Méhes E$, Czirok A, Hegedüs B, Vicsek T,Jancsik V$:
Laminin-1 increases motility, path-searching and process dynamism of rat and mouse Muller glial cells in vitro; implication of relationship between cell behavior and formation of retinal morphology
Cell Motil Cytoskeleton 2002 Nov;53(3):203-13
$ Department of Anatomy and Histology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Szent István University, Budapest


Spatial correlation was observed between the localization of laminin-1 at the inner limiting membrane (ILM) and extensive Muller glial process arborization in the same area, as demonstrated by immunolabeling of Muller glial processes and laminin-1 in rat retinae in situ. To test if this spatial correlation is due to a functional relationship, we investigated the impact of laminin-1 on the motility of cultured primary rat and mouse retinal Muller glial cells by statistical analysis of computer-controlled videomicroscopic time-lapse images. We demonstrate that laminin-1 increases motility and path-searching activity of Muller cells in vitro and it also enhances the cells' process formation/withdrawal dynamism. The increase in path-searching activity and cell process dynamism indicates that there is a functional relationship between laminin-1 and Muller glial cells presumably involving signaling towards the cytoskeleton. We hypothesize that laminin-1 is involved in process arborization of Muller cells at the vitread border of the retina resulting in the formation of the functional barrier made up of Muller glial endfeet.
Copyright 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. (pdf)

Picture:

Stationary rat Muller glial cells on untreated and laminin-1 treated surface :
40 kB JPEG picture,
Objective: 20X (Field of view: 170um X 125um). Scale bar 50 um.
Cells isolated at postnatal day 10 were kept in culture for 8 days.
Note the higher number and complexity of processes on laminin-1.

Movies:

Isolated rat Muller glial cells on untreated surface :
0.5Mb MPEG stream, enhanced contrast MPEG, QuickTime
Objective: 20X (Field of view: 800um X 600um). Duration of recording: 19 hours. Number of frames: 114 (10 min/frame).
Cells isolated at postnatal day 10 were kept in culture for 8 days.
Note the low migratory activity and the flattened shape of non-migrating cells.

Isolated rat Muller glial cells on laminin-1 pretreated surface:
0.5Mb MPEG stream, enhanced contrast MPEG, Quicktime
Objective: 20X (Field of view: 800um X 600um). Duration of recording: 19 hours. Number of frames: 114 (10 min/frame).
Cells isolated at postnatal day 10 were kept in culture for 8 days.
Note the path-searching activity of intensively migrating cells and the process dynamism of non-migrating cells.

Isolated mouse Muller glial cells on untreated surface:
1.1Mb MPEG stream, enhanced contrast MPEG, Quicktime
Objective: 20X (Field of view: 800um X 600um). Duration of recording: 20 hours. Number of frames: 122 (10 min/frame).
Cells isolated at postnatal day 14 were kept in culture for 12 days
Note the low migratory activity and the flattened shape of non-migrating cells.

Isolated mouse Muller glial cells on laminin-1 pretreated surface:
0.9Mb MPEG stream, enhanced contrast MPEG, Quicktime
Objective: 20X (Field of view: 800um X 600um). Duration of recording: 20 hours. Number of frames: 122 (10 min/frame).
Cells isolated at postnatal day 14 were kept in culture for 12 days
Note the path-searching activity of intensively migrating cells and the process dynamism of non-migrating cells.