1
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Buchanan AM, Mena S, Choukari I, Vasa A, Crawford JN, Fadel J, Maxwell N, Reagan L, Cruikshank A, Best J, Nijhout HF, Reed M, Hashemi P. Serotonin as a biomarker of toxin-induced Parkinsonism. Mol Med 2024; 30:33. [PMID: 38429661 PMCID: PMC10908133 DOI: 10.1186/s10020-023-00773-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Loss of dopaminergic neurons underlies the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). However stereotypical PD symptoms only manifest after approximately 80% of dopamine neurons have died making dopamine-related motor phenotypes unreliable markers of the earlier stages of the disease. There are other non-motor symptoms, such as depression, that may present decades before motor symptoms. METHODS Because serotonin is implicated in depression, here we use niche, fast electrochemistry paired with mathematical modelling and machine learning to, for the first time, robustly evaluate serotonin neurochemistry in vivo in real time in a toxicological model of Parkinsonism, 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). RESULTS Mice treated with acute MPTP had lower concentrations of in vivo, evoked and ambient serotonin in the hippocampus, consistent with the clinical comorbidity of depression with PD. These mice did not chemically respond to SSRI, as strongly as control animals did, following the clinical literature showing that antidepressant success during PD is highly variable. Following L-DOPA administration, using a novel machine learning analysis tool, we observed a dynamic shift from evoked serotonin release in the hippocampus to dopamine release. We hypothesize that this finding shows, in real time, that serotonergic neurons uptake L-DOPA and produce dopamine at the expense of serotonin, supporting the significant clinical correlation between L-DOPA and depression. Finally, we found that this post L-DOPA dopamine release was less regulated, staying in the synapse for longer. This finding is perhaps due to lack of autoreceptor control and may provide a ground from which to study L-DOPA induced dyskinesia. CONCLUSIONS These results validate key prior hypotheses about the roles of serotonin during PD and open an avenue to study to potentially improve therapeutics for levodopa-induced dyskinesia and depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Marie Buchanan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, & Neuroscience, University of South Carolina SOM, Columbia, SC, 29209, USA
| | - Sergio Mena
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Iman Choukari
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Aditya Vasa
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA
| | - Jesseca N Crawford
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, & Neuroscience, University of South Carolina SOM, Columbia, SC, 29209, USA
| | - Jim Fadel
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, & Neuroscience, University of South Carolina SOM, Columbia, SC, 29209, USA
| | - Nick Maxwell
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, & Neuroscience, University of South Carolina SOM, Columbia, SC, 29209, USA
| | - Lawrence Reagan
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, & Neuroscience, University of South Carolina SOM, Columbia, SC, 29209, USA
- Columbia VA Health Care System, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA
| | | | - Janet Best
- Department of Mathematics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | | | - Michael Reed
- Department of Mathematics, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Parastoo Hashemi
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA.
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
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2
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Boff JM, Shrestha AP, Madireddy S, Viswaprakash N, Della Santina L, Vaithianathan T. The Interplay between Neurotransmitters and Calcium Dynamics in Retinal Synapses during Development, Health, and Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2226. [PMID: 38396913 PMCID: PMC10889697 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25042226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The intricate functionality of the vertebrate retina relies on the interplay between neurotransmitter activity and calcium (Ca2+) dynamics, offering important insights into developmental processes, physiological functioning, and disease progression. Neurotransmitters orchestrate cellular processes to shape the behavior of the retina under diverse circumstances. Despite research to elucidate the roles of individual neurotransmitters in the visual system, there remains a gap in our understanding of the holistic integration of their interplay with Ca2+ dynamics in the broader context of neuronal development, health, and disease. To address this gap, the present review explores the mechanisms used by the neurotransmitters glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glycine, dopamine, and acetylcholine (ACh) and their interplay with Ca2+ dynamics. This conceptual outline is intended to inform and guide future research, underpinning novel therapeutic avenues for retinal-associated disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johane M Boff
- Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Abhishek P Shrestha
- Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Saivikram Madireddy
- College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Nilmini Viswaprakash
- Department of Medical Education, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | | | - Thirumalini Vaithianathan
- Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hamilton Eye Institute, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
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3
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Liang JH, Akhanov V, Ho A, Tawfik M, D'Souza SP, Cameron MA, Lang RA, Samuel MA. Dopamine signaling from ganglion cells directs layer-specific angiogenesis in the retina. Curr Biol 2023; 33:3821-3834.e5. [PMID: 37572663 PMCID: PMC10529464 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.07.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/14/2023]
Abstract
During central nervous system (CNS) development, a precisely patterned vasculature emerges to support CNS function. How neurons control angiogenesis is not well understood. Here, we show that the neuromodulator dopamine restricts vascular development in the retina via temporally limited production by an unexpected neuron subset. Our genetic and pharmacological experiments demonstrate that elevating dopamine levels inhibits tip-cell sprouting and vessel growth, whereas reducing dopamine production by all retina neurons increases growth. Dopamine production by canonical dopaminergic amacrine interneurons is dispensable for these events. Instead, we found that temporally restricted dopamine production by retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) modulates vascular development. RGCs produce dopamine precisely during angiogenic periods. Genetically limiting dopamine production by ganglion cells, but not amacrines, decreases angiogenesis. Conversely, elevating ganglion-cell-derived dopamine production inhibits early vessel growth. These vasculature outcomes occur downstream of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) activation and Notch-Jagged1 signaling. Jagged1 is increased and subsequently inhibits Notch signaling when ganglion cell dopamine production is reduced. Our findings demonstrate that dopaminergic neural activity from a small neuron subset functions upstream of VEGFR to serve as developmental timing cue that regulates vessel growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine H Liang
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Visual Systems Group, Abrahamson Pediatric Eye Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Viktor Akhanov
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Anthony Ho
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Mohamed Tawfik
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Shane P D'Souza
- Divisions of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Science of Light Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Visual Systems Group, Abrahamson Pediatric Eye Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Morven A Cameron
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Western Sydney University Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia
| | - Richard A Lang
- Divisions of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Science of Light Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Visual Systems Group, Abrahamson Pediatric Eye Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Melanie A Samuel
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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4
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Wang F, Zhong W, Yang Q, Zhao W, Liu X, Rao B, Lin X, Zhang J. Distribution and synaptic organization of substance P-like immunoreactive neurons in the mouse retina. Brain Struct Funct 2023; 228:1703-1724. [PMID: 37481742 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-023-02688-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
Substance P (SP), a neuroprotective peptidergic neurotransmitter, is known to have immunoreactivity (IR) localized to amacrine and/or ganglion cells in a variety of species' retinas, but it has not yet been studied in the mouse retina. Thus, we investigated the distribution and synaptic organization of SP-IR by confocal and electron microscopy immunocytochemistry in the mouse retina. SP-IR was distributed in the inner nuclear layer (INL), inner plexiform layer (IPL), and ganglion cell layer (GCL). Most of the SP-IR somas belonged to amacrine cells (2.5% of all) in the INL and their processes stratified into the S1, S3, and S5 layers of the IPL, with the most intense band in the S5 layer. Some SP-IR somas can also be observed in the GCL, which were identified as displaced amacrine cells (82%, 1269/1550) and ganglion cells (18%, 281/1550) by antibodies against AP2α and RBPMS, respectively. Such SP-IR ganglion cells (1.2% of all RGCs) can be further divided into 3 subgroups expressing SP/α-Synuclein (α-Syn), SP/GAD67, and/or SP/GAD67/α-Syn. Possible physiological and pathological roles of these ganglion cells are discussed. Further, electron microscopy evidence demonstrates that SP-IR amacrine cells receive major inputs from other SP-IR amacrine cell processes (146/242 inputs) and output mostly to SP-negative amacrine cell processes (291/673 outputs), suggesting series inhibition among amacrine cells. These results reveal for the first time an explicit distribution, novel ganglion cell features, and synaptic organization of SP-IR in the mouse retina, which is important for the future use of mouse models to study the roles of SP in healthy and diseased (including Parkinson's disease) retinal states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fenglan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
| | - Wenhui Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
| | - Qingwen Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
| | - Wenna Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
| | - Xiaoqing Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
| | - Bilin Rao
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
- Laboratory of Retinal Physiology and Disease, School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xin Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
- Laboratory of Retinal Physiology and Disease, School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China.
- Laboratory of Retinal Physiology and Disease, School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, Zhejiang, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China.
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5
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Kinane C, Calligaro H, Jandot A, Coutanson C, Haddjeri N, Bennis M, Dkhissi-Benyahya O. Dopamine modulates the retinal clock through melanopsin-dependent regulation of cholinergic waves during development. BMC Biol 2023; 21:146. [PMID: 37365544 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01647-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The mammalian retina contains an autonomous circadian clock that controls various aspects of retinal physiology and function, including dopamine (DA) release by amacrine cells. This neurotransmitter plays a critical role in retina development, visual signalling, and phase resetting of the retinal clock in adulthood. Interestingly, bidirectional regulation between dopaminergic cells and melanopsin-expressing retinal ganglion cells has been demonstrated in the adult and during development. Additionally, the adult melanopsin knockout mouse (Opn4 -/-) exhibits a shortening of the endogenous period of the retinal clock. However, whether DA and / or melanopsin influence the retinal clock mechanism during its maturation is still unknown. RESULTS Using wild-type Per2 Luc and melanopsin knockout (Opn4 -/-::Per2 Luc) mice at different postnatal stages, we found that the retina generates self-sustained circadian rhythms from postnatal day 5 in both genotypes and that the ability to express these rhythms emerges in the absence of external time cues. Intriguingly, only in wild-type explants, DA supplementation lengthened the endogenous period of the clock during the first week of postnatal development through both D1- and D2-like dopaminergic receptors. Furthermore, the blockade of spontaneous cholinergic retinal waves, which drive DA release in the early developmental stages, shortened the period and reduced the light-induced phase shift of the retinal clock only in wild-type retinas. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that DA modulates the molecular core of the clock through melanopsin-dependent regulation of acetylcholine retinal waves, thus offering an unprecedented role of DA and melanopsin in the endogenous functioning and the light response of the retinal clock during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaimaa Kinane
- Inserm, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 18 Avenue du Doyen Lépine, 69500, Bron, France
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Neurobiology, Anthropobiology and Environment, University Cadi Ayyad, Marrakech, Morocco
| | - Hugo Calligaro
- Inserm, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 18 Avenue du Doyen Lépine, 69500, Bron, France
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Lolla, CA, USA
| | - Antonin Jandot
- Inserm, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 18 Avenue du Doyen Lépine, 69500, Bron, France
| | - Christine Coutanson
- Inserm, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 18 Avenue du Doyen Lépine, 69500, Bron, France
| | - Nasser Haddjeri
- Inserm, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 18 Avenue du Doyen Lépine, 69500, Bron, France
| | - Mohamed Bennis
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Neurobiology, Anthropobiology and Environment, University Cadi Ayyad, Marrakech, Morocco
| | - Ouria Dkhissi-Benyahya
- Inserm, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 18 Avenue du Doyen Lépine, 69500, Bron, France.
