The retina is crucial for converting light into neuronal signals for visual perception. Understanding the retina's structure, function, and development is essential for vision research. It is known that the thyroid hormone (TH) receptor type beta 2 (TRβ2) is a key element in the regulation of cone differentiation in the retina, but other elements of TH signaling, such as transporters and enzyme deiodinases, have also been implicated in retinal cell development and survival. In the present study, we investigated the expression profile of genes involved in TH signaling and analyzed the impact of thyroidal status on retinal morphology, opsin expression, cell death/proliferation profile, as well as color preference behavior during the early retina development of zebrafish larvae. mRNA expression analysis on dissected whole eyes revealed that TH signaling elements gradually increase during eye development, with dio3b being the component that shows the most dramatic change. Mutations generated by CRISPR/CAS9 in the dio3b gene, but not in the thrb gene, modifies the structure of the retina. Disruption in TH level reduces the cell number of the ganglion cell layer, increases cell death, and modifies color preference, emphasizing the critical importance of precise TH regulation by its signaling elements for optimal retinal development and function.
Keywords: deiodinases; retina development; thyroid hormone receptor; thyroid hormones; zebrafish.