Australian scientists have found significant differences in the shape and biology of the same type of cell taken from different parts of the retina, according to a study published in eLife.
The results could help explain why the macula region of the eye is more susceptible to disease than the peripheral retina and reveals a protective mechanism may be disrupted in disease, they said.
The macula is a specialised region within the retina that can be severely affected by diseases of the eye, such as age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. This study looked at Müller cells, the major glial cells of the retina which are present in both the macula and peripheral retina and play important roles in nerve-cell function, metabolism and activating light receptors in the eye. Recent studies suggest Müller cells are the major production site for two essential amino acids – serine and glycine.
“The dysfunction of Müller cells may contribute to eye diseases, such as diabetic retinopathy and macular telangiectasia,” explains co-first author Ting Zhang, research fellow at the University of Sydney’s Save Sight Institute.
The team found Müller cells from the macula were small and spindle or star-shaped, while those from the peripheral retina were much larger and had multiple processes. Activity of key genes related to serine production, such as the enzyme phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH), was also higher in the macular Müller cells than in those from the peripheral retina.
