Two types of tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive neurons in the zebrafish retina

The purpose of the present study is to identify the dopaminergic amacrine (DA) cells in the inner nuclear layer (INL) of zebrafish retina through immunocytochemistry and quantitative analysis. Two types of tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive (TH-IR) cells appeared on the basis of dendritic morphology and stratification patterns in the inner plexiform layer (IPL). The first (DA1) was bistratified, with branching planes in both s1 and s5 of the IPL. The second (DA2) was diffuse, with dendritic processes branched throughout the IPL. DA1 and DA2 cells corresponded morphologically to A(on)(-s1/s5) and A(diffuse)(-1) (Connaughton et al., 2004). The average number of total TH-IR cells was 1088±79cells per retina (n=5), and the mean density was 250±27cells/mm(2). Their density was highest in the mid central region of ventrotemporal retina and lowest in the periphery of dorsonasal retina. Quantitatively, 45.71% of the TH-IR cells were DA1 cells, while 54.29% were DA2 cells. No TH-IR cells expressed calbindin D28K, calretinin or parvalbumin, markers for the various INL cells present in several animals. Therefore the TH-IR cells in zebrafish are limited to very specific subpopulations of the amacrine cells.