Crustacean visual system: an investigation on glial cells and their relation to extracellular matrix

Glial cells in higher invertebrate groups are usually recognized on the basis of their location and general morphological or functional criteria. In this study of the crustacean visual system, we have approached the analysis of the relations between glial cells and the extracellular matrix by classi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biology of the cell 2001-11, Vol.93 (5), p.293-299
Main Authors: da Silva, Simone Florim, Taffarel, Marília, Allodi, Silvana
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Basement Membrane - ultrastructure
biochemical analysis
Brachyura - physiology
Brackish
Crustacea
electron microscopy
extracellular matrix
Extracellular Matrix - physiology
Female
Freshwater
glial cells
histochemistry
Histocytochemistry
Male
Marine
Neuroglia - physiology
Periodic Acid-Schiff Reaction
Retina - ultrastructure
Vision, Ocular - physiology
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Summary:Glial cells in higher invertebrate groups are usually recognized on the basis of their location and general morphological or functional criteria. In this study of the crustacean visual system, we have approached the analysis of the relations between glial cells and the extracellular matrix by classical histochemical methods for carbohydrates at the light and electron microscopic levels, carbonic anhydrase histochemistry and by the biochemical characterization of sulphated polysaccharides. Periodic acid–Schiff-positive glial cells and processes were observed in the retina, basement membrane below the retina and in the optic ganglia. Carbonic anhydrase was not detected in the retina but it was demonstrated in all optic ganglia. The biochemical analysis of the extracellular matrix confirmed the alcian blue reaction and showed that sulphated polysaccharides are not abundant in the optic neuropils. This article describes into more details the crustacean visual system glial cells classification, and the relation between them and the extracellular matrix. In addition, they show that glial cells are the main components of the retinal basement membrane.
ISSN:0248-4900
1768-322X
DOI:10.1016/S0248-4900(01)01120-0