Suppression of fibroblast growth factor 2 expression by antisense oligonucleotides inhibits embryonic chick neural retina cell differentiation and survival in vivo.

During retinal differentiation, fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) expression increases in retinal neurons following the sequential appearance of the neuronal layers. The function of the developmental increase of endogenous FGF2 in the developing chick retina was investigated by using an antisense strategy, using both optic vesicle cultures and in ovo-intravitreal microinjections. The former model allowed us to study the consequences of FGF2 down-regulation on early ganglion cell differentiation, whereas, in the latter model, subsequent development stages and terminal maturation of the retina were studied. FGF2 inhibition resulted in reduced ganglion cell differentiation, as visualized by the expression of the ganglion cell-specific RA4 and Islet-1 markers in optic vesicle cultures. Eyes intravitreally injected with the FGF2-specific antisense oligonucleotide exhibited profound retinal differentiation defects: thinning of the ganglion and outer nuclear (photoreceptors) cell layers and increased cell death in ganglion cell and inner nuclear layers. These results indicate that the loss of endogenous FGF2 cannot be compensated for in the retina and suggest that, although many other sources of FGF exist in the eye, the main role of the increase in endogenous FGF2 observed during retinal development is to intrinsically stimulate neuron differentiation and to protect neurons against cell death.