The vertebrate retina is remarkably conserved in evolution. Its relative simplicity and well-defined architecture make it particularly suitable for developmental and functional analysis of neuronal networks in the vertebrate central nervous system. The zebrafish model is at the forefront of these studies. It makes it possible to apply a wide variety of parallel embryological, genetic, and imaging tools to study the eye. Here we discuss experimental approaches that range from cell lineage analysis to the imaging of synaptic calcium currents and atomic force microscopy. These methods are currently used in zebrafish to model morphogenetic events during early development of the eye primordium, cell fate decisions during retinal neurogenesis, and the differentiation and function of the many fine structural features that underlie the detection and processing of light stimuli in the eye.
Keywords: Cell fate; Imaging; Neuronal network; Photoreceptor; Vision.
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