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Crustacean visual system: an investigation on glial cells and their relation to extracellular matrix
Author(s) -
Silva Simone Florim,
Taffarel Marília,
Allodi Silvana
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
biology of the cell
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.543
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1768-322X
pISSN - 0248-4900
DOI - 10.1016/s0248-4900(01)01120-0
Subject(s) - biology , retina , extracellular matrix , basement membrane , extracellular , carbonic anhydrase , microbiology and biotechnology , ground substance , matrix (chemical analysis) , neuroglia , anatomy , ultrastructure , biochemistry , central nervous system , neuroscience , enzyme , connective tissue , chemistry , genetics , chromatography
Summry— Glial cells in higher invertebrate groups are usually recognized on the basis of their location and general morphological or functional criteria. In this study of the crustacean visual system, we have approached the analysis of the relations between glial cells and the extracellular matrix by classical histochemical methods for carbohydrates at the light and electron microscopic levels, carbonic anhydrase histochemistry and by the biochemical characterization of sulphated polysaccharides. Periodic acid—Schiff‐positive glial cells and processes were observed in the retina, basement membrane below the retina and in the optic ganglia. Carbonic anhydrase was not detected in the retina but it was demonstrated in all optic ganglia. The biochemical analysis of the extracellular matrix confirmed the alcian blue reaction and showed that sulphated polysaccharides are not abundant in the optic neuropils. This article describes into more details the crustacean visual system glial cells classification, and the relation between them and the extracellular matrix. In addition, they show that glial cells are the main components of the retinal basement membrane.