Neuronal expression of muscle LIM protein in postnatal retinae of rodents

Muscle LIM protein (MLP) is a member of the cysteine rich protein family and has so far been regarded as a muscle-specific protein that is mainly involved in myogenesis and the organization of cytoskeletal structure in myocytes, respectively. The current study demonstrates for the first time that MLP expression is not restricted to muscle tissue, but is also found in the rat naive central nervous system. Using quantitative PCR, Western blot and immunohistochemical analyses we detected MLP in the postnatal rat retina, specifically in the somas and dendritic arbors of cholinergic amacrine cells (AC) of the inner nuclear layer and the ganglion cell layer (displaced AC). Induction of MLP expression started at embryonic day 20 and peaked between postnatal days 7 and 14. It subsequently decreased again to non-detectable protein levels after postnatal day 28. MLP was identified in the cytoplasm and dendrites but not in the nucleus of AC. Thus, retinal MLP expression correlates with the morphologic and functional development of cholinergic AC, suggesting a potential role of this protein in postnatal maturation and making MLP a suitable marker for these neurons.