Recruitment of the rod pathway by cones in the absence of rods.
In mammalian retinas, rods and cones connect to distinct sets of bipolar cells. In the retina of Nrl (neural retina leucine zipper) knock-out mice, in which rods fail to form and all photoreceptors are cones, rod bipolar cells have normal morphology, pattern of staining, and lamination, but they form synaptic connections with cones. Hence, retinal interneurons are not entirely committed to the choice of their synaptic partners; also, their morphology and pattern of distribution of their processes in the synaptic layers of the retina are not instructed by the establishment of synaptic connections with cognate photoreceptor(s). These findings are of considerable relevance for our understanding of mechanisms responsible for cell recognition during development and in the context of using transplanted tissue to restore vision in retinal degeneration.
Strettoi
Enrica
E
Istituto di Neuroscienze del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, 56100 Pisa, Italy. enrica.strettoi@in.cnr.it
Mears
Alan J
AJ
Swaroop
Anand
A
D000818:Animals; D050976:Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D007395:Interneurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D017729:Presynaptic Terminals / Q000648:ultrastructure; D017949:Retinal Cone Photoreceptor Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D017948:Retinal Rod Photoreceptor Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure
D050976:Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005136:Eye Proteins; C084884:Nrl protein, mouse