Intercellular junctions in rabbit eye ora serrata

Abstract

The aim of this study was to describe and localize the intercellular junctions in the ora serrata region of albino and pigmented rabbit eyes. Eyes of albino and pigmented rabbits were fixed and processed for transmission electron microscopy. Light and electron microscope examination was carried out on semithin and ultrathin sections. The ora serrata region showed adherens, gap and tight junctions in the retinal and ciliary margins of albino and pigmented rabbit eyes. In the retinal margin, zonulae adherens between Müller cells and photoreceptors are associated with tight junctions. In the ciliary margin, epithelial cells are joined by adherens, gap and tight junctions localized between apical and apicolateral cell membranes. Tight junctions appear as zonulae occludens in the non-pigmented apicolateral cell membranes and as tight focal junctions between pigmented and non-pigmented apical cell membranes. Between the ciliary and retinal margins there are adherens and tight focal junctions which attach pigmented apical cell membranes to adjacent cells. There were no differences in the distribution of intercellular junctions between albino and pigmented rabbits. © 2006 Blackwell Verlag.