The retina possesses few types of neurons so; it is considered an excellent model for understanding the neural mechanisms underlying basic neural information processing in the brain. Glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the vertebrate central nervous system and retina. The present study was carried out to characterize the expression pattern of vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (Vglut2) and 3 (Vglut3) and glutamate receptor 1 (GluR1) and 2 (GluR2) mRNAs in the retina of adult laughing dove (Streptopelia senegalensis) by RT-PCR and in situ hybridization histochemistry. The cerebellum of adult laughing dove was used as a positive control in this study. Vglut2 mRNA was highly expressed only in the granular layer of the cerebellum while Vglut3 mRNA was weakly expressed only in the Purkinje cells layer. In the retina, Vglut2 mRNA was highly expressed in the ganglion cell layer and moderately expressed in the inner nuclear layer while Vglut3 mRNA was moderately expressed only in the inner nuclear layer. GluR1 mRNA was intensely expressed in the Purkinje cells layer while GluR2 mRNA signals were highly detectable in both granular and Purkinje cells layers of the cerebellum. In the retina, moderate expression of GluR1 and intense expression of GluR2 was found in both ganglion cell layer and the internal half of inner nuclear layer mostly amacrine cells. These results suggest that some retinal neuronal cells in the adult laughing dove are glutamatergic. Therefore, GluR1 and 2 are suggested as useful markers for glutamatergic retinal neuronal cells in the adult laughing doves.

视网膜具有很少类型的神经元。它被认为是了解大脑基本神经信息处理基础的神经机制的绝佳模型。谷氨酸是脊椎动物中枢神经系统和视网膜的主要兴奋性神经递质。本研究旨在表征成年笑鸽（塞内加尔链球菌）视网膜中水泡谷氨酸转运蛋白2（Vglut2）和3（Vglut3）以及谷氨酸受体1（GluR1）和2（GluR2）mRNA的表达模式。通过RT-PCR和原位杂交组织化学。在这项研究中，将成年笑鸽的小脑用作阳性对照。Vglut2 mRNA仅在小脑颗粒层中高表达，而Vglut3 mRNA仅在Purkinje细胞层中弱表达。在视网膜中，Vglut2 mRNA在神经节细胞层中高表达，在核内层中适度表达，而Vglut3 mRNA仅在核内层中度表达。GluR1 mRNA在浦肯野细胞层中强烈表达，而GluR2 mRNA信号在小脑的颗粒和浦肯野细胞层中都可检测到。在视网膜中，在神经节细胞层和内核层的内部一半（主要是无长突细胞）中均发现了GluR1的中等表达和GluR2的强烈表达。这些结果表明，成年笑鸽中的某些视网膜神经元细胞具有谷氨酸能。因此，建议GluR1和2作为成年笑鸽中谷氨酸能视网膜神经元细胞的有用标记。