Quantitative analysis of GABA-immunoreactive synapses in the inner plexiform layer of theBufo marinus retina: identification of direct output to ganglion cells and contacts with dopaminergic amacrine cells

1993 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. G�briel ◽  
C. Straznicky
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Analysis ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Plexiform Layer ◽  
Amacrine Cells ◽  
Inner Plexiform Layer

A coupled network for parasol but not midget ganglion cells in the primate retina

1992 ◽  
Vol 9 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 279-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis M. Dacey ◽  
Sarah Brace
Keyword(s):  
Nearest Neighbor ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Plexiform Layer ◽  
Amacrine Cells ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Distinct Pattern ◽  
Field Size ◽  
Inner Plexiform Layer ◽  
Dendritic Field

AbstractIntracellular injections of Neurobiotin were used to determine whether the major ganglion cell classes of the macaque monkey retina, the magnocellular-projecting parasol, and the parvocellular-projecting midget cells showed evidence of cellular coupling similar to that recently described for cat retinal ganglion cells. Ganglion cells were labeled with the fluorescent dye acridine orange in an in vitro, isolated retina preparation and were selectively targeted for intracellular injection under direct microscopic control. The macaque midget cells, like the beta cells of the cat's retina, showed no evidence of tracer coupling when injected with Neurobiotin. By contrast, Neurobiotin-filled parasol cells, like cat alpha cells, showed a distinct pattern of tracer coupling to each other (homotypic coupling) and to amacrine cells (heterotypic coupling).In instances of homotypic coupling, the injected parasol cell was surrounded by a regular array of 3–6 neighboring parasol cells. The somata and proximal dendrites of these tracer-coupled cells were lightly labeled and appeared to costratify with the injected cell. Analysis of the nearest-neighbor distances for the parasol cell clusters showed that dendritic-field overlap remained constant as dendritic-field size increased from 100–400 μm in diameter.At least two amacrine cell types showed tracer coupling to parasol cells. One amacrine type had a small soma and thin, sparsely branching dendrites that extended for 1–2 mm in the inner plexiform layer. A second amacrine type had a relatively large soma, thick main dendrites, and distinct, axon-like processes that extended for at least 2–3 mm in the inner plexiform layer. The main dendrites of the large amacrine cells were closely apposed to the dendrites of parasol cells and may be the site of Neurobiotin transfer between the two cell types. We suggest that the tracer coupling between neighboring parasol cells takes place indirectly via the dendrites of the large amacrine cells and provides a mechanism, absent in midget cells, for increasing parasol cell receptive-field size and luminance contrast sensitivity.

Development of cholinergic amacrine cell stratification in the ferret retina and the effects of early excitotoxic ablation

2001 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 559-570 ◽  
Author(s):  
B.E. REESE ◽  
M.A. RAVEN ◽  
K.A. GIANNOTTI ◽  
P.T. JOHNSON
Keyword(s):  
Ganglion Cell ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Plexiform Layer ◽  
Amacrine Cells ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Retinal Cell ◽  
Inner Plexiform Layer ◽  
Retinal Ganglion ◽  
Outer Border ◽  
Cholinergic Amacrine Cells

The present study has examined the emergence of cholinergic stratification within the developing inner plexiform layer (IPL), and the effect of ablating the cholinergic amacrine cells on the formation of other stratifications within the IPL. The population of cholinergic amacrine cells in the ferret's retina was identified as early as the day of birth, but their processes did not form discrete strata until the end of the first postnatal week. As development proceeded over the next five postnatal weeks, so the positioning of the cholinergic strata shifted within the IPL toward the outer border, indicative of the greater ingrowth and elaboration of processes within the innermost parts of the IPL. To examine whether these cholinergic strata play an instructive role upon the development of other stratifications which form within the IPL, one-week-old ferrets were treated with l-glutamate in an attempt to ablate the population of cholinergic amacrine cells. Such treatment was shown to be successful, eliminating all of the cholinergic amacrine cells as well as the alpha retinal ganglion cells in the central retina. The remaining ganglion cell classes as well as a few other retinal cell types were partially reduced, while other cell types were not affected, and neither retinal histology nor areal growth was compromised in these ferrets. Despite this early loss of the cholinergic amacrine cells, which are eliminated within 24 h, other stratifications within the IPL formed normally, as they do following early elimination of the entire ganglion cell population. While these cholinergic amacrine cells are present well before other cell types have differentiated, apparently neither they, nor the ganglion cells, play a role in determining the depth of stratification for other retinal cell types.

