Melanopsin-expressing Retinal Ganglion Cells in Control vs. Glaucomatous Retinas

Author

Edward HamadFollow

College

Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences (BCAS)

Date of Last Revision

2023-05-03 17:16:28

Major

Biology

Honors Course

Honors Project

Number of Credits

2

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science

Date of Expected Graduation

Spring 2020

Abstract

Glaucoma is a common cause of vision loss worldwide and has a large scope of symptoms, ranging from pupillary reflex defects to sleep disorders. These issues can be explained partially by a recently found subtype of retinal ganglion cells that express melanopsin, denoted melanopsin-expressing retinal ganglion cells or mRGCs for short. These cells function primarily as photoreceptors in the non-image forming pathway, but can receive input from rods and cones. Since mRGCs play a role in the pupillary reflex and regulation of the sleep-wake cycle, I investigated if glaucoma leads to the degeneration of these cells in a mouse model at 4 months of age. This study focused on a specific type of mRGC, the M1 cell, due to this being the most abundant mRGC in the retina. I compared soma size, dendritic path length, and dendritic field size to a control and ran a statistical analysis. I found that glaucoma does not have an effect on M1 mRGCs at 4 months of age, and further research is needed to track the degeneration process.

Research Sponsor

Jordan M. Renna

First Reader

Richard Londraville

Second Reader

Qin Liu

Honors Faculty Advisor

Brian Bagatto

Recommended Citation

Hamad, Edward, "Melanopsin-expressing Retinal Ganglion Cells in Control vs. Glaucomatous Retinas" (2020). Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects. 1113.
https://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/honors_research_projects/1113