Retinal Ganglion Cell Neurons Research Articles

Injury distance limits the transcriptional response to spinal injury.

The ability of neurons to sense and respond to damage is fundamental to homeostasis and nervous system repair. For some cell types, notably dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), extensive profiling has revealed a large transcriptional response to axon injury that determines survival and regenerative outcomes. In contrast, the injury response of most supraspinal cell types, whose limited regeneration constrains recovery from spinal injury, is mostly unknown. Here we employed single-nuclei sequencing in mice to profile the transcriptional responses of diverse supraspinal cell types to spinal injury. Surprisingly, thoracic spinal injury triggered only modest changes in gene expression across all populations, including corticospinal tract (CST) neurons. Moreover, CST neurons also responded minimally to cervical injury but much more strongly to intracortical axotomy, including upregulation of numerous regeneration and apoptosis-related transcripts shared with injured DRG and RGC neurons. Thus, the muted response of CST neuron to spinal injury is linked to the injury's distal location, rather than intrinsic cellular characteristics. More broadly, these findings indicate that a central challenge for enhancing regeneration after a spinal injury is the limited sensing of distant injuries and the subsequent modest baseline neuronal response.

Neurovascular signaling: Irrigating the retina

A new study shows that retinal ganglion cell neurons can optimize local oxygen and nutrient availability at a key developmental timepoint in a surprising manner: by generating a temporally restricted burst of dopamine that patterns their dedicated vasculature.

Human retinal ganglion cell neurons generated by synchronous BMP inhibition and transcription factor mediated reprogramming

In optic neuropathies, including glaucoma, retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) die. Cell transplantation and endogenous regeneration offer strategies for retinal repair, however, developmental programs required for this to succeed are incompletely understood. To address this, we explored cellular reprogramming with transcription factor (TF) regulators of RGC development which were integrated into human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) as inducible gene cassettes. When the pioneer factor NEUROG2 was combined with RGC-expressed TFs (ATOH7, ISL1, and POU4F2) some conversion was observed and when pre-patterned by BMP inhibition, RGC-like induced neurons (RGC-iNs) were generated with high efficiency in just under a week. These exhibited transcriptional profiles that were reminiscent of RGCs and exhibited electrophysiological properties, including AMPA-mediated synaptic transmission. Additionally, we demonstrated that small molecule inhibitors of DLK/LZK and GCK-IV can block neuronal death in two pharmacological axon injury models. Combining developmental patterning with RGC-specific TFs thus provided valuable insight into strategies for cell replacement and neuroprotection.

Identification of a Novel Axon Regeneration Role for Noncanonical Wnt Signaling in the Adult Retina after Injury.

Canonical and noncanonical Wnt signaling pathways are essential for development and maintenance of the CNS. Whereas the roles of canonical Wnt pathways in neuronal survival and axonal regeneration in adult CNS have been described, the functions of noncanonical Wnt pathways are not well understood. Furthermore, the role of noncanonical Wnt ligands in the adult retina has not been investigated. Noncanonical Wnt signaling shares receptors with canonical Wnt ligands but functions through calcium and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathways. Noncanonical ligands, such as the prototypic ligand Wnt5a, have varying effects in the developing CNS, including inhibiting or promoting axonal growth. To identify a role for noncanonical Wnt signaling in the developed retina after injury, we characterized the effect of Wnt5a on neurite outgrowth in cultured retinal ganglion cell (RGC) neurons and on axonal regeneration in the injured optic nerve in the mouse. Endogenous Wnt5a was upregulated after injury and exogenous Wnt5a significantly enhanced neurite growth of primary RGCs and led to extensive axonal regeneration after optic nerve crush (ONC) injury. Wnt5a also significantly increased RGC survival. Furthermore, Wnt5a induced phosphorylation of CamKII and JNK and induced expression of their downstream pathway components. Therefore, these results demonstrate for the first time that Wnt5a promotes axonal growth and protects RGCs in the adult retina.

