Journal of Neurophysiology, Vol 41, Issue 2 472-483, Copyright © 1978 by APS

ARTICLES

Intracellular staining reveals different levels of stratification for on- and off-center ganglion cells in cat retina

R. Nelson, E. V. Famiglietti Jr and H. Kolb

1. Ganglion cells in the retina of the cat were stained by intracellular dye injection after recording their responses to photic stimulation. 2. All cells encountered were divided into those giving on-responses and those producing off-responses, and the level of dendritic branching of these two groups was compared. Cells giving off-responses were found to branch high in the inner plexiform layer (IPL), near the amacrine cell bodies (sublamina a); those giving on-responses were found to branch lower in the inner plexiform layer (sublamina b). 3. Dye-injected cells varied widely in morphology and size, having cell bodies ranging in diameter from 8 to 32 micrometer and dendritic fields ranging from 25 to 490 micrometer in diameter; yet the sign of the response of each unit correlated only with the level of dendritic branching. Thus, no other morphological feature except stratification appears to be important in determining the sign of the response of these cells. 4. The stratification of ganglion cells into on- and off-layers parallels the distribution of the axon terminals of the flat and invaginating cone bipolars. Flat cone bipolars are in a position to contact off-center ganglion cells (in sublamina a) and invaginating cone bipolars are in a position to contact on-center ganglion cells (in sublamina b). 5. The rod and cone inputs to some cells were characterized by comparing their responses to deep red and blue rod-matched stimuli over a 2-log unit range starting at dark-adapted threshold. About half the cells appeared to be rod dominated under these conditions, whereas the others appeared to have mixed rod and cone signals. 6. The nature of the rod and cone pathways to ganglion cells is discussed.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				N. Tian Synaptic activity, visual experience and the maturation of retinal synaptic circuitry J. Physiol., September 15, 2008; 586(18): 4347 - 4355. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. J. Margolis, G. Newkirk, T. Euler, and P. B. Detwiler Functional Stability of Retinal Ganglion Cells after Degeneration-Induced Changes in Synaptic Input J. Neurosci., June 18, 2008; 28(25): 6526 - 6536. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Petrusca, M. I. Grivich, A. Sher, G. D. Field, J. L. Gauthier, M. Greschner, J. Shlens, E. J. Chichilnisky, and A. M. Litke Identification and Characterization of a Y-Like Primate Retinal Ganglion Cell Type J. Neurosci., October 10, 2007; 27(41): 11019 - 11027. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				X. Liu, R. N. Grishanin, R. J. Tolwani, R. C. Renteria, B. Xu, L. F. Reichardt, and D. R. Copenhagen Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor and TrkB Modulate Visual Experience-Dependent Refinement of Neuronal Pathways in Retina J. Neurosci., July 4, 2007; 27(27): 7256 - 7267. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. M. Ackert, S. H. Wu, J. C. Lee, J. Abrams, E. H. Hu, I. Perlman, and S. A. Bloomfield Light-induced changes in spike synchronization between coupled ON direction selective ganglion cells in the mammalian retina. J. Neurosci., April 19, 2006; 26(16): 4206 - 4215. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Godinho, J. S. Mumm, P. R. Williams, E. H. Schroeter, A. Koerber, S. W. Park, S. D. Leach, and R. O. L. Wong Targeting of amacrine cell neurites to appropriate synaptic laminae in the developing zebrafish retina Development, November 15, 2005; 132(22): 5069 - 5079. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Leitch, J. Coaker, C. Young, V. Mehta, and E. Sernagor GABA Type-A Activity Controls Its Own Developmental Polarity Switch in the Maturing Retina J. Neurosci., May 11, 2005; 25(19): 4801 - 4805. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. Ichinose, C. R. Shields, and P. D. Lukasiewicz Sodium Channels in Transient Retinal Bipolar Cells Enhance Visual Responses in Ganglion Cells J. Neurosci., February 16, 2005; 25(7): 1856 - 1865. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Xu and N. Tian Pathway-Specific Maturation, Visual Deprivation, and Development of Retinal Pathway Neuroscientist, August 1, 2004; 10(4): 337 - 346. [Abstract] [PDF]

