title: Cholinergic amacrine cells of the chicken retina: a light and electron microscope immunocytochemical study.
abstract: Cholinergic amacrine cells of the chicken retina were detected by immunohistochemistry using an antiserum against affinity-purified chicken choline acetyltransferase. Three populations of cells were detected: type I cholinergic amacrine cells had cell bodies on the border of the inner nuclear and inner plexiform layers and formed a prominent laminar band in sublamina 2 of the inner plexiform layer, while type II cholinergic amacrine cells had cell bodies in the ganglion cell layer, and formed a prominent laminar band in sublamina 4 of the inner plexiform layer. Type III cholinergic amacrine cell bodies were located towards the middle of the inner nuclear layer, and their processes were more diffusely distributed in sublaminas 1 and 3-5 of the inner plexiform layer. Type I and type II cells were present at densities of over 7000 cells/mm2 in central areas declining to less than 2000 cells/mm2 in the temporal retinal periphery. The cells were organized locally in a non-random mosaic, with regularity indices ranging from 3 peripherally to over 5 centrally. Neither at the light nor electron microscopic levels was a lattice of cholinergic dendrites of the kind reported by Tauchi and Masland [J. Neurosci. 5, 2494-2501 (1985)] detectable. Within the two prominent dendritic plexuses, a major feature of the synaptic interactions of the type I and type II cholinergic cells was extensive synaptic interaction between cholinergic processes. Apart from this, there was little, if any, input to cholinergic processes from non-cholinergic amacrine cells, but there was input from bipolar cells. Output from the cholinergic amacrine cell processes was directed towards non-cholinergic amacrine cells as well as other cholinergic amacrine cells, and ganglion cells.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Millar
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ishimoto
authors.forename: I W
authors.initials: IW
authors.lastname: Chubb
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Epstein
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: I G
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Morgan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism*; D002799:Cholinergic Fibers; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009474:Neurons / Q000201:enzymology; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology*; D013569:Synapses / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase