Neuronal differentiation in the early human retinogenesis

Anita Rancic; Natalija Filipovic; Josipa Marin Lovric; Snjezana Mardesic; Mirna Saraga-Babic; Katarina Vukojevic

doi:10.1016/j.acthis.2017.02.002

Neuronal differentiation in the early human retinogenesis

Acta Histochem. 2017 Apr;119(3):264-272. doi: 10.1016/j.acthis.2017.02.002. Epub 2017 Feb 20.

Authors

Anita Rancic¹, Natalija Filipovic², Josipa Marin Lovric¹, Snjezana Mardesic², Mirna Saraga-Babic², Katarina Vukojevic³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Centre Split, Spinciceva 1, 21000, Split, Croatia.
² Laboratory for Early Human Development, Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, University of Split, Soltanska 2, 21000, Split, Croatia.
³ 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.

PMID: 28216069
DOI: 10.1016/j.acthis.2017.02.002

Abstract

Aim: 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.

Keywords: ChAT; Eye development; NF200; TH.

MeSH terms

Cell Differentiation*
Fluorescent Antibody Technique
Humans
Neurons / cytology*
Organogenesis*
Retina / cytology*
Retina / embryology*