Differentiated retinal Müller glia are ciliated--ultrastructural evidence in the teleost Poecilia reticulata P

It is generally held that the cells in all retinal layers bear a cilium during development but there have been controversial reports as to whether the ciliation of the Müller cell persists after birth. The present study of the developing and fully formed adult eye of the teleost Poecilia reticulata reveals that just prior to the formation of the photoreceptors in the embryonic retina, the Müller cell contains only a diplosome. Throughout development the diplosome is seen to migrate apically, always juxtaposed to many microtubules. When the photoreceptors are differentiated and capable of photomechanical movement, the Müller cell in Poecilia bears a cilium situated vitreally to the external limiting membrane. The cilium persists in juvenile and adult retinae in both the light- and dark-adapted state. The functional significance of the cilium in the Müller cell is presently unknown.