AP-2ε Expression in Developing Retina: Contributing to the Molecular Diversity of Amacrine Cells

Sci Rep. 2018 Feb 21;8(1):3386. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-21822-y.

Abstract

AP-2 transcription factors play important roles in the regulation of gene expression during development. Four of the five members of the AP-2 family (AP-2α, AP-2β, AP-2γ and AP-2δ) have previously been shown to be expressed in developing retina. Mouse knockouts have revealed roles for AP-2α, AP-2β and AP-2δ in retinal cell specification and function. Here, we show that the fifth member of the AP-2 family, AP-2ε, is also expressed in amacrine cells in developing mammalian and chicken retina. Our data indicate that there are considerably fewer AP-2ε-positive cells in the developing mouse retina compared to AP-2α, AP-2β and AP-2γ-positive cells, suggesting a specialized role for AP-2ε in a subset of amacrine cells. AP-2ε, which is restricted to the GABAergic amacrine lineage, is most commonly co-expressed with AP-2α and AP-2β, especially at early stages of retinal development. Co-expression of AP-2ε and AP-2γ increases with differentiation. Analysis of previously published Drop-seq data from single retinal cells supports co-expression of multiple AP-2s in the same cell. Since AP-2s bind to their target sequences as either homodimers or heterodimers, our work suggests spatially- and temporally-coordinated roles for combinations of AP-2 transcription factors in amacrine cells during retinal development.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amacrine Cells / physiology*
  • Animals
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Chickens
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / genetics*
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Retina / growth & development*
  • Transcription Factor AP-2 / genetics*

Substances

  • Transcription Factor AP-2

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