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6
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Increased Retinal Ganglion Cell Survival by Exogenous IL-2 Depends on IL-10, Dopamine D1 Receptors, and Classical IL-2/IL-2R Signaling Pathways. Neurochem Res 2021; 46:1701-1716. [PMID: 33792824 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-021-03313-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Revised: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is a classical pro-inflammatory cytokine known to display neuroprotective roles in the central nervous system including the retina. In the present study, we investigate the molecular targets involved in the neurotrophic effect of IL-2 on retinal ganglion cells (RGC) after optic nerve axotomy. Analysis of retrograde labeling of RGC showed that common cell survival mediators, as Trk receptors, Src, PI3K, PKC, and intracellular calcium do not mediate the neurotrophic effect of IL-2 on RGC. No involvement of MAPK p38 was also observed. However, other MAPKs as MEK and JNK appear to be mediating this IL-2 effect. Our data also indicate that JAK2/3 are important intracellular proteins for the IL-2 effect. Interestingly, we demonstrate that the IL-2 effect depends on dopamine D1 receptors (D1R), the cAMP/PKA pathway, interleukin-10 (IL-10), and NF-κB, suggesting that RGC survival induced by IL-2 encompasses a molecular network of major complexity. In addition, treatment of retinal cells with recombinant IL-10 or 6-Cl-pb (D1R full agonist) was able to increase RGC survival similar to IL-2. Taken together, our results suggest that after optic nerve axotomy, the increase in RGC survival triggered by IL-2 is mediated by IL-10 and D1R along with the intracellular pathways of MAPKs, JAK/STAT, and cAMP/PKA.
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7
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Lauter G, Coschiera A, Yoshihara M, Sugiaman-Trapman D, Ezer S, Sethurathinam S, Katayama S, Kere J, Swoboda P. Differentiation of ciliated human midbrain-derived LUHMES neurons. J Cell Sci 2020; 133:jcs249789. [PMID: 33115758 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.249789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Many human cell types are ciliated, including neural progenitors and differentiated neurons. Ciliopathies are characterized by defective cilia and comprise various disease states, including brain phenotypes, where the underlying biological pathways are largely unknown. Our understanding of neuronal cilia is rudimentary, and an easy-to-maintain, ciliated human neuronal cell model is absent. The Lund human mesencephalic (LUHMES) cell line is a ciliated neuronal cell line derived from human fetal mesencephalon. LUHMES cells can easily be maintained and differentiated into mature, functional neurons within one week. They have a single primary cilium as proliferating progenitor cells and as postmitotic, differentiating neurons. These developmental stages are completely separable within one day of culture condition change. The sonic hedgehog (SHH) signaling pathway is active in differentiating LUHMES neurons. RNA-sequencing timecourse analyses reveal molecular pathways and gene-regulatory networks critical for ciliogenesis and axon outgrowth at the interface between progenitor cell proliferation, polarization and neuronal differentiation. Gene expression dynamics of cultured LUHMES neurons faithfully mimic the corresponding in vivo dynamics of human fetal midbrain. In LUHMES cells, neuronal cilia biology can be investigated from proliferation through differentiation to mature neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilbert Lauter
- Karolinska Institute, Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, SE-141 83 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Andrea Coschiera
- Karolinska Institute, Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, SE-141 83 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Masahito Yoshihara
- Karolinska Institute, Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, SE-141 83 Huddinge, Sweden
| | | | - Sini Ezer
- University of Helsinki, Research Program of Molecular Neurology and Folkhälsan Institute of Genetics, FI-00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Shalini Sethurathinam
- Karolinska Institute, Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, SE-141 83 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Shintaro Katayama
- Karolinska Institute, Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, SE-141 83 Huddinge, Sweden
- University of Helsinki, Stem Cells and Metabolism Research Program and Folkhälsan Research Center, FI-00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Juha Kere
- Karolinska Institute, Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, SE-141 83 Huddinge, Sweden
- University of Helsinki, Research Program of Molecular Neurology and Folkhälsan Institute of Genetics, FI-00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Peter Swoboda
- Karolinska Institute, Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, SE-141 83 Huddinge, Sweden
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8
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Korshunov KS, Blakemore LJ, Trombley PQ. Illuminating and Sniffing Out the Neuromodulatory Roles of Dopamine in the Retina and Olfactory Bulb. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:275. [PMID: 33110404 PMCID: PMC7488387 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.00275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
In the central nervous system, dopamine is well-known as the neuromodulator that is involved with regulating reward, addiction, motivation, and fine motor control. Yet, decades of findings are revealing another crucial function of dopamine: modulating sensory systems. Dopamine is endogenous to subsets of neurons in the retina and olfactory bulb (OB), where it sharpens sensory processing of visual and olfactory information. For example, dopamine modulation allows the neural circuity in the retina to transition from processing dim light to daylight and the neural circuity in the OB to regulate odor discrimination and detection. Dopamine accomplishes these tasks through numerous, complex mechanisms in both neural structures. In this review, we provide an overview of the established and emerging research on these mechanisms and describe similarities and differences in dopamine expression and modulation of synaptic transmission in the retinas and OBs of various vertebrate organisms. This includes discussion of dopamine neurons’ morphologies, potential identities, and biophysical properties along with their contributions to circadian rhythms and stimulus-driven synthesis, activation, and release of dopamine. As dysregulation of some of these mechanisms may occur in patients with Parkinson’s disease, these symptoms are also discussed. The exploration and comparison of these two separate dopamine populations shows just how remarkably similar the retina and OB are, even though they are functionally distinct. It also shows that the modulatory properties of dopamine neurons are just as important to vision and olfaction as they are to motor coordination and neuropsychiatric/neurodegenerative conditions, thus, we hope this review encourages further research to elucidate these mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirill S Korshunov
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States.,Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States
| | - Laura J Blakemore
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States.,Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States
| | - Paul Q Trombley
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States.,Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States
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9
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Keeley PW, Eglen SJ, Reese BE. From random to regular: Variation in the patterning of retinal mosaics. J Comp Neurol 2020; 528:2135-2160. [PMID: 32026463 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Revised: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The various types of retinal neurons are each positioned at their respective depths within the retina where they are believed to be assembled as orderly mosaics, in which like-type neurons minimize proximity to one another. Two common statistical analyses for assessing the spatial properties of retinal mosaics include the nearest neighbor analysis, from which an index of their "regularity" is commonly calculated, and the density recovery profile derived from autocorrelation analysis, revealing the presence of an exclusion zone indicative of anti-clustering. While each of the spatial statistics derived from these analyses, the regularity index and the effective radius, can be useful in characterizing such properties of orderly retinal mosaics, they are rarely sufficient for conveying the natural variation in the self-spacing behavior of different types of retinal neurons and the extent to which that behavior generates uniform intercellular spacing across the mosaic. We consider the strengths and limitations of these and other spatial statistical analyses for assessing the patterning in retinal mosaics, highlighting a number of misconceptions and their frequent misuse. Rather than being diagnostic criteria for determining simply whether a population is "regular," they should be treated as descriptive statistics that convey variation in the factors that influence neuronal positioning. We subsequently apply multiple spatial statistics to the analysis of eight different mosaics in the mouse retina, demonstrating conspicuous variability in the degree of patterning present, from essentially random to notably regular. This variability in patterning has both a developmental as well as a functional significance, reflecting the rules governing the positioning of different types of neurons as the architecture of the retina is assembled, and the distinct mechanisms by which they regulate dendritic growth to generate their characteristic coverage and connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick W Keeley
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California
| | - Stephen J Eglen
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Benjamin E Reese
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California.,Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California
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10
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Stefanov A, Novelli E, Strettoi E. Inner retinal preservation in the photoinducible I307N rhodopsin mutant mouse, a model of autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa. J Comp Neurol 2019; 528:1502-1522. [PMID: 31811649 PMCID: PMC7187456 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Revised: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Rod‐cone degenerations, for example, retinitis pigmentosa are leading causes of blindness worldwide. Despite slow disease progression in humans, vision loss is inevitable; therefore, development of vision restoration strategies is crucial. Among others, promising approaches include optogenetics and prosthetic implants, which aim to bypass lost photoreceptors (PRs). Naturally, the efficacy of these therapeutic strategies will depend on inner retinal structural and functional preservation. The present study shows that in photoinducible I307N rhodopsin mice (Translational Vision Research Model 4 [Tvrm4]), a 12k lux light exposure eliminates PRs in the central retina in 1 week, but interneurons and their synapses are maintained for as long as 9 weeks postinduction. Despite bipolar cell dendritic retraction and moderate loss of horizontal cells, the survival rate of various cell types is very high. Significant preservation of conventional synapses and gap junctions in the inner plexiform layer is also observed. We found the number of synaptic ribbons to gradually decline and their ultrastructure to become transiently abnormal, although based on our findings intrinsic retinal architecture is maintained despite complete loss of PRs. Unlike common rodent models of PR degeneration, where the disease phenotype often interferes with retinal development, in Tvrm4 mice, the degenerative process can be induced after retinal development is complete. This time course more closely mimics the timing of disease onset in affected patients. Stability of the inner retina found in these mutants 2 months after PR degeneration suggests moderate, stereotyped remodeling in the early stages of the human disease and represents a promising finding for prompt approaches of vision restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia Stefanov
- Institute of Neuroscience, Italian National Research Council - CNR, Pisa, Italy.,Regional Doctoral School of Neuroscience, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Elena Novelli
- Institute of Neuroscience, Italian National Research Council - CNR, Pisa, Italy
| | - Enrica Strettoi
