Figure 8.

Characterization of cell types in the CKO retina. A, Rods and cones, labeled red by recoverin antibody, in a 3-month-old CKO retina; cones are counterstained green with peanut lectin. Their synaptic terminals formed a regular row in the outer plexiform layer, similar to what is observed in a normal retina. B, Horizontal cells, labeled red by calbindin D antibody, formed a tier in the outer part of the inner nuclear layer. Some of these sprouted ectopic neuritis toward the outer retina (arrows). The green signal denotes Cre staining. The section is from a P35 retina. C, Cre-positive nuclei (green) belong mostly to rod bipolar cells, the membranes of which are appropriately labeled red by an antibody against PKCα. The section is from a P45 retina. D, Anti-G0α antibodies (green) label ON-center cone and rod bipolar cells. PKCα antibody labels only rod bipolar cells (red). In this section, orange-yellow cells have been labeled by both antibodies and are therefore rod bipolar cells. Green cells are ON-center cone bipolar cells (CB). Some of these cells (arrow) appeared displaced toward the outer retina at a location adjacent to a photoreceptor rosette. The section is from a P45 retina. E, Cholinergic amacrine cells (ChA; red) are seen in the CKO retina at the expected location. Their cell bodies formed two mirror-symmetric populations (arrows) in the inner nuclear and ganglion cell layers, respectively, whereas their processes formed two bands in the inner plexiform layer, characteristic to what is observed in the normal retina. Blue staining is a nuclear dye. The section is from a P30 retina. R, Rosette. F, Antibodies against the 200 kDa subunit of neurofilaments (red) revealed the axonal arborizations of horizontal cells (HCa) and the somata of large ganglion cells (Gc) in the appropriate retinal layers. Green cells are stained with Cre antibodies. The section is from a P35 retina. Ph, Photoreceptors; onl, outer nuclear layer; opl, outer plexiform layer; ipl, inner plexiform layer; gcl, ganglion cell layer.