Unexpected presence of neurofilaments in axon-bearing horizontal cells of the mammalian retina

J Neurosci. 1993 Sep;13(9):4091-100. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.13-09-04091.1993.

Abstract

In several mammals only one of the two types of retinal horizontal cell, the axonless A-type, appears to express neurofilaments. Neurofilament immunostaining of rodent retinas reveals a horizontal cell plexus that has previously been interpreted as belonging to A-type cells. Our intracellular Lucifer yellow injections strongly suggest that there are no A-type horizontal cells in rat and gerbil. Counterstaining of dye-injected cellular structures with a neurofilament antibody directly shows that the axon terminal systems of the axon-bearing B-type horizontal cells contain neurofilaments. These unexpected findings explain and reinterpret the neurofilament plexus in rodent retinas. In contrast, Lucifer yellow injections in guinea pig retina reveal both A- and B-type horizontal cells, showing that horizontal cell types are not uniform among rodents. In the guinea pig retina both A-type cells and B-type axon terminal systems contain neurofilaments.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Axons / ultrastructure*
  • Gerbillinae
  • Guinea Pigs
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Intermediate Filaments / ultrastructure*
  • Mice
  • Neurofilament Proteins / analysis*
  • Neurons / cytology
  • Neurons / ultrastructure*
  • Rats
  • Retina / cytology*
  • Retina / ultrastructure
  • Retinal Ganglion Cells / cytology
  • Retinal Ganglion Cells / ultrastructure
  • Species Specificity

Substances

  • Neurofilament Proteins