Expression of Bcl-2 during the development of rabbit retina.
OBJECTIVE
Programmed cell death or apoptosis plays an important role in retinal development. Bcl-2 is one of the genes whose endproducts regulate apoptosis. This study has examined the expression of Bcl-2 during the development of rabbit retina.


METHODS
Bcl-2 was detected by immunohistochemistry in developing rabbit retinas from embryonic day (E) 15, 22, 26, 29 and postnatal day (PN) 0, 3, 7, 15 and adults.


RESULTS
Faint immunoreactivity in the anuclear layer was observed at E 15, which increased in E 19. Immunoreactivity in certain radially aligned neuroepithelial cells/immature Müller cells could be recognized at E 22 and it progressively increased until in mature Müller cells radial processes were immunoreactive beyond the outer plexiform layer in PN 15 retinas. Immunoreactivity was already present in the optic nerve at E 15 but it decreased with increasing age until it disappeared at the time of birth.


CONCLUSIONS
Observations suggest that Bcl-2 is transiently expressed by ganglion cell axons during embryonic development. Detection of Bcl-2 immunoreactivity in the endfeet and proximal processes of radially aligned neuroepithelial cells/immature Müller cells early during the development, and its persistence in the endfeet and much of radial processes of Müller cells in adult life suggest that these cells possibly play a role in the development of the retinal ganglion cells, and also in the maintenance of the retinal neurons in the adults.
Sharma
R K
RK
Eye Pathology Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. rksharma@utmem.edu
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D001369:Axons / Q000378:metabolism; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D005260:Female; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D011247:Pregnancy; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011817:Rabbits; D012160:Retina / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism
D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2