QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

HOME  |   SEARCH  |   ARCHIVE  |   SUBSCRIBE  |   CONTACT  |   HELP

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit an eLetter Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (21) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Doerre, G. Articles by Malicki, J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Doerre, G. Articles by Malicki, J.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

The Journal of Neuroscience, September 1, 2001, 21(17):6745-6757

A Mutation of Early Photoreceptor Development, mikre oko, Reveals Cell-Cell Interactions Involved in the Survival and Differentiation of Zebrafish Photoreceptors

Geoffrey Doerre and Jarema Malicki

Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114

To gain insight into mechanisms involved in photoreceptor development, we characterized a zebrafish mutation in the mikre oko locus that produces early loss of photoreceptor cells. mikre oko photoreceptors lose their elongated morphology at the time of wild-type outer segment formation and undergo cell death within a few days. To investigate whether this phenotype involves cell-cell interaction defects, we performed analysis of genetically mosaic animals. Interactions of mikre oko photoreceptors with wild-type cells rescue several aspects of the mutant phenotype. When placed in a wild-type environment, mikre oko photoreceptor cells retain elongated morphology and survive longer. Moreover, although mutant mikre oko photoreceptor outer segments develop only infrequently and are usually disorganized, mikre oko cone and rod cells in mosaic retinas develop robust outer segments that closely resemble the wild type. In contrast to the outer segments, the proximal regions of mikre oko photoreceptor cells, including their inner segments, the nuclear regions, and the synaptic termini, retain the mutant appearance. mikre oko outer segment rescue is not mediated by interactions with the retinal pigment epithelium. These studies demonstrate that the differentiation of outer segments is surprisingly independent from the more proximal photoreceptor cell features and that outer segment development includes retinal pigment epithelium-independent cell-cell interactions.

Key words: retina; photoreceptor; outer segment; cell-cell signaling; genetics; zebrafish

---

Copyright © 2001 Society for Neuroscience  0270-6474/01/21176745-13$05.00/0

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Tsujikawa, Y. Omori, J. Biyanwila, and J. Malicki Mechanism of positioning the cell nucleus in vertebrate photoreceptors PNAS, September 11, 2007; 104(37): 14819 - 14824. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				X. C. Zhao, R. W. Yee, E. Norcom, H. Burgess, A. S. Avanesov, J. P. Barrish, and J. Malicki The zebrafish cornea: structure and development. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., October 1, 2006; 47(10): 4341 - 4348. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. J. Tyler, L. H. Carney, and D. A. Cameron Control of Cellular Pattern Formation in the Vertebrate Inner Retina by Homotypic Regulation of Cell-Fate Decisions J. Neurosci., May 4, 2005; 25(18): 4565 - 4576. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				O. Biehlmaier, S. C. F. Neuhauss, and K. Kohler Double Cone Dystrophy and RPE Degeneration in the Retina of the Zebrafish gnn Mutant Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., March 1, 2003; 44(3): 1287 - 1298. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home  |   Search  |   Archive  |   Subscribe  |   Contact  |   Help