Glyt-1 expression in cultured human Muller cells and intact retinae

In this study, we demonstrate that Muller cells cultured from human retinas are capable of strongly expressing the glycine transporter Glyt-1 as assessed by immunocytochemistry. By contrast, intact normal and pathological human retinas exhibit Glyt-1 immunoreactivity only in neurons. These data suggest that Glyt-1 expression in cultured Muller cells is an epiphenomenon associated with culturing in vitro, rather than a normal physiological or even pathophysiological phenomenon in vivo. (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.