Developmental origin and early differentiation of retinal Müller cells in mice.

During the prenatal development of the retina in mice Müller cells at the initial stage of differentiation show a high level of histochemically detectable non-specific esterase activity. These are the first of the retinal cell types to differentiate and appear at the 11th day of gestation along the vitreal border in the central retina. As development proceeds they appear in more peripheral areas and their perikarya migrate outwardly and become scattered throughout the depth of the retina. Appearance of presumptive Müller cells is followed by rapid growth of the retina and differentiation of the inner retinal layers. With the progress of histogenesis from the central to the peripheral areas the esterase activity in the Müller cells gradually diminishes. The possible significance of early differentiation of Müller cells in promoting growth and histogenesis of retina is discussed.