Cell differentiation, synaptogenesis, and influence of the retinal pigmentepithelium in a rat neonatal organotypic retina culture

This study was focused on the analysis of cell type differentiation and syn aptogenesis as well as outer segment formation in an organotypic culture of the neonatal rat retina during a 6-14 day period of in vitro development. Moreover, the effects of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) on these proc esses were investigated. The in vitro development resulted in a retinal arc hitecture and lamination comparable to that of in vivo retinas. The RPE inf luences the proper alignment of photoreceptors as well as the formation of the outer limiting membrane (OLM), but not processes of cell differentiatio n, synaptogenesis and inner retinal lamination. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science L td. All rights reserved.