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.
Fry
K R
KR
Alice R. McPherson Laboratory of Retina Research, Baylor College of Medicine, The Woodlands, TX 77381.
Chen
N X
NX
Glazebrook
P A
PA
Lam
D M
DM
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