Wright Lab discovers new amacrine cell interneuron

Gbx2 neuron

Investigations into neural circuit development and function are limited by the lack of genetic tools to label and perturb individual neuronal subtypes. Using the Gbx2CreERT2 mouse line, Patrick Kerstein, Kevin Wright and colleagues identified a new amacrine cell interneuron and explore its distinct molecular, morphological, and physiological characteristics in the mouse retina. This neuron subtype has unique features, such as the lack of classical neurotransmitters but the presence of electrical synapses in addition to their unique asymmetric morphology. The research was published online November 17, 2020 in Cell Reports.