Unveiling the Ancient Origins of Cell Types in the Vertebrate Retina
Originally Published 2 years ago — by Nature.com
Researchers have used single-cell transcriptomics to compare retinal cell classes, subclasses, and types in 17 vertebrate species. They found that the functional and morphological characteristics of retinal cell classes are conserved across species, with marked similarities in gene expression. The study also revealed the evolutionary variation among cell types within photoreceptors, horizontal cells, bipolar cells, and retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). While many types were conserved, RGCs showed more extensive variation, suggesting that natural selection plays a role in shaping the retinal output. The identification of non-primate orthologues of midget RGCs, responsible for high-acuity vision, suggests that these cell types evolved from ancestral cell types present in the common mammalian ancestor.