title: Amino acid signatures in the developing mouse retina.
abstract: This study characterizes the developmental patterns of seven key amino acids: glutamate, γ-amino-butyric acid (GABA), glycine, glutamine, aspartate, alanine and taurine in the mouse retina. We analyze amino acids in specific bipolar, amacrine and ganglion cell sub-populations (i.e. GABAergic vs. glycinergic amacrine cells) and anatomically distinct regions of photoreceptors and Müller cells (i.e. cell bodies vs. endfeet) by extracting data from previously described pattern recognition analysis. Pattern recognition statistically classifies all cells in the retina based on their neurochemical profile and surpasses the previous limitations of anatomical and morphological identification of cells in the immature retina. We found that the GABA and glycine cellular content reached adult-like levels in most neurons before glutamate. The metabolic amino acids glutamine, aspartate and alanine also reached maturity in most retinal cells before eye opening. When the overall amino acid profiles were considered for each cell group, ganglion cells and GABAergic amacrine cells matured first, followed by glycinergic amacrine cells and finally bipolar cells. Photoreceptor cell bodies reached adult-like amino acid profiles at P7 whilst Müller cells acquired typical amino acid profiles in their cell bodies at P7 and in their endfeet by P14. We further compared the amino acid profiles of the C57Bl/6J mouse with the transgenic X-inactivation mouse carrying the lacZ gene on the X chromosome and validated this animal model for the study of normal retinal development. This study provides valuable insight into normal retinal neurochemical maturation and metabolism and benchmark amino acid values for comparison with retinal disease, particularly those which occur during development.
authors.affiliation: School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nivison-Smith
authors.affiliation: Department of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chua
authors.affiliation: Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
authors.forename: Seong-Seng
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Department of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia; Centre for Eye Health, Sydney, Australia. Electronic address: M.Kalloniatis@unsw.edu.au.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kalloniatis
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D005260:Female; D007763:Lac Operon / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids
keywords: Alanine; Amino acids; Aspartate; GABA; Glutamate; Glutamine; Glycine; Immunocytochemistry; Retina development; Taurine