Bilateral visual projections exist in non-teleost bony fish and predate the emergence of tetrapods.

In most vertebrates, camera-style eyes contain retinal ganglion cell neurons that project to visual centers on both sides of the brain. However, in fish, ganglion cells were thought to innervate only the contralateral side, suggesting that bilateral visual projections appeared in tetrapods. Here we show that bilateral visual projections exist in non-teleost fishes and that the appearance of ipsilateral projections does not correlate with terrestrial transition or predatory behavior. We also report that the developmental program that specifies visual system laterality differs between fishes and mammals, as the Zic2 transcription factor, which specifies ipsilateral retinal ganglion cells in tetrapods, appears to be absent from fish ganglion cells. However, overexpression of human ZIC2 induces ipsilateral visual projections in zebrafish. Therefore, the existence of bilateral visual projections likely preceded the emergence of binocular vision in tetrapods.

Neuronal NADPH oxidase 2 regulates growth cone guidance downstream of slit2/robo2.

NADPH oxidases (Nox) are membrane-bound multi-subunit protein complexes producing reactive oxygen species (ROS) that regulate many cellular processes. Emerging evidence suggests that Nox-derived ROS also control neuronal development and axonal outgrowth. However, whether Nox act downstream of receptors for axonal growth and guidance cues is presently unknown. To answer this question, we cultured retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) derived from zebrafish embryos and exposed these neurons to netrin-1, slit2, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). To test the role of Nox in cue-mediated growth and guidance, we either pharmacologically inhibited Nox or investigated neurons from mutant fish that are deficient in Nox2. We found that slit2-mediated growth cone collapse, and axonal retraction were eliminated by Nox inhibition. Though we did not see an effect of either BDNF or netrin-1 on growth rates, growth in the presence of netrin-1 was reduced by Nox inhibition. Furthermore, attractive and repulsive growth cone turning in response to gradients of BDNF, netrin-1, and slit2, respectively, were eliminated when Nox was inhibited in vitro. ROS biosensor imaging showed that slit2 treatment increased growth cone hydrogen peroxide levels via mechanisms involving Nox2 activation. We also investigated the possible relationship between Nox2 and slit2/Robo2 signaling in vivo. astray/nox2 double heterozygote larvae exhibited decreased area of tectal innervation as compared to individual heterozygotes, suggesting both Nox2 and Robo2 are required for establishment of retinotectal connections. Our results provide evidence that Nox2 acts downstream of slit2/Robo2 by mediating growth and guidance of developing zebrafish RGC neurons.

Optic Nerve Crush in Mice to Study Retinal Ganglion Cell Survival and Regeneration.

In diseases such as glaucoma, the failure of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) neurons to survive or regenerate their optic nerve axons underlies partial and, in some cases, complete vision loss. Optic nerve crush (ONC) serves as a useful model not only of traumatic optic neuropathy but also of glaucomatous injury, as it similarly induces RGC cell death and degeneration. Intravitreal injection of adeno-associated virus serotype 2 (AAV2) has been shown to specifically and efficiently transduce RGCs in vivo and has thus been proposed as an effective means of gene delivery for the treatment of glaucoma. Indeed, we and others routinely use AAV2 to study the mechanisms that promote neuroprotection and axon regeneration in RGCs following ONC. Herein, we describe a step-by-step protocol to assay RGC survival and regeneration in mice following AAV2-mediated transduction and ONC injury including 1) intravitreal injection of AAV2 viral vectors, 2) optic nerve crush, 3) cholera-toxin B (CTB) labeling of regenerating axons, 4) optic nerve clearing, 5) flat mount retina immunostaining, and 6) quantification of RGC survival and regeneration. In addition to providing all the materials and procedural details necessary to execute this protocol, we highlight its advantages over other similar published approaches and include useful tips to ensure its faithful reproduction in any modern laboratory.

