Developmental plasticity of dendritic morphology and the establishment of coverage and connectivity in the outer retina

Abstract Developing retinal neurons differentiate their distinctive dendritic morphologies through cell‐intrinsic instructions and cellular interactions within the local environment. This review examines the contributions of interactions with afferents and with homotypic neighbors upon the dendritic morphogenesis of retinal bipolar cells in four different mouse models that modulate the frequency of these interactions. Comparisons with horizontal cell differentiation are discussed, and differences between the dendritic plasticity within the outer versus inner plexiform layers are highlighted. Finally, the developmental plasticity of the bipolar and horizontal cells is considered in light of thenatural variation in afferent and target cell number, ensuring a uniformity of coverage and connectivity across the retinal surface. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 71: 1273‐1285, 2011