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bioRxiv · 10.64898/2026.08.16.745098

Reelin coordinates neuronal positioning and Müller glia scaffold maturation during retinal development

Purohit, P.·Purohit, S.·Meng, Y.·Cho, W.·Telese, F.·Skowronska-Krawczyk, D.
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Abstract

Reelin is a secreted extracellular matrix protein that regulates neuronal migration and layer formation in the developing brain, yet its role in retinal development remains incompletely defined. Here, we investigated Reelin function in retinal lamination using wild-type and Reeler (Reln-/-) mice, combining stage-resolved RNA in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry, and single-nucleus RNA sequencing. We show that Reln is dynamically expressed in ganglion cell layer and inner nuclear layer neurons during retinal development and persists in discrete adult neuronal populations. Loss of Reelin leads to widespread defects in retinal organization affecting both neurons and Muller glia. In Reln-/- retinas, Muller glia exhibit reduced Glul positive extensions, indicating impaired glial scaffold maturation. Early-born neuronal populations are also disrupted, with altered spatial organization markers associated with retinal ganglion cell differentiation within the ganglion cell layer at postnatal day 9. Horizontal cells are significantly reduced with dorsal-predominant vulnerability, while cone photoreceptors are generated in normal numbers but show incomplete positioning within the outer nuclear layer. Together, these findings identify Reelin as a key regulator of retinal lamination that coordinates neuronal positioning with Muller glia morphogenesis, extending its canonical role in brain development to the vertebrate retina.

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Purohit, P., Purohit, S., Meng, Y., Cho, W., Telese, F., Skowronska-Krawczyk, D.. 2026-08-20. Reelin coordinates neuronal positioning and Müller glia scaffold maturation during retinal development. https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.08.16.745098

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