Towards A Microbead Occlusion Model of Glaucoma for a Non-Human Primate

Glaucoma is a group of optic neuropathies associated with aging and sensitivity to intraocular pressure (IOP). The disease causes vision loss through the degeneration of retinal ganglion cell neurons and their axons in the optic nerve. Using an inducible model of glaucoma, we elevated IOP in the squirrel monkey (Saimiri boliviensis) using intracameral injection of 35 μm polystyrene microbeads and measured common pathogenic outcomes in the optic projection. A 42% elevation in IOP over 28 weeks reduced anterograde transport of fluorescently-labeled cholera toxin beta from retina to the lateral geniculate nucleus (60% decrease), and to the superior colliculus (49% decrease). Pressure also reduced survival of ganglion cellaxons in the optic nerve by 22%. The same elevation caused upregulation of proteins associated with glaucomatous neurodegeneration in the retina and optic nerve, including complement 1q, interleukin 6, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor. That axon degeneration in the nerve lagged deficits in anterograde transport is consistent with progression in rodent models, while the observed protein changes also occur in tissue from human glaucoma patients. Thus, microbead occlusion in a non-human primate with a visual system similar to our own represents an attractive model to investigate neurodegenerative mechanisms and therapeutic interventions for glaucoma.

Optic nerve regeneration in larval zebrafish exhibits spontaneous capacity for retinotopic but not tectum specific axon targeting.

In contrast to mammals, retinal ganglion cells (RGC) axons of the optic nerve even in mature zebrafish exhibit a remarkable capacity for spontaneous regeneration. One constraint of using adult zebrafish is the limited ability to visualize the regeneration process in live animals. To dynamically visualize and trace the degree of target specific optic nerve regeneration, we took advantage of the optical transparency still preserved in post developmental larval zebrafish. We developed a rapid and robust assay to physically transect the larval optic nerve and find that by 96 hours post injury RGC axons have robustly regrown onto the optic tectum. We observe functional regeneration by 8 days post injury, and demonstrate that similar to adult zebrafish, optic nerve transection in larval zebrafish does not prominently induce cell death or proliferation of RGC neurons. Furthermore, we find that partial optic nerve transection results in axonal growth predominantly to the original, contralateral tectum, while complete transection results in innervation of both the correct contralateral and ‘incorrect’ ipsilateral tectum. Axonal tracing reveals that although regenerating axons innervate the ‘incorrect’ ipsilateral tectum, they successfully target their topographically appropriate synaptic areas. Combined, our results validate post developmental larval zebrafish as a powerful model for optic nerve regeneration, and reveal intricate mechanistic differences between axonal growth, midline guidance and synaptic targeting during zebrafish optic nerve regeneration.

Opposing Effects of Growth and Differentiation Factors in Cell-Fate Specification

Following ocular trauma or in diseases such as glaucoma, irreversible vision loss is due to the death of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) neurons. Although strategies to replace these lost cells include stem cell replacement therapy, few differentiated stem cells turn into RGC-like neurons. Understanding the regulatory mechanisms of RGC differentiation invivo may improve outcomes of cell transplantation by directing the fate of undifferentiated cells toward mature RGCs. Here, we report a new mechanism by which growth and differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), a ligand in the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) superfamily, strongly promotes RGC differentiation in the developing retina invivo in rodent retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) and in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). This effect is in direct contrast to the closely related ligand GDF-11, which suppresses RGC-fate specification. We find these opposing effects are due in part to GDF-15's ability to specifically suppress Smad-2, but not Smad-1, signaling induced by GDF-11, which can be recapitulated by pharmacologic or genetic blockade of Smad-2 invivo to increase RGC specification. No other retinal cell types were affected by GDF-11 knockout, but a slight reduction in photoreceptor cells was observed by GDF-15 knockout in the developing retina invivo. These data define a novel regulatory mechanism of GDFs' opposing effects and their relevance in RGC differentiation and suggest a potential approach for advancing ESC-to-RGC cell-based replacement therapies.

Retinal energy demands control vascular supply of the retina in development and disease: The role of neuronal lipid and glucose metabolism.

