Strongin A C, Guillery R W
J Neurosci. 1981 Nov;1(11):1193-204. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.01-11-01193.1981.
The early distribution of melanin in the developing optic cup and stalk and its relationship to cellular degeneration have been studied during intrauterine development in hamsters, mice, ferrets, and humans. The extensive degenerative changes that occur in the region of the optic fissure do not involve any pigment-bearing cells. Melanin is not formed at the site of the fissure until after the processes of fusion and the associated degenerative changes are complete. In contrast to this, there is a small region near the junction of the cup and stalk where melanin is particularly related to degenerative changes. Melanosomes form dense clumps associated with basophilic, apparently degenerate areas of cytoplasm, and these melanosome complexes themselves undergo further degenerative changes. The two types of degenerative changes, pigmented and unpigmented, are limited to the same two regions of the developing eye in all four species. However, the pigment degeneration is more extensive in ferrets and humans than in mice and hamsters. These observations raise the possibility that the lysis of melanosomes plays a significant but undefined local role in ocular development.
在仓鼠、小鼠、雪貂和人类的子宫内发育过程中，研究了黑色素在发育中的视杯和视柄中的早期分布及其与细胞变性的关系。视裂区域发生的广泛退行性变化不涉及任何含色素细胞。直到融合过程和相关的退行性变化完成后，视裂部位才形成黑色素。与此相反，在视杯和视柄交界处附近有一个小区域，黑色素与退行性变化特别相关。黑素小体形成致密团块，与嗜碱性的、显然是退化的细胞质区域相关联，并且这些黑素小体复合物自身会经历进一步的退行性变化。在所有四个物种中，有色和无色这两种退行性变化都局限于发育中眼睛的相同两个区域。然而，雪貂和人类中的色素变性比小鼠和仓鼠中的更广泛。这些观察结果提出了一种可能性，即黑素小体的溶解在眼部发育中起着重要但未明确的局部作用。
