title: Neuronal differentiation in the early human retinogenesis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our study investigates the differentiation of retinal stem cells towards different neuronal subtypes during the critical period of human eye development.
  
  
  METHODS
  Expression of the neuronal marker neurofilament 200 (NF200), tyrosine hydroxilase (TH) and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) was seen by immunofluorescence in the 5th-12th - week stage of development in the human eye. Data was analysed by Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn's post hoc tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  NF200, TH and ChAT cells appeared in the 5th/6th week and gradually increased during further development. The proportion of TH positive areas were distributed similarly to NF200, with a higher proportion in the outer neuroblastic layer. The proportion of a ChAT positive surface was highest in the 5th/6th - week whilst from the 7th week onwards, its proportion became higher in the optic nerve and inner neuroblastic layers than in the outer layer, where a decrease of ChAT positive areas were seen.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study indicates a high differentiation potential of early retinal cells, which decreased with the advancement of development. The observed great variety of retinal phenotypic expressions results from a large scale of influences, taking place at different developmental stages.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Centre Split, Spinciceva 1, 21000, Split, Croatia.
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rancic
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Early Human Development, Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, University of Split, Soltanska 2, 21000, Split, Croatia.
authors.forename: Natalija
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Filipovic
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Centre Split, Spinciceva 1, 21000, Split, Croatia.
authors.forename: Josipa
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marin Lovric
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Early Human Development, Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, University of Split, Soltanska 2, 21000, Split, Croatia.
authors.forename: Snjezana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mardesic
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Early Human Development, Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, University of Split, Soltanska 2, 21000, Split, Croatia.
authors.forename: Mirna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saraga-Babic
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Early Human Development, Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, University of Split, Soltanska 2, 21000, Split, Croatia. Electronic address: katarina.vukojevic@mefst.hr.
authors.forename: Katarina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vukojevic
mesh_terms: D002454:Cell Differentiation; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology*; D038081:Organogenesis; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology*
keywords: ChAT; Eye development; NF200; TH