Abstract

We propose to examine visual transduction in rods and cones of humans and Macaca fascicularis, a monkey with photoreceptors similar to those of man. We will record the photocurrents of single cells to determine their response properties, electrical noise, and spectral sensitivities. This experimental information will be used to develop a quantitative picture of the way in which primate photoreceptors encode visual stimuli. We intend to approach the following questions: 1) What are the kinetics of the photocurrents of rods and the three kinds of cone? 2) How is intensity information represented? 3) How much, and over what range of intensities do background lights desensitize? 4) What electrical noise is present in darkness and after exposure to bright (bleaching) light? 5) What is the spectral sensitivity of the rods and the three kinds of cone throughout the visible region of the spectrum? 6) Do the functional parameters of the transduction mechanism vary systematically with longitudinal position in the outer segments of the rods and cones? 7) Are primate photoreceptors electrically coupled?

  Funding Agency

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01EY005750-03
Application #
3261198
Study Section
(SSS)
Project Start
1985-04-01
Project End
1990-03-31
Budget Start
1987-04-01
Budget End
1988-03-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
1987
Total Cost
Indirect Cost

  Institution

Name
Stanford University
Department
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
800771545
City
Stanford
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
94305

  Publications

Burns, Marie E; Mendez, Ana; Chen, Ching-Kang et al. (2006) Deactivation of phosphorylated and nonphosphorylated rhodopsin by arrestin splice variants. J Neurosci 26:1036-44
Makino, Clint L; Dodd, R L; Chen, J et al. (2004) Recoverin regulates light-dependent phosphodiesterase activity in retinal rods. J Gen Physiol 123:729-41
Burns, Marie E; Mendez, Ana; Chen, Jeannie et al. (2002) Dynamics of cyclic GMP synthesis in retinal rods. Neuron 36:81-91
Mendez, A; Burns, M E; Sokal, I et al. (2001) Role of guanylate cyclase-activating proteins (GCAPs) in setting the flash sensitivity of rod photoreceptors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 98:9948-53
Baylor, D A; Burns, M E (1998) Control of rhodopsin activity in vision. Eye (Lond) 12 ( Pt 3b):521-5
Sung, C H; Makino, C; Baylor, D et al. (1994) A rhodopsin gene mutation responsible for autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa results in a protein that is defective in localization to the photoreceptor outer segment. J Neurosci 14:5818-33
Raport, C J; Lem, J; Makino, C et al. (1994) Downregulation of cGMP phosphodiesterase induced by expression of GTPase-deficient cone transducin in mouse rod photoreceptors. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 35:2932-47
Meister, M; Pine, J; Baylor, D A (1994) Multi-neuronal signals from the retina: acquisition and analysis. J Neurosci Methods 51:95-106
DeVries, S H; Baylor, D A (1993) Synaptic circuitry of the retina and olfactory bulb. Cell 72 Suppl:139-49
Baylor, D (1992) Transduction in retinal photoreceptor cells. Soc Gen Physiol Ser 47:151-74

Showing the most recent 10 out of 21 publications