Antibodies against neurofilament subunits label retinal ganglion cells but not displaced amacrine cells of hamsters

Life Sciences ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 64 (19) ◽  
pp. 1773-1778 ◽  
Author(s):  
W.C. Kong ◽  
E.Y.P. Cho
Keyword(s):  
Retinal Ganglion Cells ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Amacrine Cells ◽  
Retinal Ganglion ◽  
Displaced Amacrine Cells

A quantitative analysis of the effects of excitatory neurotoxins on retinal ganglion cells in the chick

1990 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 217-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ngoh Ngoh Tung ◽  
Ian G. Morgan ◽  
David Ehrlich
Keyword(s):  
Retinal Ganglion Cells ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Amacrine Cells ◽  
Small Cells ◽  
Retinal Ganglion ◽  
Chick Retina ◽  
Area 5 ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Displaced Amacrine Cells ◽  
Series Of Experiments

AbstractThe present study examines the differential effects of three excitotoxins, kainic acid (KA), N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), and α-amino-2,3-amino-2,3-dihydro-5- methyl-3-oxo-4- isoxazolepropanoic acid (AMPA) on neurons within the genglion cell layer (GCL) of the chick retina. Two-day-old chicks were given a single, 5 μl, intravitreal injection of KA, NMDA, or AMPA at a range of doses. Following treatment with 40 nmol KA, there was a 21% loss of neurons in the GCL. At 200 nmol KA, the loss increased to 46%. Exposure to KA eliminated mainly small neurons of soma area 5–15μm2, and medium-sized ganglion cells of soma area 15–25μm2. Large ganglion cells (>25μ,2) remained unaffected. The vast majority of small cells were probably displaced amarcrine cells. At a does of 3000 nmol NMDA, no further loss of cells was evident. Exposure to 200 nmol AMPA resulted in a 30% loss of large and some medium-sized ganglion cells. In a further series of experiments, exposure to excitotoxin was followed by a retinal scratch, which eliminated retinal ganglion cells within the axotomized region. The results indicate that only a small proportion of displaced amacrine cells are destroyed by NMDA and AMPA, whereas virtually all displaced amarine cells are sensitive to KA. The findings of this study indicate the existence of subclasses of ganglion cells with specificity towards different types of excitatory amino acids (EAA).

scholarly journals Nel positively regulates the genesis of retinal ganglion cells by promoting their differentiation and survival during development

2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 234-244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chizu Nakamoto ◽  
Soh-Leh Kuan ◽  
Amy S. Findlay ◽  
Elaine Durward ◽  
Zhufeng Ouyang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Retinal Ganglion Cells ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Pigment Epithelium ◽  
Retinal Pigment ◽  
Neuronal Cell ◽  
Amacrine Cells ◽  
Progression Rate ◽  
Retinal Ganglion ◽  
Displaced Amacrine Cells

For correct functioning of the nervous system, the appropriate number and complement of neuronal cell types must be produced during development. However, the molecular mechanisms that regulate the production of individual classes of neurons are poorly understood. In this study, we investigate the function of the thrombospondin-1–like glycoprotein, Nel (neural epidermal growth factor [EGF]-like), in the generation of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in chicks. During eye development, Nel is strongly expressed in the presumptive retinal pigment epithelium and RGCs. Nel overexpression in the developing retina by in ovo electroporation increases the number of RGCs, whereas the number of displaced amacrine cells decreases. Conversely, knockdown of Nel expression by transposon-mediated introduction of RNA interference constructs results in decrease in RGC number and increase in the number of displaced amacrine cells. Modifications of Nel expression levels do not appear to affect proliferation of retinal progenitor cells, but they significantly alter the progression rate of RGC differentiation from the central retina to the periphery. Furthermore, Nel protects RGCs from apoptosis during retinal development. These results indicate that Nel positively regulates RGC production by promoting their differentiation and survival during development.

scholarly journals Expression of a Barhl1a reporter in subsets of retinal ganglion cells and commissural neurons of the developing zebrafish brain

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shahad Albadri ◽  
Olivier Armant ◽  
Tairi Aljand-Geschwill ◽  
Filippo Del Bene ◽  
Matthias Carl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Retinal Ganglion Cells ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Amacrine Cells ◽  
Optic Chiasm ◽  
Retinal Ganglion ◽  
Commissural Neurons ◽  
Axonal Projections ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
And Function

