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Retinal ganglion cell death induced by unilateral tectal ablation in Xenopus

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 June 2009

Charles Straznicky ,
Roger McCart  and
Pál Tóth
Charles Straznicky
Affiliation:
Department of Anatomy and Histology, School of Medicine, Flinders University of South Australia, Australia
Roger McCart
Affiliation:
Department of Anatomy and Histology, School of Medicine, Flinders University of South Australia, Australia
Pál Tóth
Affiliation:
Department of Anatomy and Histology, School of Medicine, Flinders University of South Australia, Australia
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Abstract

The survival of retinal ganglion cells (GCs) in the left eye was studied on retinal wholemounts from 2–33 weeks after the surgical removal of the right tectum in juvenile Xenopus. Two to five weeks after tectal removal, about 76% of neurons of the retinal ganglion cell (GC) layer showed signs of retrograde degeneration: swelling of their somata and chromatolysis. Neurons that were not affected by the operation were taken to be either displaced amacrine cells (DAs) or GCs not projecting to the tectum. A portion of GCs showing retrograde degeneration became pyknotic and died within the period of 2–16 weeks after operation. Counts of surviving GCs 20–33 weeks after tectal removal amounted to about 55% of the corresponding neuron number in the right intact retina of the same animal. No discernible GC loss was observed in animals where only the optic fibers were cut at their entry point to the tectum indicating that axotomy alone, followed by rapid regrowth to the target, does not adversely influence the survival of GCs. In long-surviving animals, the left optic nerve was exposed to cobaltic-lysine complex and the position of filled optic axons within the brain determined. Optic axons whose tectal target had been removed were seen to cross over to the left intact tectum via the posterior and pretectal commissures. Aberrant projections were detected to the ipsilateral tectum and the diencephalic periventricular grey in addition to an increased projection to the accessory optic nucleus. It is concluded that the removal of the tectum, the main target of optic fiber projection, induces a very substantial GC death. Since only a portion of optic fibers were able to grow to alternative targets, the surviving GCs may have also included those with main projection areas to the diencephalic visual centers.

Keywords

Tectal lisionGanglion cell deathRegenerationAberrant projectionsXenopus
Type
Research Article
Information
Visual Neuroscience , Volume 2 , Issue 4 , April 1989 , pp. 339 - 347
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1989

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