The structure and function of the eye is conserved across vertebrates. Mutagenesis screens of zebrafish have led to the discovery of many genes essential for retinal development and
function. In one such screen, a recessive allele on the zvm9 locus was identified due to the lack of an optokinetic reflex in larvae of otherwise normal appearance. Preliminary histology
indicated a lack of lamination in the zvm9 mutant retina and immunohistochemistry confirmed phenotypic defects in all layers of the retina. These included thin or absent plexiform layers,
disorganization of cells within laminae, and the loss of specific retinal cell types. Additionally, cell death in both the retina and forebrain was identified by TUNEL. The presence of
ectopic mitoses during retinal development and the later observation of ectopic cones suggests that the zvm9 product is a crucial component of a complex regulating cell-cell junctions or
apical-basal polarity. The notable absence of synaptic structures in cone photoreceptors is consistent with my hypothesis that this complex is also required for proper cell-cell
interactions. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Biological Science in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / Fall Semester, 2014. / October 30, 2014. / Lamination, Retina, Synapse, Zebrafish / Includes bibliographical references. / James Fadool, Professor Directing Thesis; Cathy Levenson, Committee Member; Laura Keller, Committee Member; Hong-Guo Yu, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_252802 |
| Contributors | Benoit, Chelsea, 1989- (authoraut), Fadool, James Michael (professor directing thesis), Levenson, Cathy W. (committee member), Keller, Laura R. (committee member), Yu, Hong-Guo, 1968- (committee member), Florida State University (degree granting institution), College of Arts and Sciences (degree granting college), Department of Biological Science (degree granting department) |
| Publisher | Florida State University, Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text |
| Format | 1 online resource (44 pages), computer, application/pdf |
| Rights | This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). The copyright in theses and dissertations completed at Florida State University is held by the students who author them. |
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