Retina ganglion cells

Studies (mainly in vitro) illustrate that BDNF promotes the survival of embryonic retina ganglion cells, dopaminergic neurons, as well as cholinergic neurons of the basal forebrain, embryonic spinal motor neurons and cortical neurons. 

Sucher NJ, Lipton SA, Dryer EB. Molecular basis of glutamate toxicity in retina ganglion cells. Vision Res 1997 37 3483-3493. 

Johnson JE, Barde Y-A, Schwab M, Thoenen H. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor supports the survival of cultured rat retina ganglion cells. J Neurosci 1986 6 3031-3038. 

Methanol intoxication can cause blindness due to damage to ganglion cells in the retina. The blindness results from the accumulation of formaldehyde and formic acid, which are metabolites of methanol. Chemical compounds can also damage the visual cortex, for example, visual damage was observed among the victims of organic mercury intoxication in Japan (the fishermen of Minamata Bay). ... 

In addition to its presence in the RPE, ABCA1 has been found to be localized in the neural retina, particularly in the ganglion cell layer and rod photoreceptor inner segments (Tserentsoodol et al., 2006a), suggesting it may be involved in carotenoid transport throughout the retina. 

Foster This would be tricky with a normal mammalian retina because of the presence of the rods and cones, although possible on a rodless+coneless mouse retina. In David Person s studies he identified the ganglion cells projecting to the SCN using dye injections into the SCN that retrolabelled the ganglion cells of the retina. He then recorded from these identified cells. But of course there may be more than one population of intrinsically photosensitive inner retinal neuron. 

Schibler A suggestion. What you would like to do is knock out cr3rptochromes in the ganglion cells of the retina. This is difficult. However, what you may be able to do is to rescue the knockout mice with a transgene expressed in the SCN, for example. 

Weit That is not relevant to my question. The problem is that there is a clock in the mammalian eye. It doesn t matter where the dock is or what cells it is in, there is a clock in the retina that controls visual sensitivity by means yet to be clarified. We know that the clock is not in the melanopsin-expressing ganglion cells, but that doesn t matter for the issue that I am raising. 

Weit A large number of ganglion cells in the retina are probably clock cells and have cryptochrome on that basis alone. Again, it is this issue of how to distinguish a photoreceptor role from a clock role. 

The retina extends forward to the sclera as a globe-shaped wineglass almost external to the skull. That part of the sclera devoid of retina is the pars planar, which is used as an access point for injection or for close delivery to the iris and ciliary body (ICB). When stripped from its basement membrane and opened out, the collapsed retina is a circular disk approximately 42 mm in diameter and 0.5 mm in thickness. The organization of the retina is based on a three-neuron chain (photoreceptor cell-bipolar cell-ganglion cell) and accompanying cells (horizontal, amacrine, and Muller cells)... 

The retina consists of 10 layers the RPE, photoreceptor outer segments, external limiting membrane (ELM), outer nuclear layer, outer plexiform layer, inner nuclear layer, inner plexiform layer, ganglion cell layer, nerve fiber layer, and internal limiting membrane (ILM). The term neurosensory retina includes all the above except the most external layer, the RPE. 

Figure 2.2 The retina consists of three layers. Retinal ganglion cells are located at the top followed by a layer of bipolar cells and receptors at the bottom. Light has to pass through the top two layers to reach the light-sensitive sensors. Information then travels upward from the receptors to the bipolar cells and on to the retinal ganglion cells. Information is also exchanged laterally through amacrine and horizontal cells. (Retina illustration from LifeART Collection Images 1989-2001 by Lippincott Williams Wilkins, used by permission from SmartDraw.com.

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