title: Expression of transcription factors divides retinal ganglion cells into distinct classes.
abstract: Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are tasked with transmitting all light information from the eye to the retinal recipient areas of the brain. RGCs can be classified into many different types by morphology, gene expression, axonal projections, and functional responses to different light stimuli. Ultimately, these classification systems should be unified into an all-encompassing taxonomy. Toward that end, we show here that nearly all RGCs express either Islet-2 (Isl2), Tbr2, or a combination of Satb1 and Satb2. We present gene expression data supporting the hypothesis that Satb1 and Satb2 are expressed in ON-OFF direction-selective (DS) RGCs, complementing our previous work demonstrating that RGCs that express Isl2 and Tbr2 are non-DS and non-image-forming, respectively. Expression of these transcription factors emerges at distinct embryonic ages and only in postmitotic cells. Finally, we demonstrate that these transcription factor-defined RGC classes are born throughout RGC genesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California.
authors.forename: Neal T
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Sweeney
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California.
authors.forename: Kiely N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: James
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California.
authors.forename: Andreea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nistorica
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California.
authors.forename: Ryan M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Lorig-Roach
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California.
authors.forename: David A
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-1097-299X
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Feldheim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000145:classification* / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D014157:Transcription Factors
keywords: RRID: AB_10615604; RRID: AB_11143446; RRID: AB_1608077; RRID: AB_2167511; RRID: AB_2301417; RRID: AB_2313614; RRID: AB_231491; RRID: AB_882455; cell fate; retinal ganglion cells; transcription factors