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(NAS Colloquium) Vision From Photon to Perception (1999) / Chapter Skim
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Molecular biology of retinal ganglion cells
Pages 40-45

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From page 40...
... In this paper, we summarize our current view of retinal ganglion cell properties and pose a number of questions regarding underlying molecular mechanisms. As an example of one approach to understanding molecular mechanisms, we describe recent work on several POU domain transcription factors that are expressed in subsets of retinal ganglion cells and that appear to be involved in ganglion cell development.
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From page 41...
... Axons from M-type ganglion cells project to the ventral two layers of the LGN while axons from the P-type ganglion cells project to the dorsal four layers; axons derived from the contralateral eye innervate the first, fourth, and sixth layers of the LGN, while those derived from the ipsilateral eye innervate the second, third, and fifth layers; and within each layer of the LGN the pattern of innervation generates a precise retinotopic map that is aligned with each of the retinotopic maps above and/or below it. Molecular Biological Questions The diversity of ganglion cell properties and the precision with which these properties are programmed invite numerous questions regarding underlying molecular mechanisms.
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From page 42...
... Chx10, a homeodomain gene, is expressed in retinal neuroblasts but not in the developing ganglion cell layer; in the adult retina it is confined to the inner nuclear layer (28~. Two transcription factors that do not contain homeodomains have been characterized in the retina.
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From page 43...
... Note that the purple horseradish peroxidase reaction product partially quenches DAPI fluorescence when the two are present in the same nucleus. OS, outer segment; IS, inner segment; ONL, outer nuclear layer; OPL, outer plexiform layer; INL, inner nuclear layer; GCL, ganglion cell layer.
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From page 44...
... In contrast to the eccentricity-dependent decrease in overall cell density in the ganglion cell layer, the density of cells that contain high levels of RPF-1 changes little with retinal eccentricity. The most direct evidence that any of the POU domain transcription factors play a role in ganglion cell development comes from recent experiments in which the Brn3b gene has been inactivated by homologous recombination in embryonic stem cells (M.X., J.N., L
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From page 45...
... Colloquium Paper: Xiang et al.
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Key Terms

  • ganglion cell
  • retinal ganglion
  • transcription factors
  • cell layer
  • receptive field

  • pou domain
  • cell types
  • amacrine cells
  • receptive fields
  • inner nuclear

  • cell axons
  • cell development
  • nuclear layer
  • plexiform layer
  • dendritic field

  • retinal eccentricity
  • field size
  • geniculate nucleus
  • domain transcription
  • molecular mechanisms

  • response properties
  • inner plexiform
  • cell properties
  • lateral geniculate
  • underlying molecular

  • regarding underlying
  • light responses
  • observer fixates
  • human retina
  • excitatory center


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