All these data were generated by an updated version of RGCode, RGCode2. An automated cell counting platform able to reliable count murine, zebrafish and killifish retinal ganglion cells using RBPMS and Rbpms2 as marker!

Killifish, a gerontology model shown to lose its regenerative capacity with age, displays a unique biphasic RGC loss profile. Both young adult and old killifish present with a similar degree of RGC loss during the first wave. Old fish, however, lose more RGCs during the second wave.

After optic nerve crush (ONC), mice lose ~80% of their RGC by 14 days post injury (dpi). In contract, zebrafish retain nearly all RGC during the first two weeks, before presenting with late RGC degeneration (~13%) by 21dpi.

Comparing mice, zebrafish and killifish, we were able to determine the differences in retinal ganglion cell (RGC) density between species. Fish species of an equivalent life stage have a five-fold higher density compared to mice. With age, RGC density decreases in killifish.