Abstract
Purpose: :
Cx36-containing gap junction channels play an important role in the rod pathway by directly connecting AII amacrine cells to ON cone bipolar cells and other AII amacrine cells in the mammalian retina. Moreover, Cx36 expression in cone photoreceptors and some ganglion cells have also been reported previously. Given the importance of Cx36 in adult retinal circuitry, it is of great interest to examine the temporal and spatial patterns of Cx36 expression in the developing retina, and its functional significance with respect to various developmental events.
Methods: :
The retinas from New Zealand White rabbits of different developmental stages were isolated and cryosectioned into vertical slices or used as wholemounts for immunohistochemistry. The antibody against Cx35/36 was used to examine the postnatal expression patterns of Cx36 in the rabbit retina.
Results: :
Cx36 was weakly expressed both in the inner plexiform layer (IPL) and the outer plexiform layer (OPL) right after birth, and the expression level of Cx36 increased monotonically throughout postnatal stages. Interestingly, we found that Cx36 expressed predominately in the outer IPL at P0, but the expression pattern shifted toward the inner IPL at later stages and became adult like.
Keywords: gap junctions/coupling • development • immunohistochemistry