Neuronal energy demands are met by a tightly coupled and adaptive vascular network that supplies nutrients and oxygen. The retina is one of the highest energy-consuming organs, exceeding the metabolic rate of the brain; blood vessels grow and regress in reaction to changes in these high demands (Ames et al., 1992b; Anderson and Saltzman, 1964; Yu and Cringle, 2001). Reduced nutrients and reduced oxygen availability instigate compensatory albeit misguided pathological neovascularization in proliferative retinopathies (Chen and Smith, 2007; Sapieha et al., 2010). Conversely, impaired retinal ganglion cell (RGC) and photoreceptor survival are correlated with abrogated vascular development (Pennesi et al., 2008) and as neurons degenerate, the retinal vasculature atrophies to match the reduced metabolic requirements (Wang et al., 2000). In mice, genetic ablation of retinal ganglion cell neurons suppresses the inner retinal vascular development (Sapieha et al., 2008). Ablation of amacrine interneurons also prevents the development of the intermediate vascular plexus (Usui et al., 2015), while photoreceptor degeneration is associated with thinning of the choroid and inner retinal blood vessels (Ayton et al., 2013; Dhoot et al., 2013; Toto et al., 2016). Thinning of the choriocapillaris, in turn, may exacerbate retinal degeneration (Bird, 2010; Whitmore et al., 2015). However, the specific mediators that link neuronal metabolism with retinal angiogenesis in the developing eye and retinal disease remain largely unknown. Conditions such as diabetic retinopathy, vaso-proliferative retinopathy of prematurity and neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) have been characterized as diseases of the vasculature. However, it is becoming more evident that the metabolic needs of the neural retina profoundly influence blood vessel supply in development and in disease. Retinal oxygen sources and the vaso-proliferative response to low oxygen levels have been well characterized. However, understanding the specific fuels used in the retina to generate ATP and supply building blocks for biosynthesis, as well as understanding the vaso-proliferative response to the lack of fuel are also key to neurovascular development. The metabolic and energy needs of the retina have been assumed to be met by glucose, as the retina is part of the CNS, and the brain relies almost exclusively on glucose (Mergenthaler et al., 2013). There are two primary pathways that cells can use to generate ATP from glucose, glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation. However, Cohen and Noell concluded in 1960 that a substantial portion of the energy produced through oxidation by the retina (around 65%) was not derived from glucose (Cohen and Noell, 1960). We recently showed that the retina (photoreceptors) can also oxidize lipid through fatty acid β-oxidation to produce ATP, accounting for the energy gap noted by Cohen (Joyal et al., 2016). Little is known about lipid versus glucose fuel substrate preference and its importance during retinal development and pathology. Here we review the neuronal energy demands of the retina, describing both glucose and lipid metabolism as forces that shape the vascular supply of the eye in development and in vaso-proliferative eye diseases.

The P2X7 receptor links mechanical strain to cytokine IL-6 up-regulation and release in neurons and astrocytes.

Mechanical strain in neural tissues can lead to the up-regulation and release of multiple cytokines including interleukin 6 (IL-6). In the retina, the mechanosensitive release of ATP can autostimulate P2X7 receptors on both retinal ganglion cell neurons and optic nerve head astrocytes. Here, we asked whether the purinergic signaling contributed to the IL-6 response to increased intraocular pressure (IOP) invivo, and stretch or swelling invitro. Rat and mouse eyes were exposed to non-ischemic elevations in IOP to 50-60mmHg for 4h. A PCR array was used to screen cytokine changes, with quantitative (q)PCR used to confirm mRNA elevations and immunoblots used for protein levels. P2X7 antagonist Brilliant Blue G (BBG) and agonist (4-benzoyl-benzoyl)-ATP (BzATP) were injected intravitreally. ELISA was used to quantify IL-6 release from optic nerve head astrocytes or retinal ganglion cells. Receptor identity was confirmed pharmacologically and in P2X7-/- mice, acute elevation of IOP altered retinal expression of multiple cytokine genes. Elevation of IL-6 was greatest, with expression of IL1rn, IL24, Tnf, Csf1, and Lif also increased more than twofold, while expression of Tnfsf11, Gdf9, and Tnfsf4 were reduced. qPCR confirmed the rise in IL-6 and extracellular ATP marker ENTPD1, but not pro-apoptotic genes. Intravitreal injection of P2X7 receptor antagonist BBG prevented the pressure-dependent rise in IL-6 mRNA and protein in the rat retina, while injection of P2X7 receptor agonist BzATP was sufficient to elevate IL-6 expression. IOP elevation increased IL-6 in wild-type but not P2X7R knockout mice. Application of mechanical strain to isolated optic nerve head astrocytes increased IL-6 levels. This response was mimicked by agonist BzATP, but blocked by antagonists BBG and A839977. Stretch or BzATP led to IL-6 release from both astrocytes and isolated retinal ganglion cells. The mechanosensitive up-regulation and release of cytokine IL-6 from the retina involves the P2X7 receptor, with both astrocytes and neurons contributing to the response.