- Institute of Neuroscience, Italian National Research Council - CNR, Pisa, Italy
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11
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Rojo Arias JE, Economopoulou M, Juárez López DA, Kurzbach A, Au Yeung KH, Englmaier V, Merdausl M, Schaarschmidt M, Ader M, Morawietz H, Funk RHW, Jászai J. VEGF-Trap is a potent modulator of vasoregenerative responses and protects dopaminergic amacrine network integrity in degenerative ischemic neovascular retinopathy. J Neurochem 2019; 153:390-412. [PMID: 31550048 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.14875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2019] [Revised: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Retinal hypoxia triggers abnormal vessel growth and microvascular hyper-permeability in ischemic retinopathies. Whereas vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) inhibitors significantly hinder disease progression, their benefits to retinal neurons remain poorly understood. Similar to humans, oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) mice exhibit severe retinal microvascular malformations and profound neuronal dysfunction. OIR mice are thus a phenocopy of human retinopathy of prematurity, and a proxy for investigating advanced stages of proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Hence, the OIR model offers an excellent platform for assessing morpho-functional responses of the ischemic retina to anti-angiogenic therapies. Using this model, we investigated the retinal responses to VEGF-Trap (Aflibercept), an anti-angiogenic agent recognizing ligands of VEGF receptors 1 and 2 that possesses regulatory approval for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration, macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusion and diabetic macular edema. Our results indicate that Aflibercept not only reduces the severity of retinal microvascular aberrations but also significantly improves neuroretinal function. Aflibercept administration significantly enhanced light-responsiveness, as revealed by electroretinographic examinations, and led to increased numbers of dopaminergic amacrine cells. Additionally, retinal transcriptional profiling revealed the concerted regulation of both angiogenic and neuronal targets, including transcripts encoding subunits of transmitter receptors relevant to amacrine cell function. Thus, Aflibercept represents a promising therapeutic alternative for the treatment of further progressive ischemic retinal neurovasculopathies beyond the set of disease conditions for which it has regulatory approval. Cover Image for this issue: doi: 10.1111/jnc.14743.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús E Rojo Arias
- Department of Anatomy, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Saxony, Germany
| | - Matina Economopoulou
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Saxony, Germany
| | - David A Juárez López
- Department of Anatomy, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Saxony, Germany
| | - Anica Kurzbach
- Medizinische Klinik III, Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Saxony, Germany.,German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD e.V.), München-Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Kwan H Au Yeung
- Department of Anatomy, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Saxony, Germany
| | - Vanessa Englmaier
- Department of Anatomy, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Saxony, Germany
| | - Marie Merdausl
- Department of Anatomy, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Saxony, Germany
| | - Martin Schaarschmidt
- Department of Anatomy, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Saxony, Germany
| | - Marius Ader
- DFG-Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Cluster of Excellence, Saxony, Germany
| | - Henning Morawietz
- Department of Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Division of Vascular Endothelium and Microcirculation, Technische Universität Dresden, Saxony, Germany
| | - Richard H W Funk
- Department of Anatomy, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Saxony, Germany
| | - József Jászai
- Department of Anatomy, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Saxony, Germany
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12
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Abnormal Behavior of Zebrafish Mutant in Dopamine Transporter Is Rescued by Clozapine. iScience 2019; 17:325-333. [PMID: 31325771 PMCID: PMC6642228 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2019.06.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Revised: 05/17/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Dopamine transporter (SLC6A3) deficiency causes infantile Parkinson disease, for which there is no effective therapy. We have explored the effects of genetically deleting SLC6A3 in zebrafish. Unlike the wild-type, slc6a3−/− fish hover near the tank bottom, with a repetitive digging-like behavior. slc6a3−/− fish manifest pruning and cellular loss of particular tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive neurons in the midbrain. Clozapine, an effective therapeutic for treatment-resistant schizophrenia, rescues the abnormal behavior of slc6a3−/− fish. Clozapine also reverses the abnormalities in the A8 region of the mutant midbrain. By RNA sequencing analysis, clozapine increases the expression of erythropoietin pathway genes. Transgenic over-expression of erythropoietin in neurons of slc6a3−/− fish partially rescues the mutant behavior, suggesting a potential mechanistic basis for clozapine's efficacy. DAT mutation in zebrafish causes digging behavior and loss of specific midbrain neurons Clozapine restores normal behavior and neuronal morphology of mutant fish Clozapine increases expression of erythropoietin pathway genes Transgenic expression of erythropoietin partially rescues the mutant behavior
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13
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Nguyen MTT, Vemaraju S, Nayak G, Odaka Y, Buhr ED, Alonzo N, Tran U, Batie M, Upton BA, Darvas M, Kozmik Z, Rao S, Hegde RS, Iuvone PM, Van Gelder RN, Lang RA. An opsin 5-dopamine pathway mediates light-dependent vascular development in the eye. Nat Cell Biol 2019; 21:420-429. [PMID: 30936473 PMCID: PMC6573021 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-019-0301-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
During mouse postnatal eye development, the embryonic hyaloid vascular network regresses from the vitreous as an adaption for high acuity vision. This process occurs with precisely controlled timing. Here we show that an Opsin 5 (OPN5, Neuropsin)-dependent retinal light response regulates vascular development in the postnatal eye. In Opn5 null mice hyaloid vessels regress precociously. We demonstrate that 380 nm light stimulation via OPN5 and VGAT (the vesicular GABA/glycine transporter) in retinal ganglion cells enhances activity of inner retinal DAT/SLC6A3 (a dopamine reuptake transporter) and thus suppresses vitreal dopamine. In turn, dopamine acts directly on hyaloid vascular endothelial cells to suppress activity of VEGFR2 and promote hyaloid vessel regression. With OPN5 loss-of-function, vitreous dopamine is elevated and results in premature hyaloid regression. These investigations identify violet light as a developmental timing cue that, via an OPN5-dopamine pathway, regulates optic axis clearance in preparation for visual function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minh-Thanh T Nguyen
- The Visual Systems Group, Abrahamson Pediatric Eye Institute, Division of Pediatric Ophthalmology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.,Center for Chronobiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Shruti Vemaraju
- The Visual Systems Group, Abrahamson Pediatric Eye Institute, Division of Pediatric Ophthalmology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.,Center for Chronobiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Gowri Nayak
- The Visual Systems Group, Abrahamson Pediatric Eye Institute, Division of Pediatric Ophthalmology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.,Center for Chronobiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Yoshinobu Odaka
- The Visual Systems Group, Abrahamson Pediatric Eye Institute, Division of Pediatric Ophthalmology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.,Center for Chronobiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Ethan D Buhr
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Washington Medical School, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Nuria Alonzo
- The Visual Systems Group, Abrahamson Pediatric Eye Institute, Division of Pediatric Ophthalmology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Uyen Tran
- The Visual Systems Group, Abrahamson Pediatric Eye Institute, Division of Pediatric Ophthalmology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Matthew Batie
- Clinical Engineering, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Brian A Upton
- The Visual Systems Group, Abrahamson Pediatric Eye Institute, Division of Pediatric Ophthalmology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.,Center for Chronobiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Martin Darvas
- Pathology, University of Washington Medical School, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Zbynek Kozmik
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Sujata Rao
- Ophthalmic Research, Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Rashmi S Hegde
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - P Michael Iuvone
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Pharmacology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Russell N Van Gelder
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Washington Medical School, Seattle, WA, USA.,Pathology, University of Washington Medical School, Seattle, WA, USA.,Biological Structure, University of Washington Medical School, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Richard A Lang
- The Visual Systems Group, Abrahamson Pediatric Eye Institute, Division of Pediatric Ophthalmology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA. .,Center for Chronobiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA. .,Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA. .,Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
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14
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Sankaran M, Keeley PW, He L, Iuvone PM, Reese BE. Dopaminergic amacrine cell number, plexus density, and dopamine content in the mouse retina: Strain differences and effects of Bax gene disruption. Exp Eye Res 2018; 177:208-212. [PMID: 30240584 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2018.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2018] [Revised: 08/07/2018] [Accepted: 09/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Many types of retinal neuron modulate the distribution of their processes to ensure a uniform coverage of the retinal surface. Dendritic field area, for instance, is inversely related to the variation in cellular density for many cell types, observed either across retinal eccentricity or between different strains of mice that differ in cell number. Dopaminergic amacrine (DA) cells, by contrast, have dendritic arbors that bear no spatial relationship to the presence of their immediate homotypic neighbors, yet it remains to be determined whether their coverage upon the retina, as a population, is conserved across variation in their total number. The present study assessed the overall density of the dopaminergic plexus in the inner plexiform layer in the presence of large variation in the total number of DA cells, as well as their retinal dopamine content, to determine whether either of these features is conserved. We first compared these traits between two strains of mice (C57BL/6J and A/J) that exhibit a two-fold difference in DA cell number. We subsequently examined these same traits in littermate mice for which the pro-apoptotic Bax gene was either intact or knocked out, yielding a five-fold difference in DA cell number. In both comparisons, we found greater plexus density and DA content in the strain or condition with the greater number of DA cells. The population of DA cells, therefore, does not appear to self-regulate its process coverage to achieve a constant density as the DA mosaic is established during development, nor its functional dopamine content in maturity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathangi Sankaran
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA; Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - Patrick W Keeley
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - Li He
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - P Michael Iuvone
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Benjamin E Reese
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA; Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA.
