Immunocytochemical localization of NTPDases1 and 2 in the neural retina of mouse and zebrafish

Ectonucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolases (E‐NTPDases) are a family of membrane‐bound enzymes that hydrolyze extracellular di‐ and triphosphate nucleosides. E‐NTPDases have been proposed to control extracellular nucleotide levels that mediate intercellular communication by binding to specific membrane receptors. Here we show a detailed immunocytochemical localization of two enzymes of the E‐NTPDase family in the retinal layers of two vertebrate species, namely, the mouse and the zebrafish. In the mouse retina, NTPDase2 was chiefly localized in Müller glia and ganglion cell processes. NTPDase1 was located on neurons as well, since it was expressed by horizontal and ganglion cell processes, suggesting that nucleotides such as ATP and ADP can be hydrolyzed at the surface of these cells. NTPDase1 was also detected in intraretinal blood vessels of the mouse. Regarding zebrafish, NTPDases1 and 2 seem to be differentially localized in horizontal cell processes, photoreceptor segments, and ganglion cell dendrites and axons, but absent from Müller glia. Moreover, NTPDases1 and 2 appear to be expressed within the germinal margin of the zebrafish retina that contains proliferative and differentiating cells. Retinal homogenates from both species exhibited ecto‐ATPase activity which might be attributed at least to NTPDases1 and 2, whose expression is described in this report. Our results suggest a compartmentalized regulation of extracellular nucleotide/nucleoside concentration in the retinal layers, supporting a relevant role for extracellular nucleotide mediated‐signaling in vertebrate retinas. Synapse 63:291–307, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.