Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-ndmmz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-05-12T08:39:36.164Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Taurine and GABA in the rat retina during postnatal development

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 June 2009

Norma Lake
Norma Lake
Affiliation:
Departments of Physiology and Ophthalmology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The content of taurine and the immunocytochemical localization of taurine and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the rat retina during postnatal development are described. The rat retina is immature at birth; about two-thirds of the cells are undifferentiated neuroblasts, and the taurine content per retina is approximately one-seventh of the adult value. Shortly after weaning the adult morphology and taurine content are attained. Expression of taurine immunoreactivity (taurine-IR) accompanies differentiation; in some cell types (ganglion and horizontal cells) this expression is transient, while in others (photoreceptors, bipolar, and a subpopulation of amacrine cells) it persists into the adult state. At birth, taurine-IR is localized mainly in cells in the position of ganglion cells, especially in their axons within the nerve fiber layer. This reactivity is soon lost from the somata, and disappears from the axons by 10 days of age. At 2 days of age, taurine-IR appeared additionally in somata of amacrine cells flanking the forerunner of the inner plexiform layer, and in growth cone-like processes of photoreceptors. At day 6, taurine-IR was marked in photoreceptor cell inner and outer segments, and in horizontal cells and their lateral processes. Taurine-IR was lost from horizontal cells and most amacrine cells around day 10, and appeared in bipolar cells, where it remained, with that in photoreceptors, into adulthood. Particularly striking was taurine-IR in large synaptic terminal-like processes close to the ganglion cell layer which were first seen around day 16. GABA immunoreactivity was never seen in photoreceptor or bipolar cells, was expressed transiently in horizontal cells at the same time as taurine-IR, but persisted in a subpopulation of amacrine cells and synaptic lamina in the inner plexiform layer and in some fine glial processes in the adult.

Keywords

Taurineγ-aminobutyric acidImmunocytochemistryPostnatal retinal developmentRat
Type
Research Articles
Information
Visual Neuroscience , Volume 11 , Issue 2 , March 1994 , pp. 253 - 260
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1994

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abraham, J.H. & Schousboe, A. (1989). Effects of taurine on cell morphology and expression of low-affinity GABA receptors in cultured cerebellar granule cells. Neurochemistry Research 14, 1031–1038.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Battista, G. & Lake, N. (1991). Taurine in developing rabbit retina. Society for Neurosciences Abstracts 17, 559.Google Scholar
Campistron, G., Geffard, M. & Buus, R.M. (1986). Immunological approach to the detection of taurine and immunocytochemical results. Journal of Neurochemistry 46, 862–868.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Geffard, M., Henrich-Rock, A.M., Dulluc, J. & Seguela, P. (1985). Antisera against small neurotransmitter-like molecules. Neuro-chemistry International 7, 403–413.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Huxtable, R.J. & Sebring, L.A. (1986). Towards a unifying theory for the action of taurine. Trends in Pharmacological Sciences 7, 481–485.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Huxtable, R.J., Crosswell, S. & Parker, D. (1989). Phospholipid composition and taurine content of synaptosomes in developing rat brain. Neurochemistry International 15, 233–238.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Huxtable, R.J. (1992). Physiological actions of taurine. Physiological Reviews 72, 101–163.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lake, N. & De Marte, L. (1988). Effects of β-alanine treatment on the taurine and DNA content of the rat heart and retina. Neurochemistry Research 13, 1003–1006.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lake, N., De Marte, L. & Verdone-Smith, C. (1989). Immunocytochemical localization of taurine in the developing rat retina. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science (ARVO Suppl.) 30, 122.Google Scholar
Lake, N. & Verdone-Smith, C. (1989). Immunocytochemical localization of taurine in the mammalian retina. Current Eye Research 8, 163–173.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lake, N. (1992). Taurine, GABA, and GFAP immunoreactivity in the developing and adult rat optic nerve. Brain Research 596, 124–132.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lake, N., Verdone-Smith, C. & Brownstein, S. (1992). Immunocytochemical localization of taurine and glial fibrillary acidic protein in human optic nerve. Visual Neuroscience 8, 251–255.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lima, L., Matus, P. & Drujan, B. (1988). Taurine effect on neurite growth from goldfish retinal explants. International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience 6, 417–424.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lipton, S.B. & Kater, S.B. (1989). Neurotransmitter regulation of neuronal outgrowth, plasticity, and survival. Trends in Neurosciences 12, 265–270.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lombardini, J.B., Schaffer, S.W. & Azuma, J. (eds.) (1992). Taurine: Nutritional Value and Mechanisms of Action. New York: Plenum Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Messersmith, E.K. & Redburn, D.A. (1990). Kainic acid lesioning alters development of the outer plexiform layer in neonatal rabbit retina. International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience 8, 447–461.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Morest, K.D. (1970). The pattern of neurogenesis in the retina of the rat. Zeitschrift für Anatomie und Entwicklungs Geschichte 131, 45–67.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Politis, M.J. & Ingoglia, N.A. (1979). Axonal transport of taurine along neonatal and young adult rat optic axons. Brain Research 166, 221–231.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sakatani, K., Black, J.A. & Kocsis, J.D. (1991). Activation of GABA A receptors by endogenous GABA release in developing rat opticnerve. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts 17, 526.Google Scholar
Simmonds, M.A. (1983). Neuronal responses to taurine are distinct from those to γ-aminobutyric acid and glycine in rat cuneate nucleus and optic nerve. British Journal of Pharmacology 78, 19P.Google Scholar
Spoerri, P.E., Caple, C.G. & Roisen, F.J. (1990). Taurine-induced neuronal differentiation: The influence of calcium and the ganglioside GM1. International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience 8, 491–503.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sturman, J.A. (1979). Taurine in the developing rabbit visual system: Changes in concentration and axonal transport including a comparison with axonally transported proteins. Journal of Neurobiology 10, 221–237.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sturman, J.A. (1988). Taurine in development. Journal of Nutrition 118, 1169–1176.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Taylor, J., Docherty, M. & Gordon-Weeks, P.R. (1990). GABAergic growth cones: Release of endogenous γ-aminobutyric acid precedes the expression of synaptic vesicle antigens. Journal of Neurochemistry 54, 1689–1699.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Versaux-Botteri, C., Pochet, R. & Nguyen-Legros, J. (1989). Immunohistochemical localization of GABA containing neurons during postnatal development of the rat retina. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science 30, 652–659.Google ScholarPubMed
Voaden, M.J., Lake, N., Marshall, J. & Morjaria, B. (1977). Studies on the distribution of taurine and other neuroactive amino acids in the retina. Experimental Eye Research 25, 249–257.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed