Neurotransmitter-Regulated Regeneration in the Zebrafish Retina.

Mahesh B Rao, Dominic Didiano, James G Patton

Stem cell reports 2017 Apr 11

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Current efforts to repair damaged or diseased mammalian retinas are inefficient and largely incapable of fully restoring vision. Conversely, the zebrafish retina is capable of spontaneous regeneration upon damage using Müller glia (MG)-derived progenitors. Understanding how zebrafish MG initiate regeneration may help develop new treatments that prompt mammalian retinas to regenerate. We show that inhibition of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) signaling facilitates initiation of MG proliferation. GABA levels decrease following damage, and MG are positioned to detect decreased ambient levels and undergo dedifferentiation. Using pharmacological and genetic approaches, we demonstrate that GABAA receptor inhibition stimulates regeneration in undamaged retinas while activation inhibits regeneration in damaged retinas. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Citation

Mahesh B Rao, Dominic Didiano, James G Patton. Neurotransmitter-Regulated Regeneration in the Zebrafish Retina. Stem cell reports. 2017 Apr 11;8(4):831-842