Interneuron circuits tune inhibition in retinal bipolar cells

Amacrine-to-amacrine cell inhibition: Spatiotemporal properties of GABA and glycine pathways

We measured the spatial and temporal properties of GABAergic and glycinergic inhibition to amacrine cells in the whole-mount rabbit retina. The amacrine cells were parsed into two morphological classes: narrow-field cells with processes spreading less than 200 μm and wide-field cells with processes extending more than 300 μm. The inhibition was also parsed into two types: sustained glycine and transient GABA. Narrow-field amacrine cells receive 1) very transient GABAergic inhibition with a fast onset latency of 140 ± 16 ms decaying to 30% of the peak level within 208 ± 27 ms elicited broadly over a lateral distance of up to 1500 μm and 2) sustained glycinergic inhibition with a medium onset latency of 286 ± 23 ms that was elicited over a spatial area often broader than the processes of the narrow-field amacrine cells. Wide-field amacrine cells received sustained glycinergic inhibition but no broad transient GABAergic inhibition. Surprisingly, neither of these amacrine cell classes received sustained local GABAergic inhibition, commonly found in an earlier study of ganglion cells.

Genetic targeting and physiological features of VGLUT3+ amacrine cells

Amacrine cells constitute a diverse class of interneurons that contribute to visual signal processing in the inner retina, but surprisingly, little is known about the physiology of most amacrine cell subtypes. Here, we have taken advantage of the sparse expression of vesicular glutamate transporter 3 (VGLUT3) in the mammalian retina to target the expression of yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) to a unique population of amacrine cells using a new transgenic mouse line. Electrophysiological recordings made from YFP-positive (VGLUT3+) amacrine cells provide the first functional data regarding the active membrane properties and synaptic connections of this recently identified cell type. We found that VGLUT3+ amacrine cells receive direct synaptic input from bipolar cells via both N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) and non-NMDARs. Voltage-gated sodium channels amplified these excitatory inputs but repetitive spiking was never observed. VGLUT3+ amacrine cells responded transiently to both light increments (ON response) and decrements (OFF response); ON responses consisted exclusively of inhibitory inputs, while OFF responses comprised both excitatory and inhibitory components, although the inhibitory conductance was larger in amplitude and longer in time course. The physiological properties and anatomical features of the VGLUT3+ amacrine cells suggest that this bistratified interneuron may play a role in disinhibitory signaling and/or crossover inhibition between parallel pathways in the retina.

Masked excitatory crosstalk between the ON and OFF visual pathways in the mammalian retina

A fundamental organizing feature of the visual system is the segregation of ON and OFF responses into parallel streams to signal light increment and decrement. However, we found that blockade of GABAergic inhibition unmasks robust ON responses in OFF α-ganglion cells (α-GCs). These ON responses had the same centre-mediated structure as the classic OFF responses of OFF α-GCs, but were abolished following disruption of the ON pathway with L-AP4. Experiments showed that both GABA(A) and GABA(C) receptors are involved in the masking inhibition of this ON response, located at presynaptic inhibitory synapses on bipolar cell axon terminals and possibly amacrine cell dendrites. Since the dendrites of OFF α-GCs are not positioned to receive excitatory inputs from ON bipolar cell axon terminals in sublamina-b of the inner plexiform layer (IPL), we investigated the possibility that gap junction-mediated electrical synapses made with neighbouring amacrine cells form the avenue for reception of ON signals. We found that the application of gap junction blockers eliminated the unmasked ON responses in OFF α-GCs, while the classic OFF responses remained. Furthermore, we found that amacrine cells coupled to OFF α-GCs display processes in both sublaminae of the IPL, thus forming a plausible substrate for the reception and delivery of ON signals to OFF α-GCs. Finally, using a multielectrode array, we found that masked ON and OFF signals are displayed by over one-third of ganglion cells in the rabbit and mouse retinas, suggesting that masked crossover excitation is a widespread phenomenon in the inner mammalian retina.