AbstractPromoting the regeneration or survival of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) is one focus of regenerative medicine. Homeobox Barhl transcription factors might be instrumental in these processes. In mammals, only barhl2 is expressed in the retina and is required for both subtype identity acquisition of amacrine cells and for the survival of RGCs downstream of Atoh7, a transcription factor necessary for RGC genesis. The underlying mechanisms of this dual role of Barhl2 in mammals have remained elusive. Whole genome duplication in the teleost lineage generated the barhl1a and barhl2 paralogues. In the Zebrafish retina, Barhl2 functions as determinant of subsets of amacrine cells lineally related to RGCs independently of Atoh7. In contrast, barhl1a expression depends on Atoh7 but its expression dynamics and function have not been studied. Here we describe for the first time a Barhl1a:GFP reporter line in vivo showing that Barhl1a turns on exclusively in subsets of RGCs and their post-mitotic precursors. We also show transient expression of Barhl1a:GFP in diencephalic neurons extending their axonal projections as part of the post-optic commissure, at the time of optic chiasm formation. This work sets the ground for future studies on RGC subtype identity, axonal projections and genetic specification of Barhl1a-positive RGCs and commissural neurons.

Characterization of Spontaneous Inhibitory Synaptic Currents in Salamander Retinal Ganglion Cells

1998 ◽  
Vol 80 (4) ◽  
pp. 1752-1764 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fan Gao ◽  
Samuel M. Wu
Keyword(s):  
Retinal Ganglion Cells ◽  
Synaptic Vesicles ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Amacrine Cells ◽  
Equilibrium Potential ◽  
Retinal Ganglion ◽  
Light Onset ◽  
Synaptic Currents ◽  
Postsynaptic Currents

Gao, Fan and Samuel M. Wu. Characterization of spontaneous inhibitory synaptic currents in salamander retinal ganglion cells. J. Neurophysiol. 80: 1752–1764, 1998. Spontaneous and light-evoked postsynaptic currents (sPSCs and lePSCs, respectively) in retinal ganglion cells of the larval tiger salamander were recorded under voltage-clamp conditions from living retinal slices. The focus of this study is to characterize the spontaneous inhibitory PSCs (sIPSCs) and their contribution to the light-evoked inhibitory PSCs (leIPSCs) in on-off ganglion cells. sIPSCs were isolated from spontaneous excitatory PSCs (sEPSCs) by application of 10 μM 6,7-dinitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (DNQX) + 50 μM 2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid (AP5). In ∼70% of on-off ganglion cells, bicuculline (or picrotoxin) completely blocks sIPSCs, suggesting all sIPSCs in these cells are mediated by GABAergic synaptic vesicles and γ-aminobutyric acid-A (GABAA) receptors (GABAergic sIPSCs, or GABAsIPSCs). In the remaining 30% of on-off ganglion cells, bicuculline (or picrotoxin) blocks 70–98% of the sIPSCs, and the remaining 2–30% are blocked by strychnine (glycinergic sIPSCs, or GLYsIPSCs). GABAsIPSCs occur randomly with an exponentially distributed interval probability density function, and they persist without noticeable rundown over time. The GABAsIPSC frequency is greatly reduced by cobalt, consistent with the idea that they are largely mediated by calcium-dependent vesicular release. GABAsIPSCs in DNQX + AP5 are tetrodotoxin (TTX) insensitive, suggesting that amacrine cells that release GABA under these conditions do not generate spontaneous action potentials. The average GABAsIPSCs exhibited linear current-voltage relation with a reversal potential near the chloride equilibrium potential, and an average peak conductance of 319.67 ± 252.83 (SD) pS. For GLYsIPSCs, the average peak conductance increase is 301.68 ± 94.34 pS. These parameters are of the same order of magnitude as those measured in inhibitory miniature postsynaptic currents (mIPSCs) associated with single synaptic vesicles in the CNS. The amplitude histograms of GABAsIPSCs did not exhibit multiple peaks, suggesting that the larger events are not discrete multiples of elementary events (or quanta). We propose that each GABAsIPSC or GLYsIPSC in retinal ganglion cells is mediated by a single or synchronized multiple of synaptic vesicles with variable neurotransmitter contents. In a sample of 16 on-off ganglion cells, the average peak leIPSC (held at 0 mV) at the light onset is 509.0 ± 233.85 pA and that at the light offset is 529.0 ± 339.88 pA. The approximate number of GABAsIPSCs and GLYsIPSCs required to generate the average light responses, calculated by the ratio of the charge (area under current traces) of the leIPSCs to that of the average single sIPSCs, is 118 ± 52 for the light onset, and 132 ± 76 for the light offset.

scholarly journals PTEN Expression Regulates Gap Junction Connectivity in the Retina

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley M. Chen ◽  
Shaghauyegh S. Azar ◽  
Alexander Harris ◽  
Nicholas C. Brecha ◽  
Luis Pérez de Sevilla Müller
Keyword(s):  
Gap Junction ◽  
Retinal Ganglion Cells ◽  
Vision Loss ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Dendritic Structure ◽  
Amacrine Cells ◽  
Mouse Retina ◽  
Retinal Ganglion ◽  
Cell Coupling ◽  
Cell Degeneration

Manipulation of the phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) pathway has been suggested as a therapeutic approach to treat or prevent vision loss due to retinal disease. In this study, we investigated the effects of deleting one copy of Pten in a well-characterized class of retinal ganglion cells called α-ganglion cells in the mouse retina. In Pten+/– retinas, α-ganglion cells did not exhibit major changes in their dendritic structure, although most cells developed a few, unusual loop-forming dendrites. By contrast, α-ganglion cells exhibited a significant decrease in heterologous and homologous gap junction mediated cell coupling with other retinal ganglion and amacrine cells. Additionally, the majority of OFF α-ganglion cells (12/18 cells) formed novel coupling to displaced amacrine cells. The number of connexin36 puncta, the predominant connexin that mediates gap junction communication at electrical synapses, was decreased by at least 50% on OFF α-ganglion cells. Reduced and incorrect gap junction connectivity of α-ganglion cells will affect their functional properties and alter visual image processing in the retina. The anomalous connectivity of retinal ganglion cells would potentially limit future therapeutic approaches involving manipulation of the Pten pathway for treating ganglion cell degeneration in diseases like glaucoma, traumatic brain injury, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s diseases.

Disruption of transient photoreceptor targeting within the inner plexiform layer following early ablation of cholinergic amacrine cells in the ferret

2001 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 741-751 ◽  
Author(s):  
P.T. JOHNSON ◽  
M.A. RAVEN ◽  
B.E. REESE
Keyword(s):  
Retinal Ganglion Cells ◽  
Amacrine Cell ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Plexiform Layer ◽  
Amacrine Cells ◽  
Inner Plexiform Layer ◽  
Retinal Ganglion ◽  
Subcutaneous Injections ◽  
Cell Processes ◽  
Cholinergic Amacrine Cells

Photoreceptors in the ferret's retina have been shown to project transiently to the inner plexiform layer (IPL) prior to their differentiation of an outer segment. On postnatal day 15 (P-15), when this projection achieves maximal density, the photoreceptors projecting into the IPL extend primarily to one of two depths, coincident with the processes of cholinergic amacrine cells. The present study has used an excitotoxic approach employing subcutaneous injections of l-glutamate to ablate these cholinergic amacrine cells on P-7, in order to see whether their elimination alters this targeting of photoreceptor terminals within the IPL. The near-complete elimination of cholinergic amacrine cells at P-15 was confirmed, although the population of retinal ganglion cells was also affected, being depleted by roughly 50%. The rod opsin-immunopositive terminals in such treated ferrets no longer showed a stratified distribution, being found throughout the depth of the IPL, as well as extending into the ganglion cell layer. This effect should not be due to the partial loss of retinal ganglion cells, however, since optic nerve transection at P-2, which eliminates the ganglion cells entirely while leaving the cholinergic amacrine cell population intact, was shown not to affect the stratification pattern of the photoreceptors within the IPL. These results strongly suggest that the targeting of the photoreceptor terminals to discrete strata within the IPL is dependent upon the cholinergic amacrine cell processes.

scholarly journals Synaptic inputs from identified bipolar and amacrine cells to a sparsely branched ganglion cell in rabbit retina

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea S. Bordt ◽  
Diego Perez ◽  
Luke Tseng ◽  
Weiley Sunny Liu ◽  
Jay Neitz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ganglion Cell ◽  
Retinal Ganglion Cells ◽  
Amacrine Cell ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Amacrine Cells ◽  
Bipolar Cells ◽  
Rabbit Retina ◽  
Retinal Ganglion ◽  
Synaptic Inputs ◽  
Class Iv