The Rodent Model of Nonarteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy (rNAION).

Nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) is a focal ischemic lesion of the optic nerve that affects 1/700 individuals throughout their lifetime. NAION results in optic nerve edema, selective loss of the retinal ganglion cell neurons (RGCs) and atrophy of the optic nerve. A rodent model of NAION that expresses most NAION features and sequelae has been developed, which is applicable to both rats and mice. This model utilizes a focal laser application of 532 nm wavelength to illuminate a photoactive dye, Rose Bengal (RB), to cause capillary damage and leakage at the targeted anterior optic nerve (the laminar region). After rNAION induction, there is an early optic nerve ischemia, optic nerve edema, and intraneural inflammation, followed by selective RGC and axonal loss. Since the optic nerve is a CNS white matter tract, the rNAION model is applicable to mechanistic studies of selective white matter ischemia, as well as neuroprotective analyses and short and long-term mechanisms of glial and neuronal response to ischemia.

Activation of transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 (TRPV1) influences how retinal ganglion cell neurons respond to pressure-related stress

Our recent studies implicate the transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 (TRPV1) channel as a mediator of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) function and survival. With elevated pressure in the eye, TRPV1 increases in RGCs, supporting enhanced excitability, while Trpv1 -/- accelerates RGC degeneration in mice. Here we find TRPV1 localized in monkey and human RGCs, similar to rodents. Expression increases in RGCs exposed to acute changes in pressure. In retinal explants, contrary to our animal studies, both Trpv1 -/- and pharmacological antagonism of the channel prevented pressure-induced RGC apoptosis, as did chelation of extracellular Ca2+. Finally, while TRPV1 and TRPV4 co-localize in some RGC bodies and form a protein complex in the retina, expression of their mRNA is inversely related with increasing ocular pressure. We propose that TRPV1 activation by pressure-related insult in the eye initiates changes in expression that contribute to a Ca2+-dependent adaptive response to maintain excitatory signaling in RGCs.

Short-term increases in transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 mediate stress-induced enhancement of neuronal excitation.

Progression of neurodegeneration in disease and injury is influenced by the response of individual neurons to stressful stimuli and whether this response includes mechanisms to counter declining function. Transient receptor potential (TRP) cation channels transduce a variety of disease-relevant stimuli and can mediate diverse stress-dependent changes in physiology, both presynaptic and postsynaptic. Recently, we demonstrated that knock-out or pharmacological inhibition of the TRP vanilloid-1 (TRPV1) capsaicin-sensitive subunit accelerates degeneration of retinal ganglion cell neurons and their axons with elevated ocular pressure, the critical stressor in the most common optic neuropathy, glaucoma. Here we probed the mechanism of the influence of TRPV1 on ganglion cell survival in mouse models of glaucoma. We found that induced elevations of ocular pressure increased TRPV1 in ganglion cells and its colocalization at excitatory synapses to their dendrites, whereas chronic elevation progressively increased ganglion cell Trpv1 mRNA. Enhanced TRPV1 expression in ganglion cells was transient and supported a reversal of the effect of TRPV1 on ganglion cells from hyperpolarizing to depolarizing, which was also transient. Short-term enhancement of TRPV1-mediated activity led to a delayed increase in axonal spontaneous excitation that was absent in ganglion cells from Trpv1(-/-) retina. In isolated ganglion cells, pharmacologically activated TRPV1 mobilized to discrete nodes along ganglion cell dendrites that corresponded to sites of elevated Ca(2+). These results suggest that TRPV1 may promote retinal ganglion cell survival through transient enhancement of local excitation and axonal activity in response to ocular stress.

