Retinal Ganglion Cell and Photoreceptor Differentiation. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2016; 57:5083-5092. [PMID: 27679853 PMCID: PMC5053116 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.16-19465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose We have previously demonstrated that soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC) is necessary for retinal ganglion cell (RGC) survival and axon growth. Here, we further investigate the role of sAC in neuronal differentiation during retinal development. Methods Chx10 or Math5 promoter-driven Cre-Lox recombination were used to conditionally delete sAC from early and intermediate retinal progenitor cells during retinal development. We examined cell type–specific markers expressed by retinal cells to estimate their relative numbers and characterize retinal laminar morphology by immunofluorescence in adult and newborn mice. Results Retinal ganglion cell and amacrine cell markers were significantly lower in the retinas of adult Math5cre/sACfl/fl and Chx10cre/sACfl/fl mice than in those of wild-type controls. The effect on RGC development was detectable as early as postnatal day 1 and deleting sAC in either Math5- or Chx10-expressing retinal progenitor cells also reduced nerve fiber layer thickness into adulthood. The thickness of the photoreceptor layer was slightly but statistically significantly decreased in both the newborn Chx10cre/sACfl/fl and Math5cre/sACfl/fl mice, but this reduction and abnormal morphology persisted in the adults in only the Chx10cre/sACfl/fl mice. Conclusions sAC plays an important role in the early retinal development of RGCs as well as in the development of amacrine cells and to a lesser degree photoreceptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter X Shaw
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States
| | - Jiahua Fang
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States 2Department of Ophthalmology, First Hospital of Changsha, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Alan Sang
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States
| | - Yan Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States
| | - Michael S Kapiloff
- Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, United States
| | - Jeffrey L Goldberg
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States 4Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, United States
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Trakhtenberg EF, Pita-Thomas W, Fernandez SG, Patel KH, Venugopalan P, Shechter JM, Morkin MI, Galvao J, Liu X, Dombrowski SM, Goldberg JL. Serotonin receptor 2C regulates neurite growth and is necessary for normal retinal processing of visual information. Dev Neurobiol 2016; 77:419-437. [PMID: 26999672 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2015] [Revised: 01/25/2016] [Accepted: 03/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Serotonin (5HT) is present in a subpopulation of amacrine cells, which form synapses with retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), but little is known about the physiological role of retinal serotonergic circuitry. We found that the 5HT receptor 2C (5HTR2C) is upregulated in RGCs after birth. Amacrine cells generate 5HT and about half of RGCs respond to 5HTR2C agonism with calcium elevation. We found that there are on average 83 5HT+ amacrine cells randomly distributed across the adult mouse retina, all negative for choline acetyltransferase and 90% positive for tyrosine hydroxylase. We also investigated whether 5HTR2C and 5HTR5A affect RGC neurite growth. We found that both suppress neurite growth, and that RGCs from the 5HTR2C knockout (KO) mice grow longer neurites. Furthermore, 5HTR2C is subject to post-transcriptional editing, and we found that only the edited isoform's suppressive effect on neurite growth could be reversed by a 5HTR2C inverse agonist. Next, we investigated the physiological role of 5HTR2C in the retina, and found that 5HTR2C KO mice showed increased amplitude on pattern electroretinogram. Finally, RGC transcriptional profiling and pathways analysis suggested partial developmental compensation for 5HTR2C absence. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that 5HTR2C regulates neurite growth and RGC activity and is necessary for normal amplitude of RGC response to physiologic stimuli, and raise the hypothesis that these functions are modulated by a subset of 5HT+/ChAT-/TH+ amacrine cells as part of retinal serotonergic circuitry. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 77: 419-437, 2017.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ephraim F Trakhtenberg
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Department of Neurosurgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.,Neuroscience Program, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
