Fig. 2AAnalysis of the relationship between DAC varicosities and AII lobules. The analysis was conducted in a retinal whole-mount preparation processed for TH (green) and CR (red) immunoreactivity in stratum 1 of the IPL, where TH-labeled DAC cells form a main dendritic matrix. Surface plots show the average distribution of labeling in each channel. Sampling boxes (50×50 pixels; n=54) were clipped from the image by centering the sampling box around the CR-immunoreactive AII lobules in stratum 1 of the IPL. This analysis verified the contacts depicted in
. (A) The average AII signal is represented as a surface plot of the intensity of red pixels (
z axis) vs. the location of the pixels (
x and
y axes). A sharp peak can be observed at the center of the plot due to the alignment of the sampling boxes with AII lobules. (B) The caldera of green pixels indicates that the probability of finding DAC varicosities adjacent to AII lobules is high. (C) Controls were developed by rotating the DAC image 180° out of phase. When the same analysis was performed around AII lobules, no discernible structure was observed in the plot, indicating an absence of the spatial relationship observed in (B). DACs: Dopaminergic amacrine cells; TH: tyrosine hydroxylase; IPL: inner plexiform layer; CR: calretinin.
