Tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity in the developing visual pathway of the zebrafish.

We analyzed the distribution of tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity in the central nervous zones involved in the processing of visual information during zebrafish ontogeny, employing a segmental approach. In the retina, we observed immunolabeled cells in the inner nuclear layer after hatching. From the juvenile stages onwards, some of these cells presented two immunolabeled processes towards the inner and outer plexiform layers of the retina, which are identified as interplexiform cells. In the adult zebrafish retina, we have identified two cellular types displaying immunoreactivity for tyrosine hydroxylase: interplexiform and amacrine cells. In the optic tectum, derived from the mesencephalon, no immunolabeled neurons were observed in any of the stages analyzed. The periventricular gray zone and the superficial white zone display immunostained neuropile from the end of fry life onwards. At the 30-day postfertilization, the tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactive neuropile in the optic tectum presents two bands located within the retinorecipient strata and deeper strata, respectively. All diencephalic regions, which receive direct retinal inputs, show immunolabeled cells in the preoptic area, in the pretectum, and in the ventral thalamus from embryonic stages onwards. During the fry development, the immunolabeled neurons can be observed in the periventricular pretectum from 15-days postfertilization and in both the ventrolateral thalamic nucleus and suprachiasmatic nucleus from 30-days postfertilization. The transient expression of tyrosine hydroxylase is observed in fibers of the optic tract during fry and juvenile development. The existence of immunolabeled neuropile in the zebrafish retinorecipient strata could be related to the turnover of retinotectal projections.