| | - Wolfgang Pita-Thomas
- Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.,Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Stephanie G Fernandez
- Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
| | - Karan H Patel
- Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
| | - Praseeda Venugopalan
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Department of Neurosurgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
| | - Jesse M Shechter
- Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
| | - Melina I Morkin
- Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
| | - Joana Galvao
- Shiley Eye Center, University of California, San Diego, California
| | - Xiongfei Liu
- Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
| | - Susan M Dombrowski
- Genomatix Software, Ann Arbor, Michigan.,Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Jeffrey L Goldberg
- Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.,Neuroscience Program, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.,Shiley Eye Center, University of California, San Diego, California.,Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California
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Krüppel-Like Factor 4 (KLF4) Is Not Required for Retinal Cell Differentiation. eNeuro 2016; 3:eN-NWR-0117-15. [PMID: 27022622 PMCID: PMC4770008 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0117-15.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2015] [Revised: 11/23/2015] [Accepted: 01/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
During early vertebrate eye development, a regulatory network of transcription factors regulates retinal cell differentiation and survival into adulthood. Among those factors, Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) plays the dual role of maintaining the stem cell status of retinal progenitors cells and repressing the intrinsic axon regeneration ability in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) after injury. This study further investigated whether KLF4 plays a role in early retinal cell differentiation or survival into adulthood. We examined different types of retinal neurons, including RGCs, amacrine cells, bipolar cells, Müller cells, and photoreceptor cells, in adult mice in which KLF4 was conditionally deleted in early retinal development using Chx10-promoted Cre by immunohistochemistry. We compared the numbers of retinal neurons and the thickness of photoreceptor and nerve fiber layers between Chx10–Cre-driven KLF4 deletion mice and wild-type mice. There was no significant difference in cell number among any of the retinal cell types or in photoreceptor layer thickness with KLF4 deletion during early development. The thickness of axon bundles in the nerve fiber layer in the Chx10 conditional KLF4 knock-out mice was greater than that in wild-type mice. These results suggest that KLF4 is not required for retinal cell differentiation or survival, but does normally limit retinal ganglion cell axon bundle thickness. These data support a hypothesis that KLF4 suppresses axon growth during development.
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DSCAM promotes refinement in the mouse retina through cell death and restriction of exploring dendrites. J Neurosci 2015; 35:5640-54. [PMID: 25855178 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2202-14.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study we develop and use a gain-of-function mouse allele of the Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule (Dscam) to complement loss-of-function models. We assay the role of Dscam in promoting cell death, spacing, and laminar targeting of neurons in the developing mouse retina. We find that ectopic or overexpression of Dscam is sufficient to drive cell death. Gain-of-function studies indicate that Dscam is not sufficient to increase spatial organization, prevent cell-to-cell pairing, or promote active avoidance in the mouse retina, despite the similarity of the Dscam loss-of-function phenotype in the mouse retina to phenotypes observed in Drosophila Dscam1 mutants. Both gain- and loss-of-function studies support a role for Dscam in targeting neurites; DSCAM is necessary for precise dendrite lamination, and is sufficient to retarget neurites of outer retinal cells after ectopic expression. We further demonstrate that DSCAM guides dendrite targeting in type 2 dopaminergic amacrine cells, by restricting the stratum in which exploring retinal dendrites stabilize, in a Dscam dosage-dependent manner. Based on these results we propose a single model to account for the numerous Dscam gain- and loss-of-function phenotypes reported in the mouse retina whereby DSCAM eliminates inappropriately placed cells and connections.