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15
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Oliveira FG, Nascimento-Júnior ESD, Cavalcante JC, Guzen FP, Cavalcante JDS, Soares JG, Cavalcanti JRLDP, Freitas LMD, Costa MSMDO, Andrade-da-Costa BLDS. Topographic specializations of catecholaminergic cells and ganglion cells and distribution of calcium binding proteins in the crepuscular rock cavy (Kerodon rupestris) retina. J Chem Neuroanat 2017; 90:57-69. [PMID: 29277705 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2017.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2017] [Revised: 12/21/2017] [Accepted: 12/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
The rock cavy (Kerodon rupestris) is a crepuscular Hystricomorpha rodent that has been used in comparative analysis of retinal targets, but its retinal organization remains to be investigated. In order to better characterize its visual system, the present study analyzed neurochemical features related to the topographic organization of catecholaminergic cells and ganglion cells, as well the distribution of calcium-binding proteins in the outer and inner retina. Retinal sections and/or wholemounts were processed using tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), GABA, calbindin, parvalbumin and calretinin immunohistochemistry or Nissl staining. Two types of TH-immunoreactive (TH-IR) cells were found which differ in soma size, dendritic arborization, intensity of TH immunoreactivity and stratification pattern in the inner plexiform layer. The topographic distribution of all TH-IR cells defines a visual streak along the horizontal meridian in the superior retina. The ganglion cells are also distributed in a visual streak and the visual acuity estimated considering their peak density is 4.13 cycles/degree. A subset of TH-IR cells express GABA or calbindin. Calretinin is abundant in most of retinal layers and coexists with calbindin in horizontal cells. Parvalbumin is less abundant and expressed by presumed amacrine cells in the INL and some ganglion cells in the GCL. The topographic distribution of TH-IR cells and ganglion cells in the rock cavy retina indicate a suitable adaptation for using a broad extension of its inferior visual field in aspects that involve resolution, adjustment to ambient light intensity and movement detection without specialized eye movements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Gilberto Oliveira
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Regional do Cariri - URCA, Crato, CE, Brazil; Departamento de Morfologia, Laboratório de Neuroanatomia, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte - UFRN, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Expedito Silva do Nascimento-Júnior
- Departamento de Morfologia, Laboratório de Neuroanatomia, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte - UFRN, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Judney Cley Cavalcante
- Departamento de Morfologia, Laboratório de Neuroanatomia, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte - UFRN, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Fausto Pierdoná Guzen
- Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde, Departamento de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade do Estado do Rio Grande do Norte - UERN, Mossoró, RN, Brazil
| | - Jeferson de Souza Cavalcante
- Departamento de Morfologia, Laboratório de Neuroanatomia, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte - UFRN, Natal, RN, Brazil; Departamento de Fisiologia, Laboratório de Neuroanatomia, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte - UFRN, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Joacil Germano Soares
- Departamento de Morfologia, Laboratório de Neuroanatomia, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte - UFRN, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | | | - Leandro Moura de Freitas
- Departamento de Morfologia, Laboratório de Neuroanatomia, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte - UFRN, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Miriam Stela Maris de Oliveira Costa
- Departamento de Morfologia, Laboratório de Neuroanatomia, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte - UFRN, Natal, RN, Brazil
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16
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Spix NJ, Liu LL, Zhang Z, Hohlbein JP, Prigge CL, Chintala S, Ribelayga CP, Zhang DQ. Vulnerability of Dopaminergic Amacrine Cells to Chronic Ischemia in a Mouse Model of Oxygen-Induced Retinopathy. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2017; 57:3047-57. [PMID: 27281270 PMCID: PMC4913805 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.16-19346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Retinal dopamine deficiency is a potential cause of myopia and visual deficits in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). We investigated the cellular mechanisms responsible for lowered levels of retinal dopamine in an oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) mouse model of ROP. Methods Retinopathy was induced by exposing mice to 75% oxygen from postnatal day 7 (P7) to P12. Oxygen-induced retinopathy and age-matched control mice were euthanized at P12, P17, P25, or P42 to P50. Immunohistochemistry, electrophysiology, and biochemical approaches were used to determine the effect of OIR on the structure and function of dopaminergic amacrine cells (DACs). Results The total number of DACs was unchanged in OIR retinas at P12 despite significant capillary dropout in the central retina. However, a significant loss of DACs was observed in P17 OIR retinas (in which neovascularization was maximal), with the cell loss being more profound in the central (avascular) than in the peripheral (neovascular) regions. Cell loss was persistent in both regions at P25, at which time retinal neovascularization had regressed. At P42, the percentage of DACs lost (54%) was comparable to the percent decrease in total dopamine content (53%). Additionally, it was found that DACs recorded in OIR retinas at P42 to P50 had a complete dendritic field and exhibited relatively normal spontaneous and light-induced electrical activity. Conclusions The results suggest that remaining DACs are structurally and functionally intact and that loss of DACs is primarily responsible for the decreased levels of retinal dopamine observed after OIR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan J Spix
- Eye Research Institute Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, United States
| | - Lei-Lei Liu
- Eye Research Institute Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, United States
| | - Zhijing Zhang
- Ruiz Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, United States
| | - Joshua P Hohlbein
- Eye Research Institute Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, United States
| | - Cameron L Prigge
- Eye Research Institute Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, United States
| | - Shravan Chintala
- Eye Research Institute Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, United States
| | - Christophe P Ribelayga
- Ruiz Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, United States 3Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at
| | - Dao-Qi Zhang
- Eye Research Institute Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, United States
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17
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Edgar KS, Galvin OM, Collins A, Katusic ZS, McDonald DM. BH4-Mediated Enhancement of Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase Activity Reduces Hyperoxia-Induced Endothelial Damage and Preserves Vascular Integrity in the Neonate. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2017; 58:230-241. [PMID: 28114584 PMCID: PMC6039076 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.16-20523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2016] [Accepted: 11/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS)-derived nitric oxide (NO) has important vasoprotective functions that are compromised in the vasodegenerative phase of retinopathy of prematurity, owing to hyperoxia-induced depletion of the essential NOS cofactor BH4. Because modulating eNOS function can be beneficial or detrimental, our aim was to investigate the effect of BH4 supplementation on eNOS function and vascular regression in hyperoxia. Methods Endothelial-specific eNOS-green fluorescent protein (GFP) overexpressing mice at postnatal day 7 (P7) were exposed to hyperoxia for 48 hours in the presence or absence of supplemental BH4, achieved by administration of sepiapterin, a stable BH4 precursor. Tissue was collected either for retinal flat mounts that were stained with lectin to determine the extent of vessel coverage or for analysis of BH4 by high-performance liquid chromatography, nitrotyrosine (NT) marker by Western blotting, VEGF expression by ELISA, and NOS activity by arginine-to-citrulline conversion. Primary retinal microvascular endothelial cells (RMEC) were similarly treated, and hyperoxia-induced damage was determined. Results Sepiapterin effectively enhanced BH4 levels in hyperoxia-exposed retinas and brains, elevated NOS activity, and reduced NT-modified protein, leading to reversal of the exacerbated vasoregression observed in the presence of eNOS overexpression. In RMECs, hyperoxia-mediated depletion of BH4 dysregulated the redox balance by reducing nitrite and elevating superoxide and impaired proliferative ability. BH4 supplementation restored normal RMEC proliferation in vitro and also in vivo, providing a mechanistic link with the enhanced vascular coverage in eNOS-GFP retinas. Conclusions These results demonstrate that BH4 supplementation corrects hyperoxia-induced RMEC dysfunction and preserves vascular integrity by enhancing eNOS function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin S. Edgar
- Centre for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Orla M. Galvin
- Centre for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Anthony Collins
- Centre for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Zvonimir S. Katusic
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pharmacology, Mayo Clinic, Minnesota, United States
| | - Denise M. McDonald
- Centre for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, United Kingdom
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18
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Vuong HE, Pérez de Sevilla Müller L, Hardi CN, McMahon DG, Brecha NC. Heterogeneous transgene expression in the retinas of the TH-RFP, TH-Cre, TH-BAC-Cre and DAT-Cre mouse lines. Neuroscience 2015; 307:319-37. [PMID: 26335381 PMCID: PMC4603663 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.08.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2015] [Revised: 08/21/2015] [Accepted: 08/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Transgenic mouse lines are essential tools for understanding the connectivity, physiology and function of neuronal circuits, including those in the retina. This report compares transgene expression in the retina of a tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-red fluorescent protein (RFP) mouse line with three catecholamine-related Cre recombinase mouse lines [TH-bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC)-, TH-, and dopamine transporter (DAT)-Cre] that were crossed with a ROSA26-tdTomato reporter line. Retinas were evaluated and immunostained with commonly used antibodies including those directed to TH, GABA and glycine to characterize the RFP or tdTomato fluorescent-labeled amacrine cells, and an antibody directed to RNA-binding protein with multiple splicing to identify ganglion cells. In TH-RFP retinas, types 1 and 2 dopamine (DA) amacrine cells were identified by their characteristic cellular morphology and type 1 DA cells by their expression of TH immunoreactivity. In the TH-BAC-, TH-, and DAT-tdTomato retinas, less than 1%, ∼ 6%, and 0%, respectively, of the fluorescent cells were the expected type 1 DA amacrine cells. Instead, in the TH-BAC-tdTomato retinas, fluorescently labeled AII amacrine cells were predominant, with some medium diameter ganglion cells. In TH-tdTomato retinas, fluorescence was in multiple neurochemical amacrine cell types, including four types of polyaxonal amacrine cells. In DAT-tdTomato retinas, fluorescence was in GABA immunoreactive amacrine cells, including two types of bistratified and two types of monostratified amacrine cells. Although each of the Cre lines was generated with the intent to specifically label DA cells, our findings show a cellular diversity in Cre expression in the adult retina and indicate the importance of careful characterization of transgene labeling patterns. These mouse lines with their distinctive cellular labeling patterns will be useful tools for future studies of retinal function and visual processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- H E Vuong
- Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology Program, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States; Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States; Jules Stein Eye Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - L Pérez de Sevilla Müller
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - C N Hardi
- Department of Psychology, College of Letters and Science, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - D G McMahon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, United States
| | - N C Brecha
- Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology Program, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States; Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States; Jules Stein Eye Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States; CURE-Digestive Diseases Research Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States; Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States.
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19
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Chua J, Nivison-Smith L, Tan SS, Kalloniatis M. Metabolic profiling of the mouse retina using amino acid signatures: Insight into developmental cell dispersion patterns. Exp Neurol 2013; 250:74-93. [DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2013.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2013] [Revised: 08/15/2013] [Accepted: 09/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Chua
- Department of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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20
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Roffler-Tarlov S, Liu JH, Naumova EN, Bernal-Ayala MM, Mason CA. L-Dopa and the albino riddle: content of L-Dopa in the developing retina of pigmented and albino mice. PLoS One 2013; 8:e57184. [PMID: 23526936 PMCID: PMC3602463 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0057184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2012] [Accepted: 01/18/2013] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The absence or deficiency of melanin as in albinos, has detrimental effects on retinal development that include aberrant axonal projections from eye to brain and impaired vision. In pigmented retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), dihydroxyphenalanine (L-Dopa), an intermediate in the synthetic path for melanin, has been hypothesized to regulate the tempo of neurogenesis. The time course of expression of retinal L-Dopa, whether it is harbored exclusively in the RPE, the extent of deficiency in albinos compared to isogenic controls, and whether L-Dopa can be restored if exogenously delivered to the albino have been unknown. Methodology/Principal Findings L-Dopa and catecholamines including dopamine extracted from retinas of pigmented (C57BL/6J) and congenic albino (C57BL/6J-tyrc2j) mice, were measured throughout development beginning at E10.5 and at maturity. L-Dopa, but not dopamine nor any other catecholamine, appears in pigmented retina as soon as tyrosinase is expressed in RPE at E10.5. In pigmented retina, L-Dopa content increases throughout pre- and postnatal development until the end of the first postnatal month after which it declines sharply. This time course reflects the onset and completion of retinal development. L-Dopa is absent from embryonic albino retina and is greatly reduced in postnatal albino retina compared to pigmented retina. Dopamine is undetectable in both albino and pigmented retinas until after the postnatal expression of the neuronal enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase. If provided to pregnant albino mothers, L-Dopa accumulates in the RPE of the fetuses. Conclusions L-Dopa in pigmented RPE is most abundant during development after which content declines. This L-Dopa is not converted to dopamine. L-Dopa is absent or at low levels in albino retina and can be restored to the RPE by administration in utero. These findings further implicate L-Dopa as a factor in the RPE that could influence development, and demonstrate that administration of L-Dopa could be a means to rescue developmental abnormalities characteristic of albinos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne Roffler-Tarlov
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
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Keeley PW, Sliff BJ, Lee SCS, Fuerst PG, Burgess RW, Eglen SJ, Reese BE. Neuronal clustering and fasciculation phenotype in Dscam- and Bax-deficient mouse retinas. J Comp Neurol 2012; 520:1349-64. [PMID: 22396220 DOI: 10.1002/cne.23033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Individual types of retinal neurons are distributed to minimize proximity to neighboring cells. Many of these same cell types extend dendrites to provide coverage of the retinal surface. These two cardinal features of retinal mosaics are disrupted, for certain cell types, in mice deficient for the Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule, Dscam, exhibiting an aberrant clustering of somata and fasciculation of dendrites. The Dscam mutant mouse retina also exhibits excess numbers of these same cell types. The present study compared these two features in Dscam mutant retinas with the Bax knockout retina, in which excess numbers of two of these cell types, the melanopsin-positive retinal ganglion cells (MRGCs) and the dopaminergic amacrine cells (DACs), are also present. Whole retinas were immunolabeled for both populations, and every labeled soma was plotted. For the MRGCs, we found a gene dosage effect for Dscam, with the Dscam+/- retinas showing smaller increases in cell number, clustering, and fasciculation. Curiously, Bax-/- retinas, showing numbers of MRGCs intermediate to those found in the Dscam-/- and Dscam+/- retinas, also had clustering and fasciculation phenotypes that were intermediate to retinas with those genotypes. DACs, by comparison, showed changes in both the Dscam-/- and the Bax-/- retinas that did not correlate with their increases in DAC number. The fasciculation phenotype in the Dscam-/- retina was particularly prominent despite only modest clustering. These results demonstrate that the somal clustering and fasciculation observed in the Dscam mutant retina are not unique to Dscam deficiency and are manifested distinctively by different retinal cell types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick W Keeley
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA
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Abstract
Amacrine cells are a morphologically and functionally diverse group of inhibitory interneurons. Morphologically, they have been divided into approximately 30 types. Although this diversity is probably important to the fine structure and function of the retinal circuit, the amacrine cells have been more generally divided into two subclasses. Glycinergic narrow-field amacrine cells have dendrites that ramify close to their somas, cross the sublaminae of the inner plexiform layer, and create cross talk between its parallel ON and OFF pathways. GABAergic wide-field amacrine cells have dendrites that stretch long distances from their soma but ramify narrowly within an inner plexiform layer sublamina. These wide-field cells are thought to mediate inhibition within a sublamina and thus within the ON or OFF pathway. The postsynaptic targets of all amacrine cell types include bipolar, ganglion, and other amacrine cells. Almost all amacrine cells use GABA or glycine as their primary neurotransmitter, and their postsynaptic receptor targets include the most common GABA(A), GABA(C), and glycine subunit receptor configurations. This review addresses the diversity of amacrine cells, the postsynaptic receptors on their target cells in the inner plexiform layer of the retina, and some of the inhibitory mechanisms that arise as a result. When possible, the effects of GABAergic and glycinergic inputs on the visually evoked responses of their postsynaptic targets are discussed.
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Peoples C, Shaw VE, Stone J, Jeffery G, Baker GE, Mitrofanis J. Survival of Dopaminergic Amacrine Cells after Near-Infrared Light Treatment in MPTP-Treated Mice. ISRN NEUROLOGY 2012; 2012:850150. [PMID: 22701184 PMCID: PMC3369478 DOI: 10.5402/2012/850150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2012] [Accepted: 04/01/2012] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
We examined whether near-infrared light (NIr) treatment (photobiomodulation) saves dopaminergic amacrine cells of the retina in an acute and a chronic 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) mouse model of Parkinson disease. For the acute model, BALB/c mice had MPTP (100 mg/kg) or saline injections over 30 hours, followed by a six-day-survival period. For the chronic model, mice had MPTP (200 mg/kg) or saline injections over five weeks, followed by a three-week-survival period. NIr treatment was applied either at the same time (simultaneous series) or well after (posttreatment series) the MPTP insult. There were four groups within each series: Saline, Saline-NIr, MPTP, and MPTP-NIr. Retinae were processed for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunochemistry, and cell number was analysed. In the MPTP groups, there was a significant reduction in TH+ cell number compared to the saline controls; this reduction was greater in the acute (~50%) compared to the chronic (~30%) cases. In the MPTP-NIr groups, there were significantly more TH+ cells than in the MPTP groups of both series (~30%). In summary, we showed that NIr treatment was able to both protect (simultaneous series) and rescue (posttreatment series) TH+ cells of the retina from parkinsonian insult.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra Peoples
- Discipline of Anatomy & Histology F13, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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Contini M, Lin B, Kobayashi K, Okano H, Masland RH, Raviola E. Synaptic input of ON-bipolar cells onto the dopaminergic neurons of the mouse retina. J Comp Neurol 2010; 518:2035-50. [PMID: 20394057 DOI: 10.1002/cne.22320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
In the retina, dopamine fulfills a crucial role in neural adaptation to photopic illumination, but the pathway that carries cone signals to the dopaminergic amacrine (DA) cells was controversial. We identified the site of ON-cone bipolar input onto DA cells in transgenic mice in which both types of catecholaminergic amacrine (CA) cells were labeled with green fluorescent protein or human placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP). In confocal Z series of retinal whole mounts stained with antibodies to tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), DA cells gave rise to varicose processes that descended obliquely through the scleral half of the inner plexiform layer (IPL) and formed a loose, tangential plexus in the middle of this layer. Comparison with the distribution of the dendrites of type 2 CA cells and examination of neurobiotin-injected DA cells proved that their vitreal processes were situated in stratum S3 of the IPL. Electron microscope demonstration of PLAP activity showed that bipolar cell endings in S3 established ribbon synapses onto a postsynaptic dyad in which one or both processes were labeled by a precipitate of lead phosphate and therefore belonged to DA cells. In places, the postsynaptic DA cell processes returned a reciprocal synapse onto the bipolar endings. Confocal images of sections stained with antibodies to TH, kinesin Kif3a, which labels synaptic ribbons, and glutamate or GABA(A) receptors, confirmed that ribbon-containing endings made glutamatergic synapses onto DA cells processes in S3 and received from them GABAergic synapses. The presynaptic ON-bipolar cells most likely belonged to the CB3 (type 5) variety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimo Contini
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
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Keeley PW, Reese BE. Morphology of dopaminergic amacrine cells in the mouse retina: independence from homotypic interactions. J Comp Neurol 2010; 518:1220-31. [PMID: 20148440 PMCID: PMC2865197 DOI: 10.1002/cne.22270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
To determine the role of homotypic interactions between neighboring dopaminergic amacrine (DA) cells upon dendritic morphogenesis, the morphology of single cells was examined relative to the positioning of all neighboring homotypic cells. For each labeled cell, the dendritic field was reconstructed, its Voronoi domain was calculated, and the two were related. The dendritic fields of DA cells were observed to be large, sparse, and highly irregular. Dendrites readily overlapped those of neighboring cells, showing no evidence for dendritic tiling or inter-digitation consistent with homotypic repulsion or avoidance. Furthermore, a direct comparison of dendritic field area with the Voronoi domain area of the same cell showed no evidence for dendritic growth being constrained or biased by the local distribution of homotypic neighbors in wild-type retinas. A comparison of the processes of adjacent filled cells confirmed their immediate proximity to one another within the inner plexiform layer, indicating that they do not engage in mutual avoidance by coursing at different depths. Together, these results suggest that the morphogenesis of DA cells is independent of homotypic interactions. However, in the absence of the pro-apoptotic Bax gene, which yields a fourfold increase in DA cell number, a small but significant reduction in dendritic field size was obtained, although not so great as would be predicted by the increase in density. The present results are considered in light of recent studies on the role of cell adhesion molecules expressed by developing DA cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick W Keeley
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106-9625, USA
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New mouse lines for the analysis of neuronal morphology using CreER(T)/loxP-directed sparse labeling. PLoS One 2009; 4:e7859. [PMID: 19924248 PMCID: PMC2775668 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0007859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2009] [Accepted: 10/20/2009] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Pharmacologic control of Cre-mediated recombination using tamoxifen-dependent activation of a Cre-estrogen receptor ligand binding domain fusion protein [CreER(T)] is widely used to modify and/or visualize cells in the mouse. Methods and Findings We describe here two new mouse lines, constructed by gene targeting to the Rosa26 locus to facilitate Cre-mediated cell modification. These lines should prove particularly useful in the context of sparse labeling experiments. The R26rtTACreER line provides ubiquitous expression of CreER under transcriptional control by the tetracycline reverse transactivator (rtTA); dual control by doxycycline and tamoxifen provides an extended dynamic range of Cre-mediated recombination activity. The R26IAP line provides high efficiency Cre-mediated activation of human placental alkaline phosphatase (hPLAP), complementing the widely used, but low efficiency, Z/AP line. By crossing with mouse lines that direct cell-type specific CreER expression, the R26IAP line has been used to produce atlases of labeled cholinergic and catecholaminergic neurons in the mouse brain. The R26IAP line has also been used to visualize the full morphologies of retinal dopaminergic amacrine cells, among the largest neurons in the mammalian retina. Conclusions The two new mouse lines described here expand the repertoire of genetically engineered mice available for controlled in vivo recombination and cell labeling using the Cre-lox system.
