title: Photoreceptor organisation and phenotypic characterization in retinas of two diurnal rodent species: potential use as experimental animal models for human vision research.
abstract: To characterize rod and cone distribution and composition in two diurnal mouse-like rodents, retinas from adult Arvicanthis ansorgei and Lemniscomys barbarus were processed for immunohistochemistry using multiple rod- and cone-specific antibodies. Antibodies tested included rhodopsin, cone opsins, pan-arrestin and cone arrestin, recoverin, and cGMP dependent ion channel. In both species, retinas were composed of approximately 33% cones, and most antibodies gave similar staining patterns. Data show these two diurnal rodents possess large numbers of cones, organised in a strict anatomical array. This suggests that diurnal rodents in general possess elevated cone numbers and could constitute valuable models for investigating cone pathophysiology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology of Rhythms, CNRS UMR 7168/LC2, Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, 5 rue Blaise Pascal, 67084 Strasbourg Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Corina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bobu
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lahmam
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vuillez
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ouarour
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hicks
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D055537:Light Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D023421:Models, Animal; D009115:Muridae / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D010641:Phenotype; D020419:Photoreceptor Cells, Vertebrate / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D017949:Retinal Cone Photoreceptor Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D017948:Retinal Rod Photoreceptor Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D012243:Rhodopsin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005136:Eye Proteins; D012243:Rhodopsin