The subject of this project is the mechanism of synaptic transmission in the vertebrate retina and its role in the processing of visual information. Intracellular recordings will be made from individuals neurons in the retina of the mudpuppy, Necturus maculosus. The synaptic inputs to ON-and OFF-center ganglion cells will be studied by measuring the current-voltage properties of these cells during darkness and steady illumination, and during superfusion of the retina with various transmitter substances, specific pharmacological antagonists to these substances, and ionic substitutions of the bathing medium. Previous work in this laboratory has shown that both ON- and OFF- center ganglion cells receive tonic excitatory and inhibitory input in darkness. We are now studying how these inputs are altered by illumination to produce the characteristic light responses of these cells. Specific items under study are 1) The identification of the transmitter substances which mediate these different inputs 2) the postsynaptic mechanisms by which these transmitters act 3) the identify of the presynaptic neurons which are the source of these inputs. These studies are part of the long-term goal of understanding the functional organization of the retina.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01EY001653-11
Application #
3256074
Study Section
(VID)
Project Start
1979-05-01
Project End
1988-03-31
Budget Start
1986-12-01
Budget End
1988-03-31
Support Year
11
Fiscal Year
1987
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Michigan Ann Arbor
Department
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
791277940
City
Ann Arbor
State
MI
Country
United States
Zip Code
48109
Cook, P B; Lukasiewicz, P D; McReynolds, J S (2000) GABA(C) receptors control adaptive changes in a glycinergic inhibitory pathway in salamander retina. J Neurosci 20:806-12
Cook, P B; Lukasiewicz, P D; McReynolds, J S (1998) Action potentials are required for the lateral transmission of glycinergic transient inhibition in the amphibian retina. J Neurosci 18:2301-8
Ball, A K; McReynolds, J S (1998) Localization of gap junctions and tracer coupling in retinal Muller cells. J Comp Neurol 393:48-57
Cook, P B; McReynolds, J S (1998) Lateral inhibition in the inner retina is important for spatial tuning of ganglion cells. Nat Neurosci 1:714-9
Cook, P B; McReynolds, J S (1998) Modulation of sustained and transient lateral inhibitory mechanisms in the mudpuppy retina during light adaptation. J Neurophysiol 79:197-204
Myhr, K L; McReynolds, J S (1996) Cholinergic modulation of dopamine release and horizontal cell coupling in mudpuppy retina. Vision Res 36:3933-8
Myhr, K L; Dong, C J; McReynolds, J S (1994) Cones contribute to light-evoked, dopamine-mediated uncoupling of horizontal cells in the mudpuppy retina. J Neurophysiol 72:56-62
Dong, C J; McReynolds, J S (1992) Comparison of the effects of flickering and steady light on dopamine release and horizontal cell coupling in the mudpuppy retina. J Neurophysiol 67:364-72
Dong, C J; McReynolds, J S (1992) An intensity-dependent biphasic neuron in mudpuppy retina. Vision Res 32:1405-8
Akopian, A; McReynolds, J; Weiler, R (1991) Short-term potentiation of off-responses in turtle horizontal cells. Brain Res 546:132-8

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