Scientists have known for years that a lattice of blood vessels nourishes cells in the retina that allow us to see – but it's been a mystery how the intricate structure is created. Now, researchers at UC San Francisco have found a new type of neuron that guides its formation. The discovery, described in the May 23, 2024, issue of Cell , could one day lead to new therapies for diseases that are related to impaired blood flow in the eyes and brain.
This is the first time anyone has seen retinal neurons using direct contact with blood vessels as a way of guiding them to form these precise 3-D lattices. This brings us closer to the possibility of repairing them when they're damaged or rerouting them when they weren't built right in the first place." Xin Duan, PhD, associate professor of ophthalmology and senior author of the study The researchers worked with newborn mice, whose eyes still need several weeks to develop fully.
Kenichi Toma, PhD, labeled the retinal neurons closest to the blood vessels with a protein that glows green under ultraviolet light so he could observe the lattice as it was forming. The team then identified a subset of neurons, called perivascular neurons, which contact and then surround growing blood vessels, directing them to form the lattice. These perivascular neurons produce a protein called PIEZO2 that enables them to sense when they are touching another cell.
Perivascular neurons in mice that were unable to produce PIEZO2 could not maintain contact .
