The spatial organization of cholinergic mosaics in the adult mouse retina

Eur J Neurosci. 2000 Oct;12(10):3819-22. doi: 10.1046/j.1460-9568.2000.00280.x.

Abstract

We analysed the spatial organization of the cholinergic amacrine cell mosaics in the mouse retina, as part of a general study of the major mouse retinal arrays, aiming at providing intrinsic cellular reference grids to monitor anomalies in retinal growth and/or functional organization in mouse models of retinal degeneration. The spatial organization of the cells was analysed by means of the nearest neighbour distance analysis, as well as by the analysis of Voronoi and Delaunay tesselations. We found non random cell spacing in both cholinergic arrays, although the mosaic in the ganglion cell layer tiles the retina scarcely better than a random distribution. Autocorrelation analysis revealed no detectable pattern in cell positioning, but there was a tendency towards a minimal spacing between array elements. Finally, we found no correlation in the spatial organization of the two arrays.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acetylcholine / metabolism*
  • Animals
  • Body Patterning / physiology*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Models, Animal
  • Nerve Net / cytology
  • Nerve Net / metabolism
  • Neurons / cytology*
  • Neurons / metabolism*
  • Retina / cytology
  • Retina / metabolism*
  • Retinal Ganglion Cells / cytology
  • Retinal Ganglion Cells / metabolism
  • Vision, Ocular / physiology*

Substances

  • Acetylcholine

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