Alterations in NMDA receptor expression during retinal degeneration in the RCS rat

2001 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 781-787 ◽  
Author(s):  
TATIANA GRÜNDER ◽  
KONRAD KOHLER ◽  
ELKE GUENTHER
Keyword(s):  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Plexiform Layer ◽  
Amacrine Cells ◽  
Photoreceptor Cells ◽  
Receptor Expression ◽  
Signal Pathways ◽  
Inner Plexiform Layer ◽  
Functional Changes ◽  
Rcs Rat ◽  
Rcs Rats

To determine how a progressive loss of photoreceptor cells and the concomitant loss of glutamatergic input to second-order neurons can affect inner-retinal signaling, glutamate receptor expression was analyzed in the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rat, an animal model of retinitis pigmentosa. Immunohistochemistry was performed on retinal sections of RCS rats and congenic controls between postnatal (P) day 3 and the aged adult (up to P350) using specific antibodies against N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) subunits. All NMDA subunits (NR1, NR2A–2D) were expressed in control and dystrophic retinas at all ages, and distinct patterns of labeling were found in horizontal cells, subpopulations of amacrine cells and ganglion cells, as well as in the outer and inner plexiform layer (IPL). NR1 immunoreactivity in the inner plexiform layer of adult control retinas was concentrated in two distinct bands, indicating a synaptic localization of NMDA receptors in the OFF and ON signal pathways. In the RCS retina, these bands of NR1 immunoreactivity in the IPL were much weaker in animals older than P40. In parallel, NR2B immunoreactivity in the outer plexiform layer (OPL) of RCS rats was always reduced compared to controls and vanished between P40 and P120. The most striking alteration observed in the degenerating retina, however, was a strong expression of NR1 immunoreactivity in Müller cell processes in the inner retina which was not observed in control animals and which was present prior to any visible sign of photoreceptor degeneration. The results suggest functional changes in glutamatergic receptor signaling in the dystrophic retina and a possible involvement of Müller cells in early processes of this disease.

The morphology and topographic distribution of AII amacrine cells in the cat retina

1985 ◽  
Vol 224 (1237) ◽  
pp. 475-488 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Lucifer Yellow ◽  
Central Area ◽  
Plexiform Layer ◽  
Amacrine Cells ◽  
Dendritic Morphology ◽  
Inner Plexiform Layer ◽  
Cat Retina ◽  
Superior Margin ◽  
Aii Amacrine Cells

When cat retina is incubated in vitro with the fluorescent dye, 4',6- diamidino-2-phenyl-indole (DAPI), a uniform population of neurons is brightly labelled at the inner border of the inner nuclear layer. The dendritic morphology of the DAPI-labelled cells was defined by iontophoretic injection of Lucifer yellow under direct microscopic control: all the filled cells had the narrow-field bistratified morphology that is distinctive of the A ll amacrine cells previously described from Golgistained retinae. Although the A ll amacrines are principal interneurons in the rod-signal pathway, their density distribution does not follow the topography of the rod receptors, but peaks in the central area like the cone receptors and the ganglion cells. There are some 512000 A ll amacrines in the cat retina and their density ranges from 500 cells per square millimetre at the superior margin to 5300 cells per square millimetre in the centre (retinal area is 450 mm2). The isodensity contours are kite-shaped, particularly at intermediate densities, with a horizontal elongation towards nasal retina. The cell body size and the dendritic dimensions of A ll amacrines increase with decreasing cell density. The lobular dendrites in sublamina a of the inner plexiform layer span a restricted field of 16—45 pm diameter, while the arboreal dendrites in sublamina b form a varicose tree of 18—95 pm diameter. The dendritic field coverage of the lobular appendages is close to 1.0 (+ 0.2) at all eccentricities whereas the coverage of the arboreal dendrites doubles within the first 1.5 mm and then remains constant at 3.8 ( + 0.7) throughout the periphery.

