Self-organising aggregates of zebrafish retinal cells for investigating mechanisms of neural lamination.
To investigate the cell-cell interactions necessary for the formation of retinal layers, we cultured dissociated zebrafish retinal progenitors in agarose microwells. Within these wells, the cells re-aggregated within hours, forming tight retinal organoids. Using a Spectrum of Fates zebrafish line, in which all different types of retinal neurons show distinct fluorescent spectra, we found that by 48 h in culture, the retinal organoids acquire a distinct spatial organisation, i.e. they became coarsely but clearly laminated. Retinal pigment epithelium cells were in the centre, photoreceptors and bipolar cells were next most central and amacrine cells and retinal ganglion cells were on the outside. Image analysis allowed us to derive quantitative measures of lamination, which we then used to find that Müller glia, but not RPE cells, are essential for this process.
Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Cambridge University, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK.
Megan K
MK
Eldred
Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Cambridge University, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK.
Mark
M
Charlton-Perkins
Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Cambridge University, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK.
Leila
L
Muresan
Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Cambridge University, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK wah20@cam.ac.uk.
William A
0000-0002-9995-8096
WA
Harris
D000818:Animals; D002449:Cell Aggregation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004210:Dissection; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000166:cytology; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology*; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology*; D055213:Retinal Pigment Epithelium / Q000166:cytology; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000378:metabolism*
Cell sorting; Layer formation; Müller cells; Organoid; Reaggregation; SoFa