The proposed project will use transcleral microelectrode recording to electrophysiologically classify cat retinal ganglion cells. Following electrophysiological classification, the ganglion cell will be intracellularly injected with horseradish peroxidase and morphologically analyzed. Criteria for electrophysiological classification will include axonal conduction velocity, latency to stimulation of central projection sites and receptive field analysis. Experiments conducted over the previous grant period have demonstrated that there is considerable overlap in both the physiological and morphological characteristics of retinal ganglion cells previously supposed to have belonged to separate classes.
One aim of this study is to securely and quantitatively deline the physiological and morphological classes of cat retinal ganglion cells. The data from these studies will describe structure/function correlations for retinal ganglion cells that will include morphological correlates of specific physiological types. Studies proposed will also define the relationship between the size of the excitatory receptive field and the extent of the dendritic arbor, between the sign (ON or OFF) of the receptive field center and the stratification of the dendritic branches in the inner plexiform layer, and describe the correlation between dendritic field orientation and preferred stimulus orientation. The methodology proposed for these experiments is the only direct approach available for realizing these aims. The data acquired in these studies will define the normal structure/function correlations for retinal ganglion cells in the adult cat and will provide a data base for comparison to future studies of the morphological and physiological development of the mammalian retina under normal and abnormal developmental conditions.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01EY004977-04
Application #
3259662
Study Section
Visual Sciences B Study Section (VISB)
Project Start
1983-03-01
Project End
1988-02-29
Budget Start
1986-03-01
Budget End
1987-02-28
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
1986
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Wisconsin Madison
Department
Type
Schools of Veterinary Medicine
DUNS #
161202122
City
Madison
State
WI
Country
United States
Zip Code
53715
Weber, A J; Kalil, R E; Stanford, L R (1998) Dendritic field development of retinal ganglion cells in the cat following neonatal damage to visual cortex: evidence for cell class specific interactions. J Comp Neurol 390:470-80
McCall, M A; Gregg, R G; Merriman, K et al. (1996) Morphological and physiological consequences of the selective elimination of rod photoreceptors in transgenic mice. Exp Eye Res 63:35-50
Caserta, F; Eldred, W D; Fernandez, E et al. (1995) Determination of fractal dimension of physiologically characterized neurons in two and three dimensions. J Neurosci Methods 56:133-44
Weber, A J; Stanford, L R (1994) Synaptology of physiologically identified ganglion cells in the cat retina: a comparison of retinal X- and Y-cells. J Comp Neurol 343:483-99
Weber, A J; McCall, M A; Stanford, L R (1991) Synaptic inputs to physiologically identified retinal X-cells in the cat. J Comp Neurol 314:350-66
Weber, A J; Kail, R E; Stanford, L R (1989) Morphology of single, physiologically identified retinogeniculate Y-cell axons in the cat following damage to visual cortex at birth. J Comp Neurol 282:446-55
Stanford, L R (1987) Conduction velocity variations minimize conduction time differences among retinal ganglion cell axons. Science 238:358-60
Stanford, L R (1987) W-cells in the cat retina: correlated morphological and physiological evidence for two distinct classes. J Neurophysiol 57:218-44
Stanford, L R (1987) X-cells in the cat retina: relationships between the morphology and physiology of a class of cat retinal ganglion cells. J Neurophysiol 58:940-64