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Stratification of alpha ganglion cells and ON/OFF directionally selective ganglion cells in the rabbit retina

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 October 2005

JIAN ZHANG
Affiliation:
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston Current address of Jian Zhang: Cullen Eye Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
WEI LI
Affiliation:
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston Current address of Wei Li: Department of Ophthalmology, Northwestern Medical School, Chicago, IL 60611
HIDEO HOSHI
Affiliation:
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston
STEPHEN L. MILLS
Affiliation:
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston
STEPHEN C. MASSEY
Affiliation:
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston

Abstract

The correlation between cholinergic sensitivity and the level of stratification for ganglion cells was examined in the rabbit retina. As examples, we have used ON or OFF α ganglion cells and ON/OFF directionally selective (DS) ganglion cells. Nicotine, a cholinergic agonist, depolarized ON/OFF DS ganglion cells and greatly enhanced their firing rates but it had modest excitatory effects on ON or OFF α ganglion cells. As previously reported, we conclude that DS ganglion cells are the most sensitive to cholinergic drugs. Confocal imaging showed that ON/OFF DS ganglion cells ramify precisely at the level of the cholinergic amacrine cell dendrites, and co-fasciculate with the cholinergic matrix of starburst amacrine cells. However, neither ON or OFF α ganglion cells have more than a chance association with the cholinergic matrix. Z-axis reconstruction showed that OFF α ganglion cells stratify just below the cholinergic band in sublamina a while ON α ganglion cells stratify just below cholinergic b. The latter is at the same level as the terminals of calbindin bipolar cells. Thus, the calbindin bipolar cell appears to be a prime candidate to provide the bipolar cell input to ON α ganglion cells in the rabbit retina. We conclude that the precise level of stratification is correlated with the strength of cholinergic input. Alpha ganglion cells receive a weak cholinergic input and they are narrowly stratified just below the cholinergic bands.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
2005 Cambridge University Press

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