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Outgrowth of the optic nerve and retinotopic mapping is normal in kif5aa mutants. (A) Confocal imaging of the Tg(pou4f3:mGFP) transgene, labeling a subpopulation of Retinal Ganglion Cells (RGCs) with membrane bound GFP, at 48 hpf reveals that outgrowth of the optic nerve formed by RGC axons from the retina is not affected by the kif5aa mutation. Immunostaining against the Zn5 antigen (DM- GRASP/neurolin present within the visual system only on RGCs [Laessing and Stuermer, 1996; Fashena and Westerfield, 1999]) confirms that optic chiasm formation is normal (marked with an asterisk). No pathfinding errors occur at this level of axonal growth. Scale bars = 200 µm. Embryos facing upwards. R = rostral, C = caudal. (B) Injections of the lipophilic dyes DiI and DiO in different quadrants of the contralateral retina (depicted in the right panel) show that retinotopic mapping to the optic tectum is performed in the correct manner. Asterisks = pigment cells in the skin. D = dorsal, V = ventral, R = rostral, C = caudal. No misrouting of RGC axons to the ipsilateral tectum was observed (data not shown). Scale bars = 150 µm.
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