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Cécyre B, Monette M, Beudjekian L, Casanova C, Bouchard JF. Localization of diacylglycerol lipase alpha and monoacylglycerol lipase during postnatal development of the rat retina. Front Neuroanat 2014; 8:150. [PMID: 25565975 PMCID: PMC4266045 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2014.00150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2014] [Accepted: 11/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent decades, there has been increased interest in the physiological roles of the endocannabinoid (eCB) system and its receptors, the cannabinoid receptor types 1 (CB1R) and 2 (CB2R). Exposure to cannabinoids during development results in neurofunctional alterations, which implies that the eCB system is involved in the developmental processes of the brain. Because of their lipophilic nature, eCBs are synthesized on demand and are not stored in vesicles. Consequently, the enzymes responsible for their synthesis and degradation are key regulators of their physiological actions. Therefore, knowing the localization of these enzymes during development is crucial for a better understanding of the role played by eCBs during the formation of the central nervous system. In this study, we investigated the developmental protein localization of the synthesizing and catabolic enzymes of the principal eCB, 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) in the retinas of young and adult rats. The distribution of the enzymes responsible for the synthesis (DAGLα) and the degradation (MAGL) of 2-AG was determined for every retinal cell type from birth to adulthood. Our results indicate that DAGLα is present early in postnatal development. It is highly expressed in photoreceptor, horizontal, amacrine, and ganglion cells. MAGL appears later during the development of the retina and its presence is limited to amacrine and Müller cells. Overall, these results suggest that 2-AG is strongly present in early retinal development and might be involved in the regulation of the structural and functional maturation of the retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Cécyre
- Laboratoire de Neuropharmacologie, École d'Optométrie, Université de Montréal Montréal, QC, Canada ; Laboratoire des Neurosciences de la vision, École d'Optométrie, Université de Montréal Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Marjorie Monette
- Laboratoire de Neuropharmacologie, École d'Optométrie, Université de Montréal Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Liza Beudjekian
- Laboratoire de Neuropharmacologie, École d'Optométrie, Université de Montréal Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Christian Casanova
- Laboratoire des Neurosciences de la vision, École d'Optométrie, Université de Montréal Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Jean-François Bouchard
- Laboratoire de Neuropharmacologie, École d'Optométrie, Université de Montréal Montréal, QC, Canada
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Walter LT, Higa GSV, Schmeltzer C, Sousa E, Kinjo ER, Rüdiger S, Hamassaki DE, Cerchiaro G, Kihara AH. Functional regulation of neuronal nitric oxide synthase expression and activity in the rat retina. Exp Neurol 2014; 261:510-7. [PMID: 25116452 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2014.07.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2014] [Revised: 07/16/2014] [Accepted: 07/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
In the nervous system within physiological conditions, nitric oxide (NO) production depends on the activity of nitric oxide synthases (NOSs), and particularly on the expression of the neuronal isoform (nNOS). In the sensory systems, the role of NO is poorly understood. In this study, we identified nNOS-positive cells in the inner nuclear layer (INL) of the rat retina, with distinct characteristics such as somata size, immunolabeling level and location. Employing mathematical cluster analysis, we determined that nNOS amacrine cells are formed by two distinct populations. We next investigated the molecular identity of these cells, which did not show colocalization with calbindin (CB), choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), parvalbumin (PV) or protein kinase C (PKC), and only partial colocalization with calretinin (CR), revealing the accumulation of nNOS in specific amacrine cell populations. To access the functional, circuitry-related roles of these cells, we performed experiments after adaptation to different ambient light conditions. After 24h of dark-adaptation, we detected a subtle, yet statistically significant decrease in nNOS transcript levels, which returned to steady-state levels after 24h of normal light-dark cycle, revealing that nNOS expression is governed by ambient light conditions. Employing electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), we demonstrated that dark-adaptation decreases NO production in the retina. Furthermore, nNOS accumulation changed in the dark-adapted retinas, with a general reduction in the inner plexiform layer. Finally, computational analysis based on clustering techniques revealed that dark-adaptation differently affected both types of nNOS-positive amacrine cells. Taken together, our data disclosed functional regulation of nNOS expression and activity, disclosing new circuitry-related roles of nNOS-positive cells. More importantly, this study indicated unsuspected roles for NO in the sensory systems, particularly related to adaptation to ambient demands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lais Takata Walter
- Núcleo de Cognição e Sistemas Complexos, Centro de Matemática, Computação e Cognição, Universidade Federal do ABC, Brazil
| | - Guilherme Shigueto Vilar Higa
- Núcleo de Cognição e Sistemas Complexos, Centro de Matemática, Computação e Cognição, Universidade Federal do ABC, Brazil; Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Erica Sousa
- Núcleo de Cognição e Sistemas Complexos, Centro de Matemática, Computação e Cognição, Universidade Federal do ABC, Brazil
| | - Erika Reime Kinjo
- Núcleo de Cognição e Sistemas Complexos, Centro de Matemática, Computação e Cognição, Universidade Federal do ABC, Brazil
| | - Sten Rüdiger
- Institute of Physics, Humboldt University at Berlin, Germany
| | - Dânia Emi Hamassaki
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e do Desenvolvimento, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Giselle Cerchiaro
- Núcleo de Cognição e Sistemas Complexos, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Hiroaki Kihara
- Núcleo de Cognição e Sistemas Complexos, Centro de Matemática, Computação e Cognição, Universidade Federal do ABC, Brazil; Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil.
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