Figure 2: Host and donor photoreceptor exchange fluorescent reporter proteins as assessed by confocal imaging.

NrlGFP post-mitotic photoreceptor precursor donor cells (green) were transplanted into DsRed (red) hosts and examined by confocal microscopy 5-6 weeks post transplantation. Nuclei are labelled with Hoechst (blue). (a, b), histograms showing quantification of the proportion of cells analysed (n=157 cells; N=5 retinae) that expressed GFP alone (GFP⁺) or GFP and DsRed (GFP⁺/DsRed⁺) when measuring inner segments (a) or cell bodies (b). (c), confocal projection image of a representative host retina. Lines represent regions of interest (ROIs) through cells and inner segments shown in (d–g). (d), (e) single confocal sections and the respective line plots through two inner segments and (f,g), two cell bodies shown in (c). (h,i), scatter plot (mean±s.d.) and histogram showing the position of GFP⁺ and GFP⁺/DsRed⁺ photoreceptors with respect to the outer limiting membrane (OLM) of host retina. The relative positions of the two populations were significantly different (P=0.0486 two tailed t-test with Welch’s correction; P<0.001 2-way ANOVA). (j), confocal projection image showing donor NrlGFP⁺ cells in SRS of DsRed⁺ host. Arrows, donor GFP⁺ cells that are DsRed⁺. Scale bars 5 μm (c), 3 μm (d) and 10 μm (g).