title: Neurotrophins and development of the rod pathway: an elementary deduction.
abstract: The rodent retina is a particularly attractive model for the study of neuronal developmental processes since considerable neurogenesis, cellular migration, phenotypic differentiation of retinal cell types and synaptogenesis occurs postnatally. In addition, the retina is readily accessible to surgical intervention, pharmacological manipulation, and local suppression of gene expression-tools that can be utilized to study mechanisms underlying the development of retinal neurons and their interconnections that form distinct functional circuits. Here, I review our studies describing the ontogeny of a specific retinal interneuron, the AII amacrine cell, an integral element in the rod (scotopic) pathway. Specifically, we used a number of approaches to examine the potential role of neurotrophic factors on the morphological and neurochemical differentiation of the AII.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa. rickm004@mc.duke.edu
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Rickman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D046508:Culture Techniques; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007395:Interneurons / Q000378:metabolism; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense / Q000494:pharmacology; D010320:Parvalbumins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D020813:Receptor, trkB / Q000378:metabolism; D012160:Retina / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D017948:Retinal Rod Photoreceptor Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D013873:Thionucleotides / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D010320:Parvalbumins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D013873:Thionucleotides; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor; D020813:Receptor, trkB