The synaptic terminals of mammalian rod bipolar cells are the targets
of multiple presynaptic inhibitory inputs arriving from glycinergic and
GABAergic amacrine cells. To investigate the contribution of these
different inhibitory receptor types, we have applied the patch-clamp
technique in acutely isolated slices of the adult mouse retina. By
using the whole-cell configuration, we measured and analyzed the
spontaneous postsynaptic currents (PSCs) in rod bipolar cells. The
spontaneous synaptic activity of rod bipolar cells was very low.
However, when amacrine cells were depolarized by AMPA or kainate, the
PSC frequency in rod bipolar cells increased significantly. These PSCs
comprised several types that could be distinguished by pharmacological
and kinetic criteria. Strychnine-sensitive, glycinergic PSCs were
characterized by a mean peak amplitude of −43.5 pA and a weighted
decay time constant (τw) of 10.9 ms. PSCs that persisted
in the presence of strychnine, but were completely inhibited by
bicuculline, were mediated by GABAARs. They had a mean peak
amplitude of −20.0 pA and a significantly faster
τw of 5.8 ms. Few PSCs remained in the presence of
strychnine and bicuculline, suggesting that they were mediated by
GABACRs. These PSCs were characterized by much smaller
amplitudes (−6.2 pA) and a significantly slower decay kinetics
(τw = 51.0 ms). We conclude that rod bipolar cells
express at least three types of functionally different inhibitory
receptors, namely GABAARs, GABACRs, and GlyRs
that may ultimately regulate the Ca2+ influx into rod
bipolar cell terminals, thereby modulating their glutamate release.