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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: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [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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Dénes V, Witkovsky P, Koch M, Hunter DD, Pinzón-Duarte G, Brunken WJ. Laminin deficits induce alterations in the development of dopaminergic neurons in the mouse retina. Vis Neurosci 2007; 24:549-62. [PMID: 17711601 PMCID: PMC2935900 DOI: 10.1017/s0952523807070514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2007] [Accepted: 05/17/2007] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Genetically modified mice lacking the beta2 laminin chain (beta2null), the gamma3 laminin chain (gamma3 null), or both beta2/gamma3 chains (compound null) were produced. The development of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunoreactive neurons in these mouse lines was studied between birth and postnatal day (P) 20. Compared to wild type mice, no alterations were seen in gamma3 null mice. In beta2 null mice, however, the large, type I TH neurons appeared later in development, were at a lower density and had reduced TH immunoreactivity, although TH process number and size were not altered. In the compound null mouse, the same changes were observed together with reduced TH process outgrowth. Surprisingly, in the smaller, type II TH neurons, TH immunoreactivity was increased in laminin-deficient compared to wild type mice. Other retinal defects we observed were a patchy disruption of the inner limiting retinal basement membrane and a disoriented growth of Müller glial cells. Starburst and AII type amacrine cells were not apparently altered in laminin-deficient relative to wild type mice. We postulate that laminin-dependent developmental signals are conveyed to TH amacrine neurons through intermediate cell types, perhaps the Müller glial cell and/or the retinal ganglion cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktória Dénes
- Department of Anatomy and Cellular Biology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
- Tufts Center for Vision Research, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Paul Witkovsky
- Department of Ophthalmology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York
| | - Manuel Koch
- Center for Biochemistry and Department of Dermatology, University of Köln, Köln, Germany
| | | | - Germán Pinzón-Duarte
- Department of Anatomy and Cellular Biology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
- Tufts Center for Vision Research, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - William J. Brunken
- Department of Anatomy and Cellular Biology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
- Tufts Center for Vision Research, Boston, Massachusetts
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Calamusa M, Pattabiraman PP, Pozdeyev N, Iuvone PM, Cellerino A, Domenici L. Specific alterations of tyrosine hydroxylase immunopositive cells in the retina of NT-4 knock out mice. Vision Res 2007; 47:1523-36. [PMID: 17350071 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2007.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2006] [Revised: 01/26/2007] [Accepted: 01/26/2007] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
To assess the effect of NT-4 deprivation on maturation of retinal circuitry, we investigated a mouse with targeted deletion of the gene encoding nt-4 (nt-4(-/-)). In particular, we studied neurons immunostained by an antibody recognizing tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the rate limiting enzyme for dopamine (DA) synthesis. We found that TH immunopositive processes were altered in the retina of nt-4(-/-). Alteration of TH immunopositive processes in nt-4(-/-) mice resulted in changes of DA turnover, as assessed by high-pressure liquid chromatography measurements. These findings suggest that retinal NT-4 plays a role in the morphological maturation of dopaminergic retinal cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Calamusa
- Istituto di Neuroscienze, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Via G. Moruzzi 1, 56100 Pisa, Italy
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Hedlund E, Pruszak J, Ferree A, Viñuela A, Hong S, Isacson O, Kim KS. Selection of embryonic stem cell-derived enhanced green fluorescent protein-positive dopamine neurons using the tyrosine hydroxylase promoter is confounded by reporter gene expression in immature cell populations. Stem Cells 2007; 25:1126-35. [PMID: 17234989 PMCID: PMC2614084 DOI: 10.1634/stemcells.2006-0540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Transplantation of mouse embryonic stem (mES) cells can restore function in Parkinson disease models, but can generate teratomas. Purification of dopamine neurons derived from embryonic stem cells by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) could provide a functional cell population for transplantation while eliminating the risk of teratoma formation. Here we used the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) promoter to drive enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) expression in mES cells. First, we evaluated 2.5-kilobase (kb) and 9-kb TH promoter fragments and showed that clones generated using the 9-kb fragment produced significantly more eGFP+/TH+ neurons. We selected the 9-kb TH clone with the highest eGFP/TH overlap for further differentiation, FACS, and transplantation experiments. Grafts contained large numbers of eGFP+ dopamine neurons of an appropriate phenotype. However, there were also numerous eGFP+ cells that did not express TH and did not have a neuronal morphology. In addition, we found cells in the grafts representing all three germ layers. Based on these findings, we examined the expression of stem cell markers in our eGFP+ population. We found that a majority of eGFP+ cells were stage-specific embryonic antigen-positive (SSEA-1+) and that the genetically engineered clones contained more SSEA-1+ cells after differentiation than the original D3 mES cells. By negative selection of SSEA-1, we could isolate a neuronal eGFP+ population of high purity. These results illustrate the complexity of using genetic selection to purify mES cell-derived dopamine neurons and provide a comprehensive analysis of cell selection strategies based on tyrosine hydroxylase expression. Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Hedlund
- Udall Parkinson's Disease Research Center for Excellence, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratories, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA
- Neuroregeneration Laboratories, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jan Pruszak
- Udall Parkinson's Disease Research Center for Excellence, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA
- Neuroregeneration Laboratories, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Andrew Ferree
- Udall Parkinson's Disease Research Center for Excellence, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA
- Neuroregeneration Laboratories, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Angel Viñuela
- Udall Parkinson's Disease Research Center for Excellence, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA
- Neuroregeneration Laboratories, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sunghoi Hong
- Udall Parkinson's Disease Research Center for Excellence, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA
- Neuroregeneration Laboratories, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ole Isacson
- Udall Parkinson's Disease Research Center for Excellence, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA
- Neuroregeneration Laboratories, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kwang-Soo Kim
- Udall Parkinson's Disease Research Center for Excellence, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratories, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA
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Acosta ML, Bumsted O'Brien KM, Tan SS, Kalloniatis M. Emergence of cellular markers and functional ionotropic glutamate receptors on tangentially dispersed cells in the developing mouse retina. J Comp Neurol 2007; 506:506-23. [DOI: 10.1002/cne.21561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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Kralj-Hans I, Tibber M, Jeffery G, Mobbs P. Differential effect of dopamine on mitosis in early postnatal albino and pigmented rat retinae. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006; 66:47-55. [PMID: 16187306 DOI: 10.1002/neu.20200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Insufficient levels of L-DOPA, released from the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), in albino animals are considered responsible for the abnormal development of the underlying neural retina. L-DOPA normalizes retinal neurogenesis by reducing levels of cell proliferation either by acting on the cells directly or by being converted into dopamine. Here we report the effects of dopamine on mitosis in early postnatal neural retinae from albino and pigmented rats, using 4D (x, y, z and time) confocal microscopy. Exogenous dopamine significantly prolongs mitosis in retinae from albino, but not pigmented, animals. As fewer cells move into and divide in the ventricular zone (VZ) in the presence of dopamine, we conclude that the overall cell cycle is affected. The D1 receptor blocker, SCH 23390, inhibits these effects. Thus, the differential effects of dopamine on neural retinae from pigmented and albino rats in vitro must result from the activation of D1 receptors, which are present in the retina from birth. Immunohistochemical labeling of D1 receptors shows that the pattern of their distribution is similar between pigmentation phenotypes, but levels of expression may be elevated in albinos. Labeling is most intense in the inner plexiform layer but is present throughout the neuroblastic layer. These findings are discussed in light of previous reports of reduced catecholamine levels in the albino retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ines Kralj-Hans
- Department of Physiology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
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Witkovsky P, Shen C, McRory J. Differential distribution of voltage-gated calcium channels in dopaminergic neurons of the rat retina. J Comp Neurol 2006; 497:384-96. [PMID: 16736476 DOI: 10.1002/cne.20995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
We studied by immunocytochemistry and Western blots the identity and cellular distribution of voltage-gated calcium channels within dopaminergic neurons of the rat retina. The aim was to associate particular calcium channel subtypes with known activities of the neuron (e.g., transmitter release from axon terminals). Five voltage-gated calcium channels were identified: alpha1A, alpha1B, alpha1E, alpha1F, and alpha1H. All of these, except the alpha1B subtype, were found within dopaminergic perikarya. The alpha1B channels were concentrated at axon terminal rings, together with alpha1A calcium channels. In contrast, alpha1H calcium channels were most abundant in the dendrites, and alpha1F calcium channels were restricted to the perikaryon. The alpha1E calcium channel was present at such a low density that its cellular distribution beyond the perikaryon could not be determined. Our findings are consistent with the available pharmacological data indicating that alpha1A and alpha1B calcium channels control the major fraction of dopamine release in the rat retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Witkovsky
- Department of Ophthalmology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York 10016, USA.
