A comparative analysis of Muller glia-mediated regeneration in the vertebrate retina

This article reviews the current state of knowledge regarding the potential of Muller glia to become neuronal progenitor cells in the avian retina. We compare and contrast the remarkable proliferative and neurogenic capacity of Muller glia in the fish retina to the limited capacity of Muller glia in avian and rodent retinas. We summarize recent findings regarding the secreted factors, signaling pathways and cell intrinsic factors that have been implicated in the formation of Miller glia-derived progenitors. We discuss several key similarities and differences between the fish, rodent and chick model systems, highlighting several of the key transcription factors and signaling pathways that regulate the formation of Muller glia-derived progenitors. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.