The retinal hypercircuit: a repeating synaptic interactive motif underlying visual function

Abstract

The vertebrate retina generates a stack of about a dozen different movies that represent the visual world as dynamic neural images or movies. The stack is embodied as separate strata that span the inner plexiform layer (IPL). At each stratum, ganglion cell dendrites reach up to read out inhibitory interactions between three different amacrine cell classes that shape bipolar-to-ganglion cell transmission. The nexus of these five cell classes represents a functional module, a retinal ‘hypercircuit’, that is repeated across the surface of each of the dozen strata that span the depth of the IPL. Individual differences in the characteristics of each cell class at each stratum lead to the unique processing characteristics of each neural image throughout the stack. This review shows how the interactions between the morphological and physiological characteristics of each cell class generate many of the known retinal visual functions including motion detection, directional selectivity, local edge detection, looming detection, object motion and looming detection.

Inputs underlying the ON-OFF light responses of type 2 wide-field amacrine cells in TH::GFP mice

In the mammalian retina, two types of catecholaminergic amacrine cells have been described. Although dopaminergic type 1 cells are well characterized, the physiology of type 2 cells is, so far, unknown. To target type 2 cells specifically, we used a transgenic mouse line that expresses green fluorescent protein under the control of the tyrosine hydroxylase promoter. Type 2 cells are GABAergic and have an extensive dendritic arbor, which stratifies in the middle of the inner plexiform layer. Our data suggest that type 2 cells comprise two subpopulations with identical physiological properties: one has its somata located in the inner nuclear layer and the other in the ganglion cell layer. Immunostaining with bipolar cell markers suggested that type 2 cells receive excitatory inputs from type 3 OFF and type 5 ON bipolar cells. Consistently, patch-clamp recordings showed that type 2 cells are ON-OFF amacrine cells. Blocking excitatory inputs revealed that different rod and cone pathways are active under scotopic and mesopic light conditions. Blockade of inhibitory inputs led to membrane potential oscillations in type 2 cells, suggesting that GABAergic and glycinergic amacrine cells strongly influence type 2 cell signaling. Among the glycinergic amacrine cells, we identified the VGluT3-immunoreactive amacrine cell as a likely candidate. Collectively, light responses of type 2 cells were remarkably uniform over a wide range of light intensities. These properties point toward a general function of type 2 cells that is maintained under scotopic and mesopic conditions.

Multiple pathways of inhibition shape bipolar cell responses in the retina

Bipolar cells (BCs) are critical relay neurons in the retina that are organized into parallel signaling pathways. The three main signaling pathways in the mammalian retina are the rod, ON cone, and OFF cone BCs. Rod BCs mediate incrementing dim light signals from rods, and ON cone and OFF cone BCs mediate incrementing and decrementing brighter light signals from cones, respectively. The outputs of BCs are shaped by inhibitory inputs from GABAergic and glycinergic amacrine cells in the inner plexiform layer, mediated by three distinct types of inhibitory receptors: GABA(A), GABA(C), and glycine receptors. The three main BC pathways receive distinct forms of inhibition from these three receptors that shape their light-evoked inhibitory signals. Rod BC inhibition is dominated by slow GABA(C) receptor inhibition, while OFF cone BCs are dominated by glycinergic inhibition. The inhibitory inputs to BCs are also shaped by serial inhibitory connections between GABAergic amacrine cells that limit the spatial profile of BC inhibition. We discuss our recent studies on how inhibitory inputs to BCs are shaped by receptor expression, receptor properties, and neurotransmitter release properties and how these affect the output of BCs.

Orientation selectivity in rabbit retinal ganglion cells is mediated by presynaptic inhibition

Cells sensitive to the orientation of edges are ubiquitous in visual systems, and have been described in the vertebrate retina, yet the synaptic mechanisms that generate orientation selectivity in the retina are largely unknown. Here, we analyze the synaptic mechanisms that generate selective responses to vertically and horizontally oriented stimuli in rabbit retinal ganglion cells. The data indicate that the excitatory and inhibitory inputs to orientation-selective ganglion cells are rendered orientation selective within the presynaptic circuitry. In accordance with previous extracellular recordings, presynaptic GABAergic inhibition is critical to generate orientation selectivity, and we show that it includes lateral inhibition of glutamatergic bipolar cells and serial inhibitory connections between GABAergic and glycinergic amacrine cells. Despite very similar spiking properties, vertically and horizontally selective ganglion cells (VS-GCs and HS-GCs, respectively) show marked differences in their underlying synaptic mechanisms. Both cell types receive glutamatergic inputs via non-NMDA (AMPA/kainate) and NMDA receptors, while VS-GCs receive additional excitation mediated by glycinergic disinhibition. A striking difference between these cells is that during nonpreferred simulation, excitation is suppressed and direct glycinergic inhibition is increased in HS-GCs, whereas for VS-GCs, both excitatory and inhibitory inputs are suppressed. Thus, orientation selectivity is generated presynaptically both by modulation of bipolar cell output and by serial inhibitory connections between amacrine cells. Minimal circuit models are proposed that account for these observations.