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Lindeberg J, Usoskin D, Bengtsson H, Gustafsson A, Kylberg A, Söderström S, Ebendal T. Transgenic expression of Cre recombinase from the tyrosine hydroxylase locus. Genesis 2005; 40:67-73. [PMID: 15452869 DOI: 10.1002/gene.20065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 163] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Catecholaminergic neurons are affected in several neurological and psychiatric diseases. Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) is the first, rate-limiting enzyme in catecholamine synthesis. We report a knockin mouse expressing Cre-recombinase from the 3'-untranslated region of the endogenous Th gene by means of an internal ribosomal entry sequence (IRES). The resulting Cre expression matches the normal pattern of TH expression, while the pattern and level of TH are not altered in the knockin mouse. Crossings with two different LacZ reporter mice demonstrated Cre-mediated genomic recombination in TH expressing tissues. In addition, LacZ was found in some unexpected cell populations (including oocytes), indicating recombination due to transient developmental TH expression. Our novel knockin mouse can be used for generation of tissue-specific or general knockouts (depending on scheme of crossing) in mice carrying genes flanked by loxP sites. This knockin mouse can also be used for tracing cell lineages expressing TH during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Lindeberg
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental Neuroscience Unit, Uppsala University, Biomedical Center, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
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35
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Zhang DQ, Stone JF, Zhou T, Ohta H, McMahon DG. Characterization of genetically labeled catecholamine neurons in the mouse retina. Neuroreport 2004; 15:1761-5. [PMID: 15257143 DOI: 10.1097/01.wnr.0000135699.75775.41] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Mouse neurons were labeled transgenically with red fluorescent protein (RFP) driven by the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) promoter and observed in living retinas and brain slices. Two types of retinal amacrine cells expressed TH::RFP. One type had large cell bodies, processes that ramified in S1 of the inner plaxiform layer (IPL) and were TH immunoreactive, identifying them as dopaminergic neurons. A second type had smaller somas, ramified in S3 and lacked TH. Dopaminergic cells had large dendritic fields and exceptionally long axon-like processes, whereas type 2 cells were more compact. Neither cell type exhibited tracer coupling. Thus, murine retinal dopaminergic neurons exhibit functional anatomy similar to their primate counterparts and TH::RFP mice are useful for in situ characterization of catecholaminergic neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dao-Qi Zhang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
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36
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Witkovsky P, Arango-Gonzalez B, Haycock JW, Kohler K. Rat retinal dopaminergic neurons: Differential maturation of somatodendritic and axonal compartments. J Comp Neurol 2004; 481:352-62. [PMID: 15593337 DOI: 10.1002/cne.20389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
We examined developmental changes in dopaminergic (DA) neurons of rat pups between postnatal (P) days 3 and 21. DA cell bodies and dendrites grew progressively between P3-15. Voltage-sensitive sodium channels were present in axons at P11, but the ring-like DA axon terminals appeared only during the third postnatal week. The density of ring terminals increased markedly between P15 and P21. The vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT2) was absent before P13 and became concentrated in DA ring terminals after P17. A steady increase in VMAT2-containing rings around AII amacrine cells occurred during the third postnatal week. The presynaptic membrane protein SNAP-25 colocalized with DA terminals, but several other presynaptic proteins tested, including synaptotagmin I, synapsin, bassoon, syntaxin, and synaptogyrin, appeared not to be associated with DA neurons. Our study shows that the somatodendritic compartment of DA neurons matures before the DA axon terminals do. Maturation of DA axons during the third postnatal week corresponds to the period of onset of visual function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Witkovsky
- Department of Ophthalmology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York 10016, USA.
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37
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Eglen SJ, Raven MA, Tamrazian E, Reese BE. Dopaminergic amacrine cells in the inner nuclear layer and ganglion cell layer comprise a single functional retinal mosaic. J Comp Neurol 2003; 466:343-55. [PMID: 14556292 DOI: 10.1002/cne.10891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Many types of retinal neuron are distributed in an orderly manner across the surface of the retina. Indeed, the existence of such regularity amongst a population of neurons, termed a retinal mosaic, may be a defining feature of functionally independent types of retinal neuron. We have examined the spatial distribution of dopaminergic amacrine cells in the ferret retina both in the inner nuclear layer (INL) and in the ganglion cell layer (GCL) to determine whether the cells in each layer form an independent retinal mosaic as evidence of whether they should be considered as two separate types. Ferret retinas contain approximately 1,900 dopaminergic amacrine cells, of which 27% are located in the GCL, and the rest in the INL. Based on analysis of their Voronoi domains as well as autocorrelation analysis and tests for complete spatial randomness, we found that the distribution of INL cells was statistically regular, while that of the GCL cells was not. However, by using cross-correlation analysis, these two groups of cells were found to be spatially dependent: an exclusion zone was detected in the cross-correlogram of roughly the same size as that found in the autocorrelograms of both INL and GCL cells. Such a pattern would be expected if dopaminergic amacrine cells in the INL and GCL were members of a single regular population differing only in their somatic depth. By using computer simulations, we tested this hypothesis directly, confirming that a random assignment of 27% from the total population produces cross-correlograms that are indistinguishable from those of the biological mosaics. We conclude, therefore, that the cells in the two layers form a single functional population; those in the GCL appear to be misplaced. Somatic positioning with respect to depth within the retina is not, by itself, a reliable guide for functional classification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen J Eglen
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.
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38
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Raven MA, Eglen SJ, Ohab JJ, Reese BE. Determinants of the exclusion zone in dopaminergic amacrine cell mosaics. J Comp Neurol 2003; 461:123-36. [PMID: 12722109 DOI: 10.1002/cne.10693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
A fundamental organizing feature of the retina is the presence of regularly spaced distributions of neurons, yet we have little knowledge of how this patterning emerges during development. Among these retinal mosaics, the spatial organization of the dopaminergic amacrine cells is unique: using nearest-neighbor and Vornoi domain analysis, we found that the dopaminergic amacrine cells were neither randomly distributed, nor did they achieve the regularity documented for other retinal cell types. Autocorrelation analysis revealed the presence of an exclusion zone surrounding individual dopaminergic amacrine cells and modeling studies confirmed this organization, as the mosaic could be simulated by a minimal distance spacing rule defined by a broad set of parameters. Experimental studies determined the relative contributions of tangential dispersion, fate determination, and cell death in the establishment of this exclusion zone. Clonal boundary analysis and simulations of proximity-driven movement discount tangential dispersion, while data from bcl-2 overexpressing mice rule out feedback-inhibitory fate-deterministic accounts. Cell death, by contrast, appears to eliminate dopaminergic amacrine cells that are within close proximity, thereby establishing the exclusion zone surrounding individual cells and in turn creating their mosaic regularity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary A Raven
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Psychology, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106-5060, USA
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39
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Developmental loss of synchronous spontaneous activity in the mouse retina is independent of visual experience. J Neurosci 2003. [PMID: 12684472 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.23-07-02851.2003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In the immature retina, correlated spontaneous activity in the form of propagating waves is thought to be necessary for the refinement of connections between the retina and its targets. The continued presence of this activity in the mature retina would interfere with the transmission of information about the visual scene. The mechanisms responsible for the disappearance of retinal waves are not well understood, but one hypothesis is that visual experience is important. To test this hypothesis, we monitored the developmental changes in spontaneous retinal activity of both normal mice and mice reared in the dark. Using multi-electrode array recordings, we found that retinal waves in normally reared mice are present at postnatal day (P) 9 and begin to break down shortly after eye opening, around P15. By P21, waves have disappeared, and synchronous firing is comparable with that observed in the adult (6 weeks). In mice raised in the dark, we found a similar time course for the disappearance of waves. However, at P15, dark-reared retinas occasionally showed abnormally long periods of relative inactivity, not seen in controls. Apart from this quiescence, we found no striking differences between the patterns of spontaneous retinal activity from normal and dark-reared mice. We therefore suggest that visual experience is not required for the loss of synchronous spontaneous activity.
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40
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Abstract
The organization of several laminated structures in the brain is controlled by a signaling pathway activated by Reelin, a large glycoprotein secreted by pioneer neurons in the developing brain. Reelin binds to transmembrane receptors, including VLDLR and ApoER2, and stimulates tyrosine phosphorylation of Disabled-1 (Dab1), which associates with an NPxY motif present in the cytoplasmic domain of the receptors. Disruption of reelin, dab1, or both the vldr and apoer2 genes results in similar cell positioning defects in laminated brain regions including the cerebellum, hippocampus, and cerebral cortex. Although retinal ganglion cells express reelin during development, there is no obvious disruption of cell positioning in the retina of reeler mice. Here, we examine the expression pattern of Dab1 as a first step toward understanding the function of the Reelin signaling pathway in neural retina. Immunohistochemical analysis of the adult retina revealed that Dab1 is expressed in a specific type of amacrine cell. These cells display a narrow dendritic field and they project to two distinct sublaminae within the inner plexiform layer. Dab1 co-localizes with the high-affinity glycine transporter, indicating that these amacrine cells are glycinergic. Cells that express Dab1 are surrounded by dopaminergic fibers originating from wide-field amacrine cells. These features are characteristic of type AII amacrine cells described in other mammalian species. Analysis of the retina at several stages of development revealed that Dab1 is expressed shortly after birth during the time at which AII amacrine cells extend neurites and form synaptic connections in the inner retina. This raises the possibility that the Reelin/Dab1 signaling pathway contributes to formation of intraretinal circuitry in the neural retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- D S Rice
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, USA
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41
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42
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Abstract
Waves of spontaneous activity sweep across the developing mammalian retina and influence the pattern of central connections made by ganglion cell axons. These waves are driven by synaptic input from amacrine cells. We show that cholinergic synaptic transmission during waves is not blocked by TTX, indicating that release from starburst amacrine cells is independent of sodium action potentials. The spatiotemporal properties of the waves are regulated by endogenous release of adenosine, which sets intracellular cAMP levels through activation of A2 receptors present on developing amacrine and ganglion cells. Increasing cAMP levels increase the size, speed, and frequency of the waves. Conversely, inhibiting adenylate cyclase or PKA prevents wave activity. Together, these results imply a novel mechanism in which levels of cAMP within an immature retinal circuit regulate the precise spatial and temporal patterns of spontaneous neural activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Stellwagen
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley 94720, USA.
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Savy C, Martin-Martinelli E, Simon A, Duyckaerts C, Verney C, Adelbrecht C, Raisman-Vozari R, Nguyen-Legros J. Altered development of dopaminergic cells in the retina of weaver mice. J Comp Neurol 1999. [DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1096-9861(19991004)412:4<656::aid-cne7>3.0.co;2-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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Reese BE, Necessary BD, Tam PP, Faulkner-Jones B, Tan SS. Clonal expansion and cell dispersion in the developing mouse retina. Eur J Neurosci 1999; 11:2965-78. [PMID: 10457191 DOI: 10.1046/j.1460-9568.1999.00712.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The present study has used two different approaches for labelling progenitor cells at the optic vesicle stage in order to examine patterns of clonal expansion and cellular dispersion within the developing retina. X-inactivation transgenic mice and chimeric mice expressing the lacZ reporter transgene were examined during development and in adulthood to study the radial and tangential dispersion of proliferating neuroepithelial cells and postmitotic retinal cells of known identities. Chimeric retinas were used to measure tangential dispersion distances, while transgenic retinas were used to assess the frequency of tangential dispersion for individual populations of retinal neurons. Tangential dispersion is shown to be a universal feature of particular retinal cell types, being contrasted with the strictly radial dispersion of other cells. Tangential dispersion is a relatively short-distance phenomenon, with distinct dispersion distances characteristic for cone, horizontal, amacrine and ganglion cells. Embryonic and postnatal retinas show that tangential dispersion occurs at different times for these distinct cell types, associated with their times of differentiation rather than their neurogenetic periods. These developmental results rule out the possibility that tangential dispersion is due to a passive displacement produced by the proliferation of later-born cells, or to the lateral dispersion of a dividing sibling; rather, they are consistent with the hypothesis that tangential dispersion plays a role in the establishment of the orderly spatial distribution of retinal mosaics.
