Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
28
pubmed:dateCreated
2004-11-10
pubmed:abstractText
Light-evoked excitatory cation current (DeltaIC) and inhibitory chloride current (DeltaICl) of rod and cone bipolar cells and AII amacrine cells (AIIACs) were recorded from slices of dark-adapted mouse retinas, and alpha ganglion cells were recorded from flatmounts of dark-adapted mouse retinas. The cell morphology was revealed by Lucifer yellow fluorescence with a confocal microscope. DeltaIC of all rod depolarizing bipolar cells (DBCRs) exhibited similar high sensitivity to 500 nm light, but two patterns of DeltaICl were observed with slightly different axon morphologies. At least two types of cone depolarizing bipolar cells (DBCCs) were identified: one with axon terminals ramified in 70-85% of IPL depth and DBCR-like DeltaIC sensitivity, and the other with axon terminals ramified in 55-75% of IPL depth and much lower DeltaIC sensitivity. The relative rod/cone inputs to DBCs and AIIACs were analyzed by comparing the DeltaIC and DeltaICl thresholds and dynamic ranges with the corresponding values of rods and cones. On average, the sensitivity of a DBCR to the 500 nm light is about 20 times higher than that of a rod. The sensitivity of an AIIAC is more than 1000 times higher than that of a rod, suggesting that AIIAC responses are pooled through a coupled network of about 40 AIIACs. Interactions of rod and cone signals in dark-adapted mouse retinas appear asymmetrical: rod signals spread into the cone system more efficiently than cone signals into the rod system. The mouse synaptic circuitry allows small rod signals to be highly amplified and effectively transmitted to the cone system via rod/cone and AIIAC/DBCC coupling. Three types of alpha ganglion cells (alphaGCs) were identified. (1) ONGCs exhibits no spike activity in darkness, increased spikes in light, sustained inward DeltaIC, sustained outward DeltaICl of varying amplitude, and large soma (20-25 microm in diameter) with an alpha-cell-like dendritic field about 180-350 microm stratifying near 70% of the IPL depth. (2) Transient OFFalphaGCs (tOFFalphaGCs) exhibit no spike activity in darkness, transient increased spikes at light offset, small sustained outward DeltaIC in light, a large transient inward DeltaIC at light offset, a sustained outward DeltaICl, and a morphology similar to the ONalphaGCs except for that their dendrites stratified near 30% of the IPL depth. (3) Sustained OFFalpha GCs (sOFFalphaGCs) exhibit maintained spike activity of 5-10 Hz in darkness, sustained decrease of spikes in light, sustained outward DeltaIC, sustained outward DeltaICl, and a morphology similar to the tOFFalphaGCs. By comparing the response thresholds and dynamic ranges of alphaGCs with those of the pre-ganglion cells, our data suggest that the light responses of each type of alphaGCs are mediated by different sets of bipolar cells and amacrine cells.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Dec
pubmed:issn
0042-6989
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
44
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
3277-88
pubmed:dateRevised
2008-11-21
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2004
pubmed:articleTitle
Synaptic circuitry mediating light-evoked signals in dark-adapted mouse retina.
pubmed:affiliation
Cullen Eye Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, NC-205, Houston, TX 77030, USA. swu@bcm.tmc.edu
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article