Morphology of horizontal cells in the retina of the capuchin monkey, Cebus apella: How many horizontal cell classes are found in dichromatic primates?

Abstract

The morphology of horizontal cells was studied in the retina of dichromatic capuchin monkeys, Cebus apella. The cells were labeled with the carbocyanine dye, 1,1',dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate (DiI), and the labeling was then photoconverted to a stable product by using a diaminobenzidine reaction. The sizes of cell body, dendritic field, and axon terminal, as well as the number of dendritic clusters and cone convergence, were measured at increasing distance from the fovea. Three distinct morphological classes of horizontal cells were identified. Their dendritic and axonal morphology resembles those of H1, H2, and H3 cells described in trichromatic primates. The size of the cell bodies, dendritic fields, and axon terminals of all cell classes increases towards retinal periphery. H3 cells have larger dendritic fields and more dendritic clusters than H1 cells. All labeled horizontal cells located in selected patches of retina were further analyzed to quantify the differences between H1 and H3 cells. H1 cells have smaller dendritic field area, smaller total length of primary dendrites, more dendritic branching points, and larger fractal dimension than H3 cells. We have distinguished H1 and H3 cells based solely in morphological criteria. Their physiology should be further analyzed with detail, but their presence in both dichromatic and trichromatic primates suggests that neither of them have a specialized role in the red-green color opponent channel of color vision.

Cone photopigment variations in Cebus apella monkeys evidenced by electroretinogram measurements and genetic analysis

“…Our purpose was to establish a simple protocol, fast and efficient in order to determine the chromatic vision pattern in Cebus monkeys. The Cebus monkey is similar to the Old World monkey Macaca in many aspects such as retinal morphology (Silveira et al, 1989a,b, 1994a,b, 1998a,b, 1999; de Lima et al, 1993, 1996; Yamada et al, 1996; Andrade da Costa & Hokoç, 2000; dos Reis et al, 2002; Finlay et al, 2008) and physiology (Lee et al, 1996, 2000; Silveira et al, 1999), brain size, sulcal pattern and the relative position of homologous visual areas (Gattass et al, 1981, 1987, Rosa et al 1988; Fiorani et al, 1989). The similarities between the Cebus and the Old World monkey brains associated with the multiplicity of color vision phenotypes makes the Cebus a valuable model in the study of various aspects of the vision, including color vision.…”

The genetics of New World monkey visual pigments.

“…and Old World monkeys have been described in several studies. Some of these likenesses can be observed in retinal morphology (Silveira, Picanço-Diniz, Sampaio, & Oswaldo-Cruz, 1989; de Lima, Silveira, & Perry, 1993, 1996; Silveira, Yamada, Perry, & Picanço-Diniz, 1994; Silveira, Lee, Yamada, Kremers, & Hunt, 1998; Silveira et al, 1999; Yamada, Silveira, & Perry, 1996a; Yamada, Silveira, Gomes, & Lee, 1996b; Andrade-da-Costa & Hokoç, 2000; dos Reis, de Carvalho, Saito, & Silveira, 2002; Finlay et al, 2008), retinal physiology (Lee, Silveira, Yamada, & Kremers, 1996; Silveira et al, 1999; Lee et al, 2000), brain size, cleavage patterns, and the relative position of homologous visual areas (Gattass, Gross, & Sandell, 1981; Gattass, Sousa, & Rosa, 1987; Rosa, Sousa, & Gattass, 1988; Fiorani, Gattas, Sousa, & Rosa, 1989), and the visual cortex (Gattass et al, 1981, 1987; Fiorani, Gattass, Rosa, & Sousa, 1989; Rosa, Soares, Fiorani, & Gattass, 1993).…”

Análise citoarquitetônica e imunoistoquímica de estruturas do sistema visual de macacos-prego (Cebus apella)

“…(Allman, Kaas, 1971;Gattass, Gross e Sandell, 1981;Gattass, Sousa e Rosa, 1987;Gattass, Sousa e Gross, 1988;Rosa, Sousa e Gattass, 1988;Fiorani et al, 1989 Costa, Hokoc, 2000;Franco et al, 2000), células horizontais (dos Reis et al, 2002;Dos Santos et al, 2005) e caracteristícas fisiológicas e morfológicas de células ganglionares nesta espécie Lima, Silveira e Perry, 1993;Silveira, Perry e Yamada, 1993;Lima, Silveira e Perry, 1996;Yamada, Silveira e Perry, 1996;Lee et al, 2000;Yamada et al, 2001).…”