title: Colocalization of enkephalin and glycine in amacrine cells of the chicken retina.
abstract: The present double-label study combines enkephalin immunocytochemistry with either autoradiography of glycine high-affinity uptake or glycine immunocytochemistry to investigate the coexistence of glycine in enkephalin-amacrine cells of the chicken retina. A regional analysis revealed that the percentage coexistence of glycine high-affinity uptake in enkephalin-amacrine cells did not vary appreciably throughout the retina. Overall, 54.9% of enkephalin-amacrine cells exhibited high-affinity glycine uptake. Double-label immunofluorescence cytochemistry revealed that 52.5% of enkephalin-amacrine cells expressed glycine immunoreactivity. These double-immunolabeled cells were observed throughout the center and periphery of the retina. The present study reveals a similar percentage of chicken enkephalin-amacrine cells expressing either glycine high-affinity uptake (54.9%) or glycine immunoreactivity (52.5%) and therefore, provides supportive evidence for identifying these cells as glycinergic. The present study also suggests a functional diversity in the population of enkephalin-amacrine cells in the chicken retina relative to their coexisting/non-coexisting relationship with glycine.
authors.affiliation: Alice R. McPherson Laboratory of Retina Research, Center for Biotechnology, Baylor College of Medicine, The Woodlands, TX 77381.
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Watt
authors.forename: V J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Florack
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D004745:Enkephalins / Q000032:analysis*; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005998:Glycine / Q000032:analysis*; D012160:Retina / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D004745:Enkephalins; D005998:Glycine