A train of blue light pulses delivered through closed eyelids suppresses melatonin and phase shifts the human circadian system

A model of circadian phototransduction was published in 2005 to predict the spectral sensitivity of the human circadian system to narrow-band and polychromatic light sources by combining responses to light from the spectral-opponent “blue” versus “yellow” cone bipolar pathway with direct responses to light by the intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells. In the model, depolarizing “blue” responses, but not hyperpolarizing “yellow” responses, from the “blue” versus “yellow” pathway are combined with the intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cell responses. Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cell neurons are known to be much slower to respond to light than the cone pathway, so an implication of the model is that periodic flashes of “blue” light, but not “yellow” light, would be effective for stimulating the circadian system. A within-subjects study was designed to test the implications of the model regarding retinal exposures to brief flashes of light. The study was also aimed at broadening the foundation for clinical treatment of circadian sleep disorders by delivering flashing light through closed eyelids while people were asleep. In addition to a dark control night, the eyelids of 16 subjects were exposed to three light-stimulus conditions in the phase delay portion of the phase response curve while they were asleep: (1) 2-second flashes of 111 W/m2 of blue (λmax ≈ 480 nm) light once every minute for 1 hour, (2) 131 W/m2 of green (λmax ≈ 527 nm) light, continuously on for 1 hour, and (3) 2-second flashes of the same green light once every minute for 1 hour. Inferential statistics showed that the blue flash light-stimulus condition significantly delayed circadian phase and significantly suppressed nocturnal melatonin. The results of this study further our basic understanding of circadian phototransduction and broaden the technical foundations for delivering light through closed eyelids during sleep for treating circadian sleep disorders.

Retinal Astrocytes Mediate Neuroprotective Effects Through p38 MAPK Dependent Activation

Astrocytes play a fundamental role in maintaining a delicate neuronal homeostasis. In response to injury and stress, astrocytes undergo a switch; becoming hypertrophic and migratory, secreting cytokines, coordinating tissue remodeling, and increasing production of antioxidants. However, the cellular signals regulating this switch are still not well understood, and its impact on neurons remains unclear. As a developmental outpocketing of the forebrain, the retina is a bellwether and model for damage to the central nervous system (CNS). In the rodent eye, astrocytes remain tightly restricted to a single layer on the inner retinal surface, beside a single layer of retinal ganglion cell neurons. This relatively simple system provides an accessible model of glial‐neuronal interactions. We have used the retina to develop and establish robust models of astrocyte activation in response to oxidative, metabolic, and hypoxic stresses. Characteristic molecular and biochemical changes in activated cells have implicated signals through the p38 MAPK (mitogen activated protein kinase) pathway as a key mediator of this process. We demonstrate that modulation of this pathway is necessary for the cells to mount an appropriate injury response. However, quiescent cells produce a neuroprotective effect on retinal neurons, while activated cells exacerbate injury.

