Figure 4: Postnatal mutant lesioned retinae involves alterations in cell death rate.

Immunohistochemical detection of EYFP (green) and Caspase-3 (red) on P3 retina cryosections from control heterozygous (a) and α-Del mutant (b) mice, counterstained with the nuclear marker DAPI (blue). High magnification of boxed areas in (a,b) are shown to the right. (c) Quantification shows a 50% reduction of apoptotic cells in Cre-negative parts of the RGC layer of mutant mice, compared with control littermates. (d–h) Immunohistochemical detection of EYFP (green) and proliferation marker Ki67 (red) on retina cryosections from control heterozygous (d,f) and mutant (e,g) mice, counterstained with the nuclear marker DAPI (blue). Both, at P0 (d,e) and P3 (f,g), the number of proliferating cells in the neuroblastic layer (NBL) of Cre-negative retinal areas is similar between mutant and control littermates. High magnifications of boxed areas are shown to the right. Quantifications are shown in (h). Values in (c,h) are mean±s.e.m; five fields for each different embryo (four embryos for each test) were analysed. Unpaired Student’s t-test ***P<0.001, NS, not significant; P>0.2. GCL, ganglion cell layer; N–T, nasal–temporal. Scale bar, 200 μm.