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Survey of retinal ganglion cell morphology in marmoset
Author(s) -
Masri Rania A.,
Percival Kumiko A.,
Koizumi Amane,
Martin Paul R.,
Grünert Ulrike
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of comparative neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.855
H-Index - 209
eISSN - 1096-9861
pISSN - 0021-9967
DOI - 10.1002/cne.24157
Subject(s) - bistratified cell , retina , parasol cell , giant retinal ganglion cells , biology , intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells , inner plexiform layer , ganglion , marmoset , amacrine cell , retinal , ganglion cell layer , retinal ganglion cell , neuroscience , anatomy , paleontology , biochemistry
In primate retina, the midget, parasol, and small bistratified cell populations form the large majority of ganglion cells. In addition, there is a variety of low‐density wide‐field ganglion cell types that are less well characterized. Here we studied retinal ganglion cells in the common marmoset, Callithrix jacchus , using particle‐mediated gene transfer. Ganglion cells were transfected with an expression plasmid for the postsynaptic density 95–green fluorescent protein. The retinas were processed with established immunohistochemical markers for bipolar and/or amacrine cells to determine ganglion cell dendritic stratification. In total over 500 ganglion cells were classified based on their dendritic field size, morphology, and stratification in the inner plexiform layer. Over 17 types were distinguished, including midget, parasol, broad thorny, small bistratified, large bistratified, recursive bistratified, recursive monostratified, narrow thorny, smooth monostratified, large sparse, giant sparse (melanopsin) ganglion cells, and a group that may contain several as yet uncharacterized types. Assuming each characterized type forms a hexagonal mosaic, the midget and parasol cells account for over 80% of all ganglion cells in the central retina but only ∼50% of cells in the peripheral (>2 mm) retina. We conclude that the fovea is dominated by midget and parasol cells, but outside the fovea the ganglion cell diversity in marmoset is likely as great as that reported for nonprimate retinas. Taken together, the ganglion cell types in marmoset retina resemble those described previously in macaque retina with respect to morphology, stratification, and change in proportion across the retina.