AbstractThere are more than 30 distinct types of mammalian retinal ganglion cells, each sensitive to different features of the visual environment. In rabbit retina, they can be grouped into four classes according to their morphology and stratification of their dendrites in the inner plexiform layer (IPL). The goal of this study was to describe the synaptic inputs to one type of Class IV ganglion cell, the third member of the sparsely branched Class IV cells (SB3). One cell of this type was partially reconstructed in a retinal connectome developed using automated transmission electron microscopy (ATEM). It had slender, relatively straight dendrites that ramify in the sublamina a of the IPL. The dendrites of the SB3 cell were always postsynaptic in the IPL, supporting its identity as a ganglion cell. It received 29% of its input from bipolar cells, a value in the middle of the range for rabbit retinal ganglion cells studied previously. The SB3 cell typically received only one synapse per bipolar cell from multiple types of presumed OFF bipolar cells; reciprocal synapses from amacrine cells at the dyad synapses were infrequent. In a few instances, the bipolar cells presynaptic to the SB3 ganglion cell also provided input to an amacrine cell presynaptic to the ganglion cell. There was apparently no crossover inhibition from narrow-field ON amacrine cells. Most of the amacrine cell inputs were from axons and dendrites of GABAergic amacrine cells, likely providing inhibitory input from outside the classical receptive field.

The number, morphology, and distribution of retinal ganglion cells and optic axons in the Australian lungfishNeoceratodus forsteri(Krefft 1870)

2006 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 257-273 ◽  
Author(s):  
HELENA J. BAILES ◽  
ANN E.O. TREZISE ◽  
SHAUN P. COLLIN
Keyword(s):  
Optic Nerve ◽  
Ganglion Cell ◽  
Retinal Ganglion Cells ◽  
Ganglion Cell Layer ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Cell Layer ◽  
Amacrine Cells ◽  
Resolving Power ◽  
Retinal Ganglion ◽  
Retrograde Labelling

Australian lungfishNeoceratodus forsterimay be the closest living relative to the first tetrapods and yet little is known about their retinal ganglion cells. This study reveals that lungfish possess a heterogeneous population of ganglion cells distributed in a horizontal streak across the retinal meridian, which is formed early in development and maintained through to adult stages. The number and complement of both ganglion cells and a population of putative amacrine cells within the ganglion cell layer are examined using retrograde labelling from the optic nerve and transmission electron-microscopic analysis of axons within the optic nerve. At least four types of retinal ganglion cells are present and lie predominantly within a thin ganglion cell layer, although two subpopulations are identified, one within the inner plexiform and the other within the inner nuclear layer. A subpopulation of retinal ganglion cells comprising up to 7% of the total population are significantly larger (>400 μm2) and are characterized as giant or alpha-like cells. Up to 44% of cells within the retinal ganglion cell layer represent a population of presumed amacrine cells. The optic nerve is heavily fasciculated and the proportion of myelinated axons increases with body length from 17% in subadults to 74% in adults. Spatial resolving power, based on ganglion cell spacing, is low (1.6–1.9 cycles deg−1,n= 2) and does not significantly increase with growth. This represents the first detailed study of retinal ganglion cells in sarcopterygian fish, and reveals that, despite variation amongst animal groups, trends in ganglion cell density distribution and characteristics of cell types were defined early in vertebrate evolution.

Inhibitory network properties shaping the light evoked responses of cat alpha retinal ganglion cells

2003 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 351-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
BRENDAN J. O'BRIEN ◽  
RANDAL C. RICHARDSON ◽  
DAVID M. BERSON
Keyword(s):  
Receptive Field ◽  
Retinal Ganglion Cells ◽  
Gaba Receptors ◽  
Spatial Organization ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Light Response ◽  
Amacrine Cells ◽  
Alpha Cell ◽  
Retinal Ganglion ◽  
Alpha Cells

Cat retinal ganglion cells of the Y (or alpha) type respond to luminance changes opposite those preferred by their receptive-field centers with a transient hyperpolarization. Here, we examine the spatial organization and synaptic basis of this light response by means of whole-cell current-clamp recordings made in vitro. The hyperpolarization was largest when stimulus spots approximated the size of the receptive-field center, and diminished substantially for larger spots. The hyperpolarization was largely abolished by bath application of strychnine, a blocker of glycinergic inhibition. Picrotoxin, an antagonist of ionotropic GABA receptors, greatly reduced the attenuation of the hyperpolarizing response for large spots. The data are consistent with a model in which (1) the hyperpolarization reflects inhibition by glycinergic amacrine cells of bipolar terminals presynaptic to the alpha cells, and perhaps direct inhibition of the alpha cell as well; and (2) the attenuation of the hyperpolarization by large spots reflects surround inhibition of the glycinergic amacrine by GABAergic amacrine cells. This circuitry may moderate nonlinearities in the alpha-cell light response and could account for some excitatory and inhibitory influences on alpha cells known to arise from outside the classical receptive field.

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