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Affiliation(s)
- B E Reese
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Psychology, University of California at Santa Barbara 93106-5060, USA.
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45
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Immunohistological studies of metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 6-deficient mice show no abnormality of retinal cell organization and ganglion cell maturation. J Neurosci 1999. [PMID: 10087070 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.19-07-02568.1999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Immature retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) initially show a multistratified dendritic pattern, and, during the postnatal period, these dendrites gradually monostratify into ON and OFF sublaminae. The selective agonist of group III metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR), L-2-amino-4-phosphonobutyrate (L-AP-4), hyperpolarizes ON bipolar cells and reduces glutamate release. On the basis of L-AP-4-evoked inhibitory effects on ON-OFF segregation of developing RGCs, it has been hypothesized that glutamate-mediated synaptic activity is crucial for formation of the ON-OFF network. Gene-targeted ablation of mGluR6 specifically expressed in ON bipolar cells blocks normal ON responses but has been predicted to enhance glutamate release from ON bipolar cells. The mGluR6 knock-out mouse therefore provides a unique opportunity to investigate whether glutamate release and ON responses are important factors in the development of ON-OFF segregation. The combination of several different morphological analyses indicates that ON bipolar cells, as well as several distinct amacrine cells, in mGluR6 knock-out mice are normally distributed and correctly extend their terminals to defined retinal laminae. Importantly, both alpha and delta RGCs in adult mGluR6 knock-out mice are found monostratified into cell type-specific layers. Furthermore, no difference between wild-type and mGluR6 knock-out mice is observed in the maturation and dendritic stratification of developing RGCs. Hence, despite a deficit in normal ON responses, mGluR6 deficiency causes no abnormality in the retinal cellular organization nor in the stratifications of both ON bipolar cells and developing and mature RGCs. Based on these findings, we discuss several possible mechanisms that may underlie ON-OFF segregation of RGCs.
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Yazulla S, Studholme KM, Pinto LH. Differences in the retinal GABA system among control, spastic mutant and retinal degeneration mutant mice. Vision Res 1997; 37:3471-82. [PMID: 9425524 DOI: 10.1016/s0042-6989(96)00223-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Immunocytochemical methods were used to compare the GABA system in control mice and two mutant strains: spastic which has reduced glycine receptors and retinal degeneration mutant in which the photoreceptors degenerate and reportedly have increased GABA and GAD levels. We found that the spastic mutant retina had reduced GABA-immunoreactivity (IR) in the proximal retina, reduced staining for GAD-1440 in the OPL, and reduced GABAA receptor staining in the OPL, compared to control. The retinal degeneration mutant retinas had enhanced GABA-IR throughout the retina, particularly in Müller cells, bipolar cells and IPL, and enhancement of GABAA receptor staining in the OPL, compared to control. The distributions of GABA-IR, GAD-1440-IR and GABAA receptor-IR in retinas of spastic mutant mice that also expressed the retinal degeneration phenotype resembled those found in retinas of mice that expressed only the retinal degeneration phenotype rather than those that expressed only the spastic mutation. No differences were observed among the conditions for GAD-65, GAD-67 or GABA-T. Our results with the spastic and retinal degeneration mutant mice demonstrate that attenuation in the glycinergic system and photoreceptor degeneration, respectively, is accompanied by alterations in different aspects of the GABA system, giving impetus for caution in the interpretation of experiments involving genetic manipulation of complex phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Yazulla
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University at Stony Brook, NY 11794-5230, USA.
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Liu J, Merlie JP, Todd RD, O'Malley KL. Identification of cell type-specific promoter elements associated with the rat tyrosine hydroxylase gene using transgenic founder analysis. BRAIN RESEARCH. MOLECULAR BRAIN RESEARCH 1997; 50:33-42. [PMID: 9406915 DOI: 10.1016/s0169-328x(97)00163-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Transcriptional regulatory elements capable of directing transgene expression to individual cells are powerful tools for manipulating a given CNS circuit. Delineating these elements via traditional transgenic analysis is both costly and labor intensive. Here we have used the rat tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) promoter as a model to describe and validate the use of founder animals for systematic promoter studies. No significant differences were found when data obtained from founder animals expressing a 6.0 kb TH promoter directing LacZ were compared with animals derived from an analogous transgenic line. Subsequent studies with founder animals expressing beta-galactosidase directed by various lengths of rat TH promoter revealed different patterns of expression. Specifically, a locus coeruleus regulatory domain was localized between 3.4 and 6.0 kb of the rat TH promoter, a hypothalamic regulatory domain between 2.5 and 3.4 kb and a brainstem regulatory domain between 0.8 and 6.0 kb. At least one element of a midbrain specific regulatory domain was within 2.5 kb of the transcriptional start site. Olfactory bulb specific elements however appeared to reside outside of the sequences tested. Specific patterns of ectopic gene expression were also observed suggesting the presence of negative regulatory elements. Thus, TH appears to be regulated in a complex modular fashion by both positive and negative regulatory elements. Taken together, this study demonstrates the feasibility and reliability of founder analysis for promoter studies of genes expressed in complex spatial and temporal patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Liu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Washington University, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
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48
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Kapfhammer JP, Christ F, Schwab ME. The growth-associated protein GAP-43 is specifically expressed in tyrosine hydroxylase-positive cells of the rat retina. BRAIN RESEARCH. DEVELOPMENTAL BRAIN RESEARCH 1997; 101:257-64. [PMID: 9263598 DOI: 10.1016/s0165-3806(97)00081-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
In the adult retina, the growth-associated protein GAP-43 is exclusively present in three distinct sublaminae of the inner plexiform layer. During postnatal development, it is transiently expressed in the optic nerve fibers. No conclusions about the GAP-43 expressing cells can be derived from immunohistochemical stainings because GAP-43 protein is rapidly transported into the distal neuronal processes. We have combined immunohistochemistry to study the protein expression of GAP-43 and non-radioactive in situ hybridization to study the cellular expression of GAP-43 in the rat retina. We have found that in the mature retina GAP-43 mRNA is present only in retinal ganglion cells and in a small subset of cells of the inner nuclear layer. During postnatal development, no cells besides retinal ganglion cells and a subpopulation of cells in the inner nuclear layer express GAP-43 mRNA. Double staining experiments with tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunohistochemistry and GAP-43 in situ hybridization showed that GAP-43 expressing cells in the inner nuclear layer are immunoreactive for TH. They are most probably dopaminergic amacrine cells. Our results show that GAP-43 expression in the retina is restricted to very few cell types. They suggest that TH-positive cells (probably dopaminergic amacrine cells) retain a higher degree of structural plasticity in the adult retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- J P Kapfhammer
- Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, Switzerland.
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49
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Casini G, Trasarti L, Andolfi L, Bagnoli P. Morphologic maturation of tachykinin peptide-expressing cells in the postnatal rabbit retina. BRAIN RESEARCH. DEVELOPMENTAL BRAIN RESEARCH 1997; 99:131-41. [PMID: 9125466 DOI: 10.1016/s0165-3806(96)00206-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Tachykinin (TK) peptides, which include substance P, neurokinin A, two neurokinin A-related peptides and neurokinin B, are widely present in the nervous system, including the retina, where they act as neurotransmitters/modulators as well as growth factors. In the present study, we investigated the maturation of TK-immunoreactive (IR) cells in the rabbit retina with the aim of further contributing to the knowledge of the development of transmitter-identified retinal cell populations. In the adult retina, the pattern of TK immunostaining is consistent with the presence of TK peptides in amacrine, displaced amacrine, interplexiform and ganglion cells. In the newborn retina, intensely immunostained TK-IR somata are located in the ganglion cell layer (GCL) and in the inner nuclear layer (INL) adjacent to the inner plexiform layer (IPL). They are characterized by an oval-shaped cell body originating a single process without ramifications. TK-IR processes are occasionally observed in the IPL and in the outer plexiform layer (OPL). Long TK-IR fiber bundles are observed in the ganglion cell axon layer. TK-IR profiles resembling small somata are rarely observed in the INL adjacent to the OPL. At postnatal day (PND) 2, some TK-IR cells display more complex morphologic features, including processes with secondary ramifications. Long TK-IR processes in the IPL are often seen to terminate with growth cones. Between PND 6 and PND 11 (eye opening), there is a dramatic increase in the number of immunolabeled processes with growth cones both in the IPL and in the OPL and the mature lamination of TK-IR fibers in laminae 1, 3 and 5 of the IPL is established. TK-IR cells attain mature morphological characteristics and the rare, putative TK-IR somata in the distal INL are no longer observed. After eye opening, growth cones are not present and the pattern typical of the adult is reached. These observations indicate that the development of TK-IR cells can be divided into an early phase (from birth to PND 6) in which these cells establish their morphological characteristics, and a later phase (from PND 6 to eye opening) in which they are involved in active growth of their processes and likely in synapse formation. Since TK peptides are thought to play neurotrophic actions in the developing nervous system and they are consistently present in the retina throughout postnatal development, they may also act as growth factors during retinal maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Casini
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Tuscia University, Viterbo, Italy
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50
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Abstract
Centrifugal fibers innervating the retina have been shown in all classes of vertebrate, except for mammals where conventional tract-tracing methods have not been able to unmistakably demonstrate their existence. In a previous study, a unilateral, intravitreal injection of 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine was used to reveal indoleamine-accumulating centrifugal fibers which were visualized by an immunoreaction against serotonin. In the present study, I employed a modification of this method to stain retinopetal neurons in the rat. Terminals were located preferentially in the outer retina; labeled fibers could be traced back along an ipsilateral pathway to somata in the dorso-caudal portions of the chiasm or the medio-lateral preoptic area, and thence towards the suprachiasmatic nuclei. The unique beaded appearance of the fibers distinguishes them from retinal ganglion cell axons. The labeling of central cell bodies strongly suggests that they possess terminals in the retina. Thus, at least some mammalian retinas receive centrifugal innervation. This indoleamine-accumulating retinopetal pathway may be involved in retinal melatonin synthesis, coordination of circadian rhythms, and interocular phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Schütte
- Department of Ophthalmology, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029, USA
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