Dopaminergic amacrine cells in the retina of the possum, Trichosurus vulpecula. 1998

J F Dann
Department of Psychology, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Perth.

The common brush-tailed possum Trichosurus vulpecula is a small diprotodont marsupial common to both urban and natural environments. This is the first analysis of the neurotransmitter content of its retinal cells and, as the possum is a nocturnal forager, it was appropriate to begin with the dopaminergic amacrine cells that form an essential link in the modulation of the rod pathways subserving nocturnal vision. These results were compared with those from another diprotodont, the marsupial wallaby or quokka (Dann, 1996) to establish whether the dopaminergic systems were similar between these two diprotodont marsupials and also to compare these findings with those of other mammals. This study describes a population of amacrine cells in the possum retina that were immunolabelled with an antibody raised against tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). These TH-immunoreactive (IR) cells were located within the inner nuclear layer (INL) and their dendrites predominantly ramified within the most sclerad layers of the inner plexiform layer (IPL). The TH-IR amacrines formed a sparse cell population, of around 2400 cells, distributed over the entire retina. There was little evidence of a concentration gradient except for a slight elevation in density in the naso-temporal axis in dorsal retina. The formation of rings within the dendritic plexus, a feature common to TH-IR cells in other species, was also present in the possum and these appeared relatively frequently. This latter finding was rather unexpected since, in the marsupial quokka (Dann, 1996), the TH-IR dendrites formed fewer rings despite having the same density of TH-IR amacrines as the possum. This suggests that there may be subtle differences in the way the rod pathways are interconnected even within the same marsupial group and may also be a reflection of relative rod dominance across species.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007124 Immunoenzyme Techniques Immunologic techniques based on the use of: (1) enzyme-antibody conjugates; (2) enzyme-antigen conjugates; (3) antienzyme antibody followed by its homologous enzyme; or (4) enzyme-antienzyme complexes. These are used histologically for visualizing or labeling tissue specimens. Antibody Enzyme Technique, Unlabeled,Enzyme Immunoassay,Enzyme-Labeled Antibody Technique,Immunoassay, Enzyme,Immunoperoxidase Techniques,Peroxidase-Antiperoxidase Complex Technique,Peroxidase-Labeled Antibody Technique,Antibody Enzyme Technic, Unlabeled,Enzyme-Labeled Antibody Technic,Immunoenzyme Technics,Immunoperoxidase Technics,Peroxidase-Antiperoxidase Complex Technic,Peroxidase-Labeled Antibody Technic,Antibody Technic, Enzyme-Labeled,Antibody Technic, Peroxidase-Labeled,Antibody Technics, Enzyme-Labeled,Antibody Technics, Peroxidase-Labeled,Antibody Technique, Enzyme-Labeled,Antibody Technique, Peroxidase-Labeled,Antibody Techniques, Enzyme-Labeled,Antibody Techniques, Peroxidase-Labeled,Enzyme Immunoassays,Enzyme Labeled Antibody Technic,Enzyme Labeled Antibody Technique,Enzyme-Labeled Antibody Technics,Enzyme-Labeled Antibody Techniques,Immunoassays, Enzyme,Immunoenzyme Technic,Immunoenzyme Technique,Immunoperoxidase Technic,Immunoperoxidase Technique,Peroxidase Antiperoxidase Complex Technic,Peroxidase Antiperoxidase Complex Technique,Peroxidase Labeled Antibody Technic,Peroxidase Labeled Antibody Technique,Peroxidase-Antiperoxidase Complex Technics,Peroxidase-Antiperoxidase Complex Techniques,Peroxidase-Labeled Antibody Technics,Peroxidase-Labeled Antibody Techniques,Technic, Enzyme-Labeled Antibody,Technic, Immunoenzyme,Technic, Immunoperoxidase,Technic, Peroxidase-Antiperoxidase Complex,Technic, Peroxidase-Labeled Antibody,Technics, Enzyme-Labeled Antibody,Technics, Immunoenzyme,Technics, Immunoperoxidase,Technics, Peroxidase-Antiperoxidase Complex,Technics, Peroxidase-Labeled Antibody,Technique, Enzyme-Labeled Antibody,Technique, Immunoenzyme,Technique, Immunoperoxidase,Technique, Peroxidase-Antiperoxidase Complex,Technique, Peroxidase-Labeled Antibody,Techniques, Enzyme-Labeled Antibody,Techniques, Immunoenzyme,Techniques, Immunoperoxidase,Techniques, Peroxidase-Antiperoxidase Complex,Techniques, Peroxidase-Labeled Antibody
D007614 Macropodidae A family of herbivorous leaping MAMMALS of Australia, New Guinea, and adjacent islands. Members include kangaroos, wallabies, quokkas, and wallaroos. Kangaroos,Macropus,Petrogale,Quokkas,Setonix,Wallabies,Wallabies, Rock,Wallaroo,Macropus robustus,Kangaroo,Petrogales,Quokka,Rock Wallabies,Rock Wallaby,Wallaby,Wallaby, Rock,Wallaroos
D008297 Male Males
D009474 Neurons The basic cellular units of nervous tissue. Each neuron consists of a body, an axon, and dendrites. Their purpose is to receive, conduct, and transmit impulses in the NERVOUS SYSTEM. Nerve Cells,Cell, Nerve,Cells, Nerve,Nerve Cell,Neuron
D009893 Opossums New World marsupials of the family Didelphidae. Opossums are omnivorous, largely nocturnal and arboreal MAMMALS, grow to about three feet in length, including the scaly prehensile tail, and have an abdominal pouch in which the young are carried at birth. Didelphidae,Opossum
D012160 Retina The ten-layered nervous tissue membrane of the eye. It is continuous with the OPTIC NERVE and receives images of external objects and transmits visual impulses to the brain. Its outer surface is in contact with the CHOROID and the inner surface with the VITREOUS BODY. The outer-most layer is pigmented, whereas the inner nine layers are transparent. Ora Serrata
D002452 Cell Count The number of CELLS of a specific kind, usually measured per unit volume or area of sample. Cell Density,Cell Number,Cell Counts,Cell Densities,Cell Numbers,Count, Cell,Counts, Cell,Densities, Cell,Density, Cell,Number, Cell,Numbers, Cell
D003712 Dendrites Extensions of the nerve cell body. They are short and branched and receive stimuli from other NEURONS. Dendrite
D004298 Dopamine One of the catecholamine NEUROTRANSMITTERS in the brain. It is derived from TYROSINE and is the precursor to NOREPINEPHRINE and EPINEPHRINE. Dopamine is a major transmitter in the extrapyramidal system of the brain, and important in regulating movement. A family of receptors (RECEPTORS, DOPAMINE) mediate its action. Hydroxytyramine,3,4-Dihydroxyphenethylamine,4-(2-Aminoethyl)-1,2-benzenediol,Dopamine Hydrochloride,Intropin,3,4 Dihydroxyphenethylamine,Hydrochloride, Dopamine
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia

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