Fig. 7.
Inactivation of the miR-183/96/182 gene resulted in morphological and molecular changes in the synaptic ribbons of photoreceptors in miR-183CGT/GT mice. (A–D) Confocal images of Ribeye IF in the retinas of 5-wk- (A and B) and 1-y-old (C and D) miR-183CGT/GT mice (B and D) and their wild-type littermate controls (A and C). (E and F) Coimmunostaining of Ribeye (green) and PNA (red) in retinas of 5-wk-old miR-183CGT/GT mice (F) and their wild-type littermate controls (E). (G) An electron micrograph of a ribbon synapse of an miR-183C+/+ mouse, showing a typical triad configuration of photoreceptor ribbon synapse. SR, synaptic ribbon; H, horizontal cell; B, bipolar cell. (H) Example of a 3D reconstruction of synaptic ribbons in the OPL of miR-183CGT/GT mice (n = 2) and their wild-type littermates (miR-183C+/+ mice, n = 2), respectively. (Scale cube, 500 nm3.) (I and J) Distribution of synaptic ribbons by size (I) and mean ribbon areas of miR-183CGT/GT (red; n = 72) and miR-183C+/+ littermate controls (black; n = 49) (J). Data are shown as mean ± SEM; *P < 0.01.