Astrocyte glypicans 4 and 6 promote formation of excitatory synapses via GluA1 AMPA receptors

In the developing central nervous system (CNS), the control of synapse number and function is critical to the formation of neural circuits. We previously demonstrated that astrocyte-secreted factors powerfully induce the formation of functional excitatory synapses between CNS neurons1. Astrocyte-secreted thrombospondins induce structural synapses, however these synapses are post-synaptically silent2. Here we use biochemical fractionation of astrocyte conditioned media (ACM) to identify glypican 4 (Gpc4) and 6 (Gpc6) as astrocyte-secreted signals sufficient to induce functional synapses between purified retinal ganglion cell (RGC) neurons, and show that depletion of these molecules from ACM significantly reduces its ability to induce postsynaptic activity. Application of Gpc4 to purified neurons is sufficient to increase the frequency and amplitude of glutamatergic synaptic events. This is achieved by increasing the surface level and clustering, but not overall cellular protein level, of the GluA1 subunit of the AMPA glutamate receptor (AMPAR). Gpc4&6 are expressed by astrocytes in vivo in the developing CNS, with Gpc4 expression enriched in the hippocampus and Gpc6 in the cerebellum. Finally, we demonstrate that Gpc4-deficient mice have defective synapse formation, with decreased amplitude of excitatory synaptic currents in the developing hippocampus and reduced recruitment of AMPARs to synapses. These data identify glypicans as a family of novel astrocyte-derived molecules that are necessary and sufficient to promote glutamate receptor clustering and receptivity and induce the formation of post-synaptically functioning CNS synapses.

The Cell and Molecular Biology of Glaucoma: Axonopathy and the Brain

Many ophthalmologists and members of the lay public alike view glaucoma in its historical context—that is, as exclusively a disease of the eye. This view has been (and remains) overwhelmingly pervasive because the etiology of the disease involves so many factors associated with the eye: intraocular pressure (IOP), corneal thickness, optic disc morphology, and so on. Glaucoma is associated with sensitivity to IOP, and lowering IOP through either topical application of hypotensive drugs or surgery is the only form of treatment. Studies of animal models of glaucoma generally incorporate elevations in IOP as a way of mimicking the sort of injury that seems relevant to the human disease. However, although managing IOP can slow disease progression, it is not a cure, and vision loss in glaucoma often continues despite hypotensive regimens. 1 What is most damaging about glaucoma occurs outside of the eye, with degeneration of the optic nerve and its connections to the brain. This process involves the progressive loss of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axons, some 1.5 million of which comprise the optic nerve in humans. Smaller eyes in experimental models have correspondingly fewer axons. Axon loss is followed eventually by apoptotic elimination of the RGC soma population in the retina. The rate at which degeneration progresses depends on many factors, including treatment efficacy. In the worst case, the loss of RGC neurons and their connections in the optic projection represents a substantial injury to the brain. Some 50% to 60% of the cerebral cortex spread over 40 to 45 distinct visual areas processes information from the retina via the optic nerve. In this sense, glaucoma is the premier age-related optic neuropathy and is becoming more prevalent as the population ages. Since the retina and optic nerve are part of the central nervous system, they lack the limited but intrinsic capacity of peripheral nervous system neurons for self-repair. Thus, identifying new neurocentric therapies for glaucoma is important, not only for preserving vision as the population ages, but also for translation to new treatments for other age-related brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Much of what we learn in glaucoma research from a neurobiological standpoint is now informing research for these other devastating conditions. 2

VEGF Signaling through Neuropilin 1 Guides Commissural Axon Crossing at the Optic Chiasm

SummaryDuring development, the axons of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) neurons must decide whether to cross or avoid the midline at the optic chiasm to project to targets on both sides of the brain. By combining genetic analyses with in vitro assays, we show that neuropilin 1 (NRP1) promotes contralateral RGC projection in mammals. Unexpectedly, the NRP1 ligand involved is not an axon guidance cue of the class 3 semaphorin family, but VEGF164, the neuropilin-binding isoform of the classical vascular growth factor VEGF-A. VEGF164 is expressed at the chiasm midline and is required for normal contralateral growth in vivo. In outgrowth and growth cone turning assays, VEGF164 acts directly on NRP1-expressing contralateral RGCs to provide growth-promoting and chemoattractive signals. These findings have identified a permissive midline signal for axons at the chiasm midline and provide in vivo evidence that VEGF-A is an essential axon guidance cue.