Autoradiographic and electron microscopic studies of retinal rosettes in genetically microphthalmic mice.
We report results obtained in the microphthalmic strain of mice 944. Heterozygotes appear normal, but they produce litters in which typically between 2 and 5 offspring exhibit microphthalmia and rosettes in the retina and the optic nerve. As a result these animals are blind. Our investigations using 3H-thymidine for autoradiographic estimation of postnatal cell proliferation and electron microscopy for detailed observation of the morphology of the rosettes show an increased proliferation of neuronal cells (more than 200%), especially in rosettes. In the rosettes a centrally located lumen exists in which cytoplasmatic processes can be found. In ultrastructural investigations these processes were identified as residues of the outer segments of photoreceptor cells.
Hilbig
H
H
Paul Flechsig Institute for Brain Research, Department of Neuroanatomy, Leipzig University, Germany.
Winkelmann
E
E
Kopischke
S
S
D000818:Animals; D001345:Autoradiography; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D005123:Eye / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D012160:Retina / Q000648:ultrastructure*