The roles of ionotropic glutamate receptors along the On and Off signaling pathways in the light-adapted mouse retina

Brain Res. 2011 May 16:1390:70-9. doi: 10.1016/j.brainres.2011.03.017. Epub 2011 Mar 13.

Abstract

Although the locations of glutamate receptors along the On and Off pathways have been determined, how these receptors modulate the retinal outputs--the light-evoked and spontaneous activities of individual ganglion cells--is not fully understood in the mouse retina. Specifically, how these receptors mediate On and Off responses of retinal ganglion cells in mouse retina under light adaptation remains unknown. Since mouse retina has become a powerful model for vision research, the functions of glutamate receptors along the On and Off pathways in mouse need to be determined. In the current study, the light-evoked and spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (light-evoked EPSCs and sEPSCs) from On, Off and On-Off retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) were recorded using whole-cell patch-clamp recordings to assess how NMDA and AMPA/KA receptors modulate the retinal outputs of RGCs in the light-adapted mouse retina. We found NMDA and AMPA/KA played different roles in light-evoked EPSCs along On and Off pathways in light-adapted mice retinas. Both NMDA receptor antagonist DL-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid (AP-5) and AMPA/KA receptor antagonist 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX) acted on RGCs to reduce On responses of ganglion cells while they acted on Off-cone bipolar cells and/or ganglion cells to mediate Off responses of RGCs. Co-application of AP-5 and CNQX completely eliminated the Off responses in majority of RGCs, indicating that both NMDA and AMPA/KA receptors are critical for light signaling along the cone-driven Off pathways in the light-adapted mouse retina.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • 6-Cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione / pharmacology
  • Adaptation, Ocular / drug effects
  • Adaptation, Ocular / physiology*
  • Animals
  • Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / drug effects
  • Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / physiology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Photic Stimulation / methods*
  • Receptors, Ionotropic Glutamate / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Receptors, Ionotropic Glutamate / physiology*
  • Retina / drug effects
  • Retina / metabolism
  • Retina / physiology*
  • Retinal Ganglion Cells / drug effects
  • Retinal Ganglion Cells / metabolism
  • Retinal Ganglion Cells / physiology
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Signal Transduction / physiology*

Substances

  • Receptors, Ionotropic Glutamate
  • 6-Cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione