This application is concerned with combining ultrastructural and electrophysiological techniques in the study of the neural interactions in the mammalian retina. It consists of three parts: i) We want to record from photoreceptors, horizontal and bipolar cells in slices and cell clumps isolated from the rabbit retina and to analyze their connections with the electron microscope. Purpose of these experiments is to understand the physiology of the various types of bipolar cells and the mechanisms underlying their response properties. ii) We want to record from the neurons of the macaque monkey retina maintained in a superfused eyecup preparation and identify them by intracellular injection of visible markers. Purpose of these experiments is to investigate the functional connectivity of a retina very similar to the human one. iii) By combining rapid freezing at 4 degree K , freeze-fracturing, ultrastructural tracer techniques and electrophysiology, we wish to analyze the mechanism of transmitter release and synaptic vesicle membrane recycling in solitary photoreceptor cells from the rabbit retina. Long-term objective of this application is to discover the mechanisms by which the retina processes visual information. This sort of studies are fundamental to the understanding and rational treatment of the disorders of the retina and nervous system in general.
| Hirasawa, Hajime; Contini, Massimo; Raviola, Elio (2015) Extrasynaptic release of GABA and dopamine by retinal dopaminergic neurons. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 370: |
| Hirasawa, Hajime; Betensky, Rebecca A; Raviola, Elio (2012) Corelease of dopamine and GABA by a retinal dopaminergic neuron. J Neurosci 32:13281-91 |
| Contini, Massimo; Lin, Bin; Kobayashi, Kazuto et al. (2010) Synaptic input of ON-bipolar cells onto the dopaminergic neurons of the mouse retina. J Comp Neurol 518:2035-50 |
| Hirasawa, Hajime; Puopolo, Michelino; Raviola, Elio (2009) Extrasynaptic release of GABA by retinal dopaminergic neurons. J Neurophysiol 102:146-58 |
| Dorenbos, Ronald; Contini, Massimo; Hirasawa, Hajime et al. (2007) Expression of circadian clock genes in retinal dopaminergic cells. Vis Neurosci 24:573-80 |
| Storch, K-F; Paz, C; Signorovitch, J et al. (2007) Physiological importance of a circadian clock outside the suprachiasmatic nucleus. Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol 72:307-18 |
| Puopolo, Michelino; Raviola, Elio; Bean, Bruce P (2007) Roles of subthreshold calcium current and sodium current in spontaneous firing of mouse midbrain dopamine neurons. J Neurosci 27:645-56 |
| Puopolo, Michelino; Bean, Bruce P; Raviola, Elio (2005) Spontaneous activity of isolated dopaminergic periglomerular cells of the main olfactory bulb. J Neurophysiol 94:3618-27 |
| MacNeil, Margaret A; Heussy, John K; Dacheux, Ramon F et al. (2004) The population of bipolar cells in the rabbit retina. J Comp Neurol 472:73-86 |
| Gustincich, Stefano; Contini, Massimo; Gariboldi, Manuela et al. (2004) Gene discovery in genetically labeled single dopaminergic neurons of the retina. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 101:5069-74 |
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