title: Nestin expression in Müller glial cells in postnatal rat retina and its upregulation following optic nerve transection.
abstract: This study examined the nestin immunoexpression and its specific cellular localization in the developing retina of rats and investigated its putative changes in an altered environment. At postnatal day 0, nestin immunoexpression was detected in radially oriented cells considered to be neural progenitors that were glutamine synthetase (GS) negative. With age, it was localized in differentiating and differentiated GS positive Müller glial cells. Nestin expression was down-regulated as maturation proceeded, so that by 12 weeks, it was almost completely diminished as confirmed also by real time-polymerase chain reaction analysis. Nestin expression along with that of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) was induced and upregulated in mature Müller glial cells following optic nerve transection. It is suggested that both nestin and GFAP may be useful biomarkers in retinal injuries. In view of their cytoskeletal nature, the marked expression of nestin and GFAP may provide a structural support for the framework of retina which would be disrupted as a result of loss of neurons in optic nerve lesion. It may also be neuronal protective taking into consideration the close spatial and functional links between Müller glial cells and the axotomized ganglion cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597.
authors.forename: L P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.forename: E-A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Ling
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002452:Cell Count / Q000379:methods; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology*; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D005974:Glutamate-Ammonia Ligase / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D064231:Nestin; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000378:metabolism*; D020221:Optic Nerve Injuries / Q000378:metabolism*; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C577486:Nes protein, rat; D064231:Nestin; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase; D005974:Glutamate-Ammonia Ligase