Tracking Expression of Rhodopsin and a GABA Transporter in a Single-Photoreceptor Type Retina
Karina Rodriguez
Department of Biology
Faculty Supervisor: Ivan A. Anastassov
Rod and cone photoreceptors serve as the primary light-detecting cells in vertebrate retinas that transmit visual signals through a highway of neuronal cell types. Our model organism, the Little Skate, is a unique example of a vertebral retina lacking high-light-intensity responding cone cells. Unlike other vertebrates, this retina features single rod-like photoreceptors that have adapted for both dim and bright light. We employ multiplexed in-situ hybridization to visualize the expression patterns of Rhodopsin, the protein in rods responsible for detecting light, and GAT, a GABA neurotransmitter transporter expressed by horizontal and amacrine retinal cells, during various developmental stages in the skate. Through characterizing the developmental timeline of Rhodopsin and GAT expression, we aim to determine the specific developmental progression for neuronal cell types within the skate. Previous data has indicated that Rhodopsin expression lags behind that of GAT. This suggests that amacrine cells are born and possibly functional before rod cells. This hypothesized birth order is similar to what is observed in retinas with both rod and cone cells.