Morphogenesis and territorial coverage by isolated mammalian retinal ganglion cells

摘要: Identified retinal ganglion cells were isolated from postnatal cat retinas and their dendrites removed by trituration centrifugation. The denuded placed in a cell culture system allowed to reexpress dendritic arbors the absence of afferent input, target tissue, interactions with neighboring cells. grown above feeder layer astrocytes on glass coverslips equipped paraffin pedestals. spatial patterns reexpressed neurites quantitatively analyzed using number measures, including an estimate Hausdorff dimension, H, which was used as scale-independent metric for how well neurite filled restricted domain. As assessed estimation dimensions, single achieve uniform coverage territory independent total length or inter-branch-point segments. A comparison H values intact retina revealed similar trend. These results suggest that these cultured can express intrinsic growth strategy territory. expressed displayed limited range diameters exhibited morphology alpha-, beta-, gamma-ganglion input influences tissue. Time- lapse video data individual showed extensive remodeling during growth; however, after about 3 d culture, this did not appreciably affect territorial cell. In retina, existence sheets independently uniformly sample visual space may result ability elaborate cover fill