scholarly journals Formation of retinal direction-selective circuitry initiated by starburst amacrine cell homotypic contact

eLife ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas A Ray ◽  
Suva Roy ◽  
Christopher Kozlowski ◽  
Jingjing Wang ◽  
Jon Cafaro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Synapse Formation ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Plexiform Layer ◽  
Surface Protein ◽  
Amacrine Cells ◽  
Direction Selectivity ◽  
Mouse Retina ◽  
Inner Plexiform Layer ◽  
Starburst Amacrine Cells ◽  
Developing Neurons

A common strategy by which developing neurons locate their synaptic partners is through projections to circuit-specific neuropil sublayers. Once established, sublayers serve as a substrate for selective synapse formation, but how sublayers arise during neurodevelopment remains unknown. Here, we identify the earliest events that initiate formation of the direction-selective circuit in the inner plexiform layer of mouse retina. We demonstrate that radially migrating newborn starburst amacrine cells establish homotypic contacts on arrival at the inner retina. These contacts, mediated by the cell-surface protein MEGF10, trigger neuropil innervation resulting in generation of two sublayers comprising starburst-cell dendrites. This dendritic scaffold then recruits projections from circuit partners. Abolishing MEGF10-mediated contacts profoundly delays and ultimately disrupts sublayer formation, leading to broader direction tuning and weaker direction-selectivity in retinal ganglion cells. Our findings reveal a mechanism by which differentiating neurons transition from migratory to mature morphology, and highlight this mechanism’s importance in forming circuit-specific sublayers.

Regional distribution of nitrergic neurons in the inner retina of the chicken

2011 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 205-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARTIN WILSON ◽  
NICK NACSA ◽  
NATHAN S. HART ◽  
CYNTHIA WELLER ◽  
DAVID I. VANEY
Keyword(s):  
Ganglion Cell ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Regional Distribution ◽  
Plexiform Layer ◽  
Visual Image ◽  
Amacrine Cells ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Inner Plexiform Layer ◽  
Inner Retina ◽  
Neuronal Types

AbstractUsing both NADPH diaphorase and anti-nNOS antibodies, we have identified—from retinal flatmounts—neuronal types in the inner retina of the chicken that are likely to be nitrergic. The two methods gave similar results and yielded a total of 15 types of neurons, comprising 9 amacrine cells, 5 ganglion cells, and 1 centrifugal midbrain neuron. Six of these 15 cell types are ubiquitously distributed, comprising 3 amacrine cells, 2 displaced ganglion cells, and a presumed orthotopic ganglion cell. The remaining nine cell types are regionally restricted within the retina. As previously reported, efferent fibers of midbrain neurons and their postsynaptic partners, the unusual axon-bearing target amacrine cells, are entirely confined to the ventral retina. Also confined to the ventral retina, though with somewhat different distributions, are the “bullwhip” amacrine cells thought to be involved in eye growth, an orthotopic ganglion cell, and two types of large axon-bearing amacrine cells whose dendrites and axons lie in stratum 1 of the inner plexiform layer (IPL). Intracellular fills of these two cell types showed that only a minority of otherwise morphologically indistinguishable neurons are nitrergic. Two amacrine cells that branch throughout the IPL are confined to an equatorial band, and one small-field orthotopic ganglion cell that branches in the proximal IPL is entirely dorsal. These findings suggest that the retina uses different processing on different regions of the visual image, though the benefit of this is presently obscure.

The number and distribution of bipolar to ganglion cell synapses in the inner plexiform layer of the anuran retina

1996 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1099-1107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Péter Buzás ◽  
Sára Jeges ◽  
Robert Gábriel
Keyword(s):  
Ganglion Cell ◽  
Cross Sections ◽  
Information Transfer ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Plexiform Layer ◽  
Amacrine Cells ◽  
Bipolar Cells ◽  
Inner Plexiform Layer ◽  
Flow Through

AbstractThe main route of information flow through the vertebrate retina is from the photoreceptors towards the ganglion cells whose axons form the optic nerve. Bipolar cells of the frog have been so far reported to contact mostly amacrine cells and the majority of input to ganglion cells comes from the amacrines. In this study, ganglion cells of frogs from two species (Bufo marinus, Xenopus laevis) were filled retrogradely with horseradish peroxidase. After visualization of the tracer, light-microscopic cross sections showed massive labeling of the somata in the ganglion cell layer as well as their dendrites in the inner plexiform layer. In cross sections, bipolar output and ganglion cell input synapses were counted in the electron microscope. Each synapse was assigned to one of the five equal sublayers (SLs) of the inner plexiform layer. In both species, bipolar cells were most often seen to form their characteristic synaptic dyads with two amacrine cells. In some cases, however, the dyads were directed to one amacrine and one ganglion cell dendrite. This type of synapse was unevenly distributed within the inner plexiform layer with the highest occurrence in SL2 both in Bufo and Xenopus. In addition, SL4 contained also a high number of this type of synapse in Xenopus. In both species, we found no or few bipolar to ganglion cell synapses in the marginal sublayers (SLs 1 and 5). In Xenopus, 22% of the bipolar cell output synapses went onto ganglion cells, whereas in Bufo this was only 10%. We conclude that direct bipolar to ganglion cell information transfer exists also in frogs although its occurrence is not as obvious and regular as in mammals. The characteristic distribution of these synapses, however, suggests that specific type of the bipolar and ganglion cells participate in this process. These contacts may play a role in the formation of simple ganglion cell receptive fields.

Glycine receptor immunoreactivity is localized at amacrine synapses in cat retina

1991 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 611-618 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberta G. Pourcho ◽  
Michael T. Owczarzak
Keyword(s):  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Glycine Receptor ◽  
Plexiform Layer ◽  
Amacrine Cells ◽  
Bipolar Cells ◽  
Electron Microscopic Level ◽  
Inner Plexiform Layer ◽  
Glycine Receptors ◽  
Electron Microscopic ◽  
Cat Retina

AbstractImmunocytochemical techniques were used to localize strychnine-sensitive glycine receptors in cat retina. Light microscopy showed staining in processes ramifying throughout the inner plexiform layer and in cell bodies of both amacrine and ganglion cells. At the electron-microscopic level, receptor immunoreactivity was seen to be clustered at sites postsynaptic to amacrine cells. In contrast, bipolar cells were neither presynaptic nor postsynaptic elements at sites of glycine receptor staining. Double-label studies verified the presence of glycine immunoreactivity in amacrine terminals presynaptic to glycine receptors. These findings support a role for glycine as an inhibitory neurotransmitter in amacrine cells.

Immunohistochemical analysis of the neurotrophins BDNF and NT-3 and their receptors trk B, trk C, and p75 in the developing chick retina

1997 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 835-842 ◽  
Author(s):  
Indranil Das ◽  
Barbara L. Hempstead ◽  
Peter R. Macleish ◽  
Janet R. Sparrow
Keyword(s):  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Plexiform Layer ◽  
Amacrine Cells ◽  
Immunohistochemical Analysis ◽  
Neurotrophin Receptor ◽  
Inner Plexiform Layer ◽  
P75 Neurotrophin Receptor ◽  
Retinal Neurons ◽  
Chick Retina ◽  
Trk B