				J.-J. Pang, F. Gao, and S. M. Wu Stratum-by-stratum projection of light response attributes by retinal bipolar cells of Ambystoma J. Physiol., July 1, 2004; 558(1): 249 - 262. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Klug, S. Herr, I. T. Ngo, P. Sterling, and S. Schein Macaque Retina Contains an S-Cone OFF Midget Pathway J. Neurosci., October 29, 2003; 23(30): 9881 - 9887. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. M. Carcieri, A. L. Jacobs, and S. Nirenberg Classification of Retinal Ganglion Cells: A Statistical Approach J Neurophysiol, September 1, 2003; 90(3): 1704 - 1713. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. H. Hu and S. A. Bloomfield Gap Junctional Coupling Underlies the Short-Latency Spike Synchrony of Retinal {alpha} Ganglion Cells J. Neurosci., July 30, 2003; 23(17): 6768 - 6777. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J.-J. Pang, F. Gao, and S. M. Wu Light-Evoked Excitatory and Inhibitory Synaptic Inputs to ON and OFF {alpha} Ganglion Cells in the Mouse Retina J. Neurosci., July 9, 2003; 23(14): 6063 - 6073. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. F. Stasheff and R. H. Masland Functional Inhibition in Direction-Selective Retinal Ganglion Cells: Spatiotemporal Extent and Intralaminar Interactions J Neurophysiol, August 1, 2002; 88(2): 1026 - 1039. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J.-J. Pang, F. Gao, and S. M. Wu Segregation and Integration of Visual Channels: Layer-by-Layer Computation of ON-OFF Signals by Amacrine Cell Dendrites J. Neurosci., June 1, 2002; 22(11): 4693 - 4701. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Gunhan, P. V. Choudary, T. E. Landerholm, and L. M. Chalupa Depletion of Cholinergic Amacrine Cells by a Novel Immunotoxin Does Not Perturb the Formation of Segregated On and Off Cone Bipolar Cell Projections J. Neurosci., March 15, 2002; 22(6): 2265 - 2273. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. L. Myhr, P. D. Lukasiewicz, and R. O. L. Wong Mechanisms Underlying Developmental Changes in the Firing Patterns of ON and OFF Retinal Ganglion Cells during Refinement of their Central Projections J. Neurosci., November 1, 2001; 21(21): 8664 - 8671. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G.-Y. Wang, L. C. Liets, and L. M. Chalupa Unique Functional Properties of On and Off Pathways in the Developing Mammalian Retina J. Neurosci., June 15, 2001; 21(12): 4310 - 4317. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. M. Wu, F. Gao, and B. R. Maple Functional Architecture of Synapses in the Inner Retina: Segregation of Visual Signals by Stratification of Bipolar Cell Axon Terminals J. Neurosci., June 15, 2000; 20(12): 4462 - 4470. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. Euler and R. H. Masland Light-Evoked Responses of Bipolar Cells in a Mammalian Retina J Neurophysiol, April 1, 2000; 83(4): 1817 - 1829. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. R. Shields, M. N. Tran, R. O. L. Wong, and P. D. Lukasiewicz Distinct Ionotropic GABA Receptors Mediate Presynaptic and Postsynaptic Inhibition in Retinal Bipolar Cells J. Neurosci., April 1, 2000; 20(7): 2673 - 2682. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Gunhan-Agar, D. Kahn, and L. M. Chalupa Segregation of On and Off Bipolar Cell Axonal Arbors in the Absence of Retinal Ganglion Cells J. Neurosci., January 1, 2000; 20(1): 306 - 314. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Sawaguchi, Y. Idate, S. Ide, J.-i. Kawano, R. Nagaike, T. Oinuma, and T. Suganuma Multistratified Expression of Polysialic Acid and Its Relationship to VAChT-containing Neurons in the Inner Plexiform Layer of Adult Rat Retina J. Histochem. Cytochem., July 1, 1999; 47(7): 919 - 928. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				Y. Tagawa, H. Sawai, Y. Ueda, M. Tauchi, and S. Nakanishi Immunohistological Studies of Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor Subtype 6-Deficient Mice Show No Abnormality of Retinal Cell Organization and Ganglion Cell Maturation J. Neurosci., April 1, 1999; 19(7): 2568 - 2579. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. D. Cohen Interactions of Inhibition and Excitation in the Light-Evoked Currents of X Type Retinal Ganglion Cells J Neurophysiol, December 1, 1998; 80(6): 2975 - 2990. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Bisti, C. Gargini, and L. M. Chalupa Blockade of Glutamate-Mediated Activity in the Developing Retina Perturbs the Functional Segregation of ON and OFF Pathways J. Neurosci., July 1, 1998; 18(13): 5019 - 5025. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. F. Fischer, P. D. Lukasiewicz, and R. O. L. Wong Age-Dependent and Cell Class-Specific Modulation of Retinal Ganglion Cell Bursting Activity by GABA J. Neurosci., May 15, 1998; 18(10): 3767 - 3778. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Hartveit Functional Organization of Cone Bipolar Cells in the Rat Retina J Neurophysiol, April 1, 1997; 77(4): 1716 - 1730. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. D. Lukasiewicz, J. A. Wilson, and J. E. Lawrence AMPA-Preferring Receptors Mediate Excitatory Synaptic Inputs to Retinal Ganglion Cells J Neurophysiol, January 1, 1997; 77(1): 57 - 64. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Hayden, J. Mills, and R. Masland Acetylcholine synthesis by displaced amacrine cells Science, October 24, 1980; 210(4468): 435 - 437. [Abstract] [PDF]

				J. Stevens, B. McGuire, and P Sterling Toward a functional architecture of the retina: serial reconstruction of adjacent ganglion cells Science, January 18, 1980; 207(4428): 317 - 319. [Abstract] [PDF]