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Updated: Jul 21, 2026

Dissection and Immunohistochemistry of Larval, Pupal and Adult Drosophila Retinas
Published on: November 14, 2012
Dicer is essential for proper maturation, composition, and function in the postnatal retina
Seoyoung Kang1, Daniel Larbi1, Eik Bruns1
1Department of Biological and Vision Sciences, The State University of New York, College of Optometry, New York, NY, USA.
Abstract:
The impact of Dicer/miRNAs during postnatal retinogenesis is unknown. This study aimed to deplete Dicer in postnatal retinal progenitor/precursor cells (RPCs/PCs) and to evaluate the structure and function of the adult Dicer-cKO retina using optical coherence tomography (OCT), electroretinography (ERG), and histology. We found impaired rod function, a significantly reduced number of rod bipolar cells and their associated functions, a decreased Müller glia population, and an increased population of HuC/D + Pax6/+ amacrine cells in the adult Dicer-cKO retina. Transcriptional analyses conducted in one-week-old mice showed early alterations in mRNA and miRNA levels. Single-cell RNA sequencing and initial histological analysis in young mice revealed a delay in differentiation/incomplete maturation, as indicated by an enlarged progenitor/precursor population at young ages that persists into adulthood. This suggests that Dicer/miRNAs in late RPC/PCs are essential for the proper formation and maturation of late RPC progenies and may also play a role in regulating cell state.
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