Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 2, 2026

Müller Glia Cell Activation in a Laser-induced Retinal Degeneration and Regeneration Model in Zebrafish
Published on: October 27, 2017
Deterministic fate assignment of Müller glia cells in the zebrafish retina suggests a clonal backbone during
Steffen Rulands1,2, Ana Belen Iglesias-Gonzalez3, Henrik Boije3,4
1Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden, Germany.
Abstract:
The optic cup houses multipotent retinal progenitor cells that proliferate and differentiate to form the mature retina, containing five main types of neurons and a single glial cell type, the Müller cell. Progenitors of the zebrafish optic cup generate clones that vary regarding the number and types of neurons, a process we previously showed could be described by stochastic models. Here, we present data indicating that each retinal progenitor cell, in the 24 hrs post-fertilization optic cup, is predestined to form a single Müller cell. This striking fate assignment of Müller cells reveals a dual nature of retinal lineages where stochastic mechanisms produce variable numbers of neurons while there is a strong deterministic component governing the formation of glia cells. A possible mechanism for this stereotypic fate assignment could be the maintenance of a clonal backbone during retina development, which would be similar to invertebrate and rodent cortical neurogenesis.
Related Concept Videos
T Cell Activation and Clonal Selection
Naive T cells that have not yet encountered an antigen express two primary CD...
Fates of Pyruvate
In aerobic organisms, pyruvate is metabolized via the citric acid cycle to produce reduced coenzymes NADH and FADH2. These coenzymes are then oxidized in the electron transport chain to produce ATP and, in the process, regenerate the NAD+ and FAD. As seen in some cell types and organisms, fermentation...
The Retina
Personal Choice and Fate Attributions
Zygotic Development And Stem Cell Formation
Sustainable Development

