Calcium channel immunoreactivity in the salamander retina

This study reports the distribution of the alpha1D and alpha1E calcium channel subunits in the neotenous tiger salamander retina based on immunohistochemical techniques. Confocal and light microscopy were used to localize staining with fluorescently tagged antibodies to alpha1D and alpha1E in cross-sectional and flatmount preparations of retina. Alpha1D-immunoreactivity (alpha1D-IR) was localized to the inner and outer plexiform layers (IPL and OPL, respectively), ganglion cell layer (GCL), and optic fiber layer. Alpha1E-IR was found predominantly in the IPL, with scattered, weak representation in the OPL. Alpha1E-IR was not detected in the GCL or fiber layer. These findings suggest that different alpha1 calcium channel proteins have distinctive distributions in retina, which may reflect their unique and different roles in retinal processing and homeostasis.