Dh. Anderson et al., DISTRIBUTION OF TRANSFORMING GROWTH-FACTOR-BETA ISOFORMS IN THE MAMMALIAN RETINA, Journal of neuroscience research, 42(1), 1995, pp. 63-79
The distribution of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) was exa
mined in the posterior segment of the monkey, human, and feline eye us
ing antisera to TGF-beta 1, TGF-beta 2, or TGF-beta 3. A number of dif
ferent antibodies, tissue processing methods, immunolocalization techn
iques, and microscopic imaging systems were used in an attempt to gain
a more comprehensive picture of TGF-beta isoform distribution in the
retina and retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE), The results are general
ly consistent in identifying one or more of the three TGF-beta isoform
s in the cytoplasm of a small, overlapping subset of cells, RPE cells,
photoreceptors, Mueller cells, ganglion cells, hyalocytes, and cells
associated with choroidal and retinal vessels are all represented in t
his immunoreactive population, No evidence of extracellular labeling w
as noted, The intracellular distribution of the three isoforms is dist
inctly different in photoreceptors. Anti-TGF-beta 1 precursor and anti
-TGF-beta 2 immunoreactivity is confined primarily to rod outer segmen
ts, whereas anti-TGF-beta 3 immunoreactivities are restricted to mitoc
hondria within inner segments, In the RPE, dusters of anti-TGF-beta 2
positive cytoplasmic granules are located near the cells' lateral bord
ers, whereas anti-TGF-beta 3 labeling is concentrated apically. These
results provide baseline information from which new hypotheses regardi
ng the function(s) of TGF-beta isoforms in the retina can be formulate
d. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.