GABA(B) receptor feedback regulation of bipolar cell transmitter release

GABAergic amacrine cell feedback to bipolar cells in retina has been described, activating both GABA(A) and GABA(C) receptors. We explored whether metabotropic GABA(B) receptors also participate in this feedback pathway. CGP55845, a potent GABA(B) receptor antagonist, was employed to determine the endogenous role of these receptors. Ganglion cell EPSCs and IPSCs were monitored to measure the output of bipolar and amacrine cells. Using the tiger salamander slice preparation, we found that GABA(B) receptor pathways regulate bipolar cell release directly and indirectly. In the direct pathway, the GABA(B) receptor antagonist reduces EPSC amplitude, indicating that GABA(B) receptors cause enhanced glutamate release from bipolar cells to one set of ganglion cells. In the indirect pathway, the GABA(B) receptor antagonist reduces EPSC amplitude in another set of ganglion cells. The indirect pathway is only evident when GABA(A) receptors are inhibited, and is blocked by a glycine receptor antagonist. Thus, this second feedback pathway involves direct glycine feedback to the bipolar cell and this glycinergic amacrine cell is suppressed by GABAergic amacrine cells, through both GABA(A) and GABA(B) but not GABA(C) receptors. Overall, GABA(B) receptors do contribute to feedback regulation of bipolar cell transmitter release. However, unlike the ionotropic GABA receptor pathways, the metabotropic GABA receptor pathways act to enhance bipolar cell transmitter release. Furthermore, there are three discrete subsets of bipolar cell output regulated by GABA(B) receptor feedback (direct, indirect and null), implying three distinct, non-overlapping bipolar cell to ganglion cell circuits.

Mechanisms underlying lateral GABAergic feedback onto rod bipolar cells in rat retina

GABAergic feedback inhibition from amacrine cells shapes visual signaling in the inner retina. Rod bipolar cells (RBCs), ON-sensitive cells that depolarize in response to light increments, receive reciprocal GABAergic feedback from A17 amacrine cells and additional GABAergic inputs from other amacrine cells located laterally in the inner plexiform layer. The circuitry and synaptic mechanisms underlying lateral GABAergic inhibition of RBCs are poorly understood. A-type and rho-subunit-containing (C-type) GABA receptors (GABA(A)Rs and GABA(C)Rs) mediate both forms of inhibition, but their relative activation during synaptic transmission is unclear, and potential interactions between adjacent reciprocal and lateral synapses have not been explored. Here, we recorded from RBCs in acute slices of rat retina and isolated lateral GABAergic inhibition by pharmacologically ablating A17 amacrine cells. We found that amacrine cells providing lateral GABAergic inhibition to RBCs receive excitatory synaptic input mostly from ON bipolar cells via activation of both Ca(2+)-impermeable and Ca(2+)-permeable AMPA receptors (CP-AMPARs) but not NMDA receptors (NMDARs). Voltage-gated Ca(2+) (Ca(v)) channels mediate the majority of Ca(2+) influx that triggers GABA release, although CP-AMPARs contribute a small component. The intracellular Ca(2+) signal contributing to transmitter release is amplified by Ca(2+)-induced Ca(2+) release from intracellular stores via activation of ryanodine receptors. Furthermore, lateral nonreciprocal feedback is mediated primarily by GABA(C)Rs that are activated independently from receptors mediating reciprocal feedback inhibition. These results illustrate numerous physiological differences that distinguish GABA release at reciprocal and lateral synapses, indicating complex, pathway-specific modulation of RBC signaling.