Postnatal development of ganglion cells in the rabbit retina: characterizations with AB5 and GABA antibodies.
The use of cell-specific monoclonal antibodies provides a means by which the emergence, differentiation and maturation of retinal neurons can be studied. The present study investigates the labelling of ganglion cells in the developing rabbit retina by a ganglion cell-specific monoclonal antibody, AB5(12,13). AB5 labelling of ganglion cells was observed as early as day postnatal. By 6-8 days postnatal, AB5-labelled ganglion cells had begun differentiating into the various ganglion cell subtypes observed in the adult retina. This differentiation process appeared to continue throughout the first 3 weeks postnatal. The AB5 monoclonal antibody was also used in a double-label paradigm with an anti-gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) polyclonal antibody to differentiate the GABAergic ganglion cells from other GABAergic elements in the retina and to study their development. GABAergic ganglion cells were first observed at 3 days postnatal and by 6 days postnatal, it was possible to observe a wide variety of GABAergic ganglion cells ranging from small cells to large alpha-type cells. The appearance of AB5 labelling in ganglion cells at relatively early stages of development suggests that the AB5 monoclonal antibody may be a useful tool for studying the development of ganglion cell structure, distribution, synaptic relationships and neurochemical specificity.
Alice R. McPherson Laboratory of Retina Research, Baylor College of Medicine, The Woodlands, TX 77381.
K R
KR
Fry
N X
NX
Chen
P A
PA
Glazebrook
D M
DM
Lam
D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D011817:Rabbits; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development*; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000032:analysis*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid