Comparative study of cholinergic cells in retinas of various mouse strains.
We examined cholinergic cells in the retinas of BALB/C albino, C57BL/6J black, and 129/SvJ light chinchilla mice by using immunocytochemistry with specific antisera against choline acetyltransferase (ChAT). Two types of ChAT-immunoreactive amacrine cell bodies were found in the inner nuclear layer (INL) and ganglion cell layer in the retinas of all three mouse strains. They were distributed with mirror-image symmetry and their processes ramified in strata 2 and 4 of the inner plexiform layer. A distinct type of ChAT-immunoreactive cell was found only in C57BL/6J mouse retina. The somata of this third type of ChAT-immunoreactive cell were located in the outermost part of the INL, with their processes extending toward the outer plexiform layer. Double-labeling experiments demonstrated that these were not horizontal cells and that they were GABA-immunoreactive. The results suggested that these cells were probably "misplaced" cholinergic amacrine cells showing GABA immunoreactivity. This feature of the C57BL/6J mouse retina should be taken into account in studies of mutant mice having a mixed genetic background with a C57BL/6J contribution.
Kang
Tae-Hoon
TH
Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea.
Ryu
Young-Han
YH
Kim
In-Beom
IB
Oh
Goo Taeg
GT
Chun
Myung-Hoon
MH
D025042:Amacrine Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D013045:Species Specificity; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism*
D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase