biosights: October 24, 2016

Retinal ganglion cells have a backup plan

Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are born at the apical side of the retinal neuroepithelium before they translocate to the basal side and send out axons to form the optic nerve. Icha et al. reveal that, in the zebrafish retina, RGC translocation is expedited by basal process attachment and a population of stable microtubules. If necessary, however, RGCs can switch to a backup, multipolar migratory mode to ensure that they reach the basal lamina in time to support the later stages of retinal development. This biosights episode presents the paper by Icha et al. from the October 24th, 2016, issue of The Journal of Cell Biology and includes an interview with the paper’s senior author, Caren Norden (Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany). Produced by Caitlin Sedwick and Ben Short. See the associated paper in JCB for details on the funding provided to support this original research. 

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