AbstractThe neurotrophins are trophic and mitogenic factors critical for the development of specific classes of neurons in the central and peripheral nervous systems. In the retina, BDNF and NT-3 have been shown to promote the survival of differentiated ganglion cells (Rodriguez-Tebar et al., 1989; De La Rosa et al., 1994). NT-3 has also been demonstrated to support the survival of amacrine cells and facilitates the differentiation of retinal neurons in culture (De La Rosa et al., 1994). Here, we examine immunohistochemically the expression of BDNF and NT-3 proteins, their cognate receptors, trk B and trk C, respectively, and the p75 neurotrophin receptor in the developing chick retina. At E8, the earliest stage of retinal development examined, all of these proteins exhibit diffuse expression throughout the width of the retina, with the strongest reactivity in the innermost layers. A gradual restriction in expression to ganglion cells and amacrine cells, the staining of which is most prominent at E15, is followed by a downregulation of expression with the strongest immunoreactivity persisting in the ganglion cell layer. Overlapping patterns of expression throughout embryonic development indicate a colocalization of the neurotrophins and their receptors, although NT-3 and p75 alone are present in the inner plexiform layer and only p75 is observed in the outer plexiform layer. Although some of the immunoreactivity for BDNF, NT-3, and their receptors in retina may reflect trophic mechanisms operating in association with the optic tectum and isthmo-optic nucleus, the colocalization of ligands and receptors in retina strengthens the assertion that these neurotrophins function locally during development.

scholarly journals Heterocellular coupling between amacrine cell and ganglion cells

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert E. Marc ◽  
Crystal Sigulinsky ◽  
Rebecca L. Pfeiffer ◽  
Daniel Emrich ◽  
James R. Anderson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gap Junctions ◽  
Ganglion Cell ◽  
Bipolar Cell ◽  
Amacrine Cell ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Plexiform Layer ◽  
Amacrine Cells ◽  
Bipolar Cells ◽  
Inner Plexiform Layer ◽  
Tem Analysis

AbstractAll superclasses of retinal neurons display some form of electrical coupling including the key neurons of the inner plexiform layer: bipolar cells (BCs), amacrine or axonal cells (ACs) and ganglion cells (GCs). However, coupling varies extensively by class. For example, mammalian rod bipolar cells form no gap junctions at all, while all cone bipolar cells form class-specific coupling arrays, many of them homocellular in-superclass arrays. Ganglion cells are unique in that classes with coupling predominantly form heterocellular cross-class arrays of ganglion cell::amacrine cell (GC::AC) coupling in the mammalian retina. Ganglion cells are the least frequent superclass in the inner plexiform layer and GC::AC gap junctions are sparsely arrayed amidst massive cohorts of AC::AC, bipolar cell BC::BC, and AC::BC gap junctions. Many of these gap junctions and most ganglion cell gap junctions are suboptical, complicating analysis of specific ganglion cells. High resolution 2 nm TEM analysis of rabbit retinal connectome RC1 allows quantitative GC::AC coupling maps of identified ganglion cells. Ganglion cells classes apparently avoid direct cross-class homocellular coupling altogether even though they have opportunities via direct membrane touches, while transient OFF alpha ganglion cells and transient ON directionally selective (DS) ganglion cells are strongly coupled to distinct amacrine / axonal cell cohorts.A key feature of coupled ganglion cells is intercellular metabolite flux. Most GC::AC coupling involves GABAergic cells (γ+ amacrine cells), which results in significant GABA flux into ganglion cells. Surveying GABA coupling signatures in the ganglion cell layer across species suggests that the majority of vertebrate retinas engage in GC::AC coupling.Multi-hop synaptic queries of the entire RC1 connectome clearly profiles the coupled amacrine and axonal cells. Photic drive polarities and source bipolar cell class selec-tivities are tightly matched across coupled cells. OFF alpha ganglion cells are coupled to OFF γ+ amacrine cells and transient ON DS ganglion cells are coupled to ON γ+ amacrine cells including a large interstitial axonal cell (IAC). Synaptic tabulations show close matches between the classes of bipolar cells sampled by the coupled amacrine and ganglion cells. Further, both ON and OFF coupling ganglion networks show a common theme: synaptic asymmetry whereby the coupled γ+ neurons are also presynaptic to ganglion cell dendrites from different classes of ganglion cells outside the coupled set. In effect, these heterocellular coupling patterns enable an excited ganglion cell to directly inhibit nearby ganglion cells of different classes. Similarly, coupled γ+ amacrine cells engaged in feedback networks can leverage the additional gain of bipolar cell synapses in shaping the signaling of a spectrum of downstream targets based on their own selective coupling with ganglion cells.

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