Neuroactive peptides as markers of retinal ganglion cell populations that differ in anatomical organization and function

1988 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodrigo O. Kuljis ◽  
Harvey J. Karten

AbstractRecent immunocytochemical studies indicate the existence of several classes of peptide- (PRGC) and catecholamine-containing retinal ganglion cells in anurans, birds, and mammals. Different classes of PRGC project to discrete and seemingly unique layers in the retino-recipient portion of the anuran and avian optic tectum. Peptide-containing retinofugal projections to the frog tectum originate early in development, and are reestablished by some classes of PRGC during regeneration of the optic nerve. These findings indicate that chemically specific, parallel retinofugal pathways presumably subserve different functional aspects of vision in vertebrates. Exciting prospects for research include the correlation of physiologically with immunocytochemically defined classes of retinal ganglion cells, the analysis of the possible role of neuroactive peptides in retinofugal transmission, and the pharmacological manipulation of putative peptidergic retinofugal pathways to analyze their role in visual function.

Development ◽  
1980 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-92
Author(s):  
S. C. Sharma ◽  
J. G. Hollyfield

The specification of central connexions of retinal ganglion cells was studied in Xenopus laevis. In one series of experiments, the right eye primordium was rotated 180° at embryonic stages 24–32. In the other series, the left eye was transplanted into the right orbit, and vice versa, with either 0° or 180° rotation. After metamorphosis the visual projections from the operated eye to the contralateral optic tectum were mapped electrophysiologically and compared with the normal retinotectal map. In all cases the visual projection map was rotated through the same angle as was indicated by the position of the choroidal fissure. The left eye exchanged into the right orbit retained its original axes and projected to the contralateral tectum. These results suggest that retinal ganglion cell connexions are specified before stage 24.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shahad Albadri ◽  
Olivier Armant ◽  
Tairi Aljand-Geschwill ◽  
Filippo Del Bene ◽  
Matthias Carl ◽  
...  

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.


2011 ◽  
Vol 52 (8) ◽  
pp. 5515 ◽  
Author(s):  
Preethi S. Ganapathy ◽  
Richard E. White ◽  
Yonju Ha ◽  
B. Renee Bozard ◽  
Paul L. McNeil ◽  
...  

1992 ◽  
Vol 9 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 389-398 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luiz R. G. Britto ◽  
Dȃnia E. Hamassaki-Britto

AbstractA small number of enkephalin-like immunoreactive cells were observed in the ganglion cell layer of the pigeon retina. Many of these neurons were identified as ganglion cells, since they were retrogradely labeled after injections of fluorescent latex microspheres in the contralateral optic tectum. These ganglion cells were mainly distributed in the inferior retina, and their soma sizes ranged from 12–26 μm in the largest axis. The enkephalin-containing ganglion cells appear to represent only a very small percentage of the ganglion cells projecting to the optic tectum (less than 0.1%). Two to 7 weeks after removal of the neural retina, there was an almost complete elimination of an enkephalin-like immunoreactive plexus in layer 3 of the contralateral, rostrodorsal optic tectum. These data provide evidence for the existence of a population of enkephalinergic retinal ganglion cells with projections to the optic tectum.


Development ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 107 (2) ◽  
pp. 381-387 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Cohen ◽  
V. Nurcombe ◽  
P. Jeffrey ◽  
D. Edgar

The ability of chick retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) to extend neurites on tissue culture substrata of the extra-cellular matrix protein laminin is lost during embryonic development. In order to establish the mechanism responsible for the loss of response, the number of high affinity (KD 10(−9) M) laminin receptors on both the cell bodies and neurites of RGCs were determined throughout this period by a ligand binding assay using radio-labelled laminin. It was found that the loss of response paralleled a decrease in receptor numbers on both the cell bodies and the neurites of the RGCs. Bilateral tectal ablation at embryonic day 6 resulted in the subsequent maintenance of laminin-stimulated neurite outgrowth, together with a partial inhibition of the loss of laminin receptors. Thus, the loss of response of the RGCs to laminin reflects a decrease in the numbers of laminin receptors on these neurons, and furthermore, this down-regulation is in turn dependent on innervation of the target tissue.


2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Barakat Alrashdi ◽  
Bassel Dawod ◽  
Andrea Schampel ◽  
Sabine Tacke ◽  
Stefanie Kuerten ◽  
...  

Abstract Background In multiple sclerosis (MS) and in the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model of MS, the Nav1.6 voltage-gated sodium (Nav) channel isoform has been implicated as a primary contributor to axonal degeneration. Following demyelination Nav1.6, which is normally co-localized with the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (NCX) at the nodes of Ranvier, associates with β-APP, a marker of neural injury. The persistent influx of sodium through Nav1.6 is believed to reverse the function of NCX, resulting in an increased influx of damaging Ca2+ ions. However, direct evidence for the role of Nav1.6 in axonal degeneration is lacking. Methods In mice floxed for Scn8a, the gene that encodes the α subunit of Nav1.6, subjected to EAE we examined the effect of eliminating Nav1.6 from retinal ganglion cells (RGC) in one eye using an AAV vector harboring Cre and GFP, while using the contralateral either injected with AAV vector harboring GFP alone or non-targeted eye as control. Results In retinas, the expression of Rbpms, a marker for retinal ganglion cells, was found to be inversely correlated to the expression of Scn8a. Furthermore, the gene expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines Il6 (IL-6) and Ifng (IFN-γ), and of the reactive gliosis marker Gfap (GFAP) were found to be reduced in targeted retinas. Optic nerves from targeted eyes were shown to have reduced macrophage infiltration and improved axonal health. Conclusion Taken together, our results are consistent with Nav1.6 promoting inflammation and contributing to axonal degeneration following demyelination.


Redox Biology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 ◽  
pp. 101199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soumya Navneet ◽  
Jing Zhao ◽  
Jing Wang ◽  
Barbara Mysona ◽  
Shannon Barwick ◽  
...  

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