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

HOME  |   SEARCH  |   ARCHIVE  |   SUBSCRIBE  |   CONTACT  |   HELP

This Article 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 Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal 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 Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Townes-Anderson, E. Articles by Raviola, E. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Townes-Anderson, E. Articles by Raviola, E.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Neuroscience, Vol 8, 320-331, Copyright © 1988 by Society for Neuroscience

ARTICLE

Rod photoreceptors dissociated from the adult rabbit retina

E Townes-Anderson, RF Dacheux and E Raviola
Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Cornell University Medical College, New York, New York 10021.

Rod photoreceptors have been isolated from the adult rabbit retina using enzymatic and mechanical dissociation procedures; their fine structure, synaptic activity, and long-term viability were examined using conventional electron-microscopic, quick-freezing, and cell culture techniques. Freshly dissociated photoreceptors were well- preserved compared to their counterparts in the intact retina. About half of the cells, however, exhibited broad continuity between inner and outer segments. Quick-frozen, freeze-substituted rods differed from chemically fixed cells in 3 respects: (1) there was an increased amount of granular matrix in the cytoplasm, mitochondria, and rough endoplasmic reticulum; (2) branching and anastomosing profiles of smooth endoplasmic reticulum had disappeared from the inner segment; and (3) the number of synaptic vesicles within the spherule was highly variable, in some cases leaving synaptic ribbons completely denuded of their halo of vesicles. Light-adapted, solitary rod cells continued to be synaptically active: their endings were capable of endocytosis when placed in the dark in the presence of extracellular ferritin and tracer was incorporated into vesicles and vacuoles; this uptake was much reduced when the cells were incubated with the tracer in the light. Thus, synaptic vesicle regeneration was stimulated in the dark, suggesting that vesicles underwent exocytosis in the dark. Isolated rod cells adhered poorly to most standard substrates; without proper adhesion, cells deteriorated in 2-4 hr. However, photoreceptors did adhere to glutaraldehyde-fixed Vitrogen gels and could be maintained for over 48 hr on this substrate if kept in a complete medium at 22 degrees C. In contrast, Muller cells adhered quickly to a laminin substrate with their endfoot processes. The differential adhesion properties of Muller and photoreceptor cells may be useful in obtaining pure populations of glial cells or neurons from the adult mammalian retina.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Nickell, P. S.-H. Park, W. Baumeister, and K. Palczewski Three-dimensional architecture of murine rod outer segments determined by cryoelectron tomography J. Cell Biol., June 21, 2007; 177(5): 917 - 925. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Paillart, J. Li, G. Matthews, and P. Sterling Endocytosis and Vesicle Recycling at a Ribbon Synapse J. Neurosci., May 15, 2003; 23(10): 4092 - 4099. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home  |   Search  |   Archive  |   Subscribe  |   Contact  |   Help