1
|
Barta CL, Thoreson WB. Retinal inputs that drive optomotor responses of mice under mesopic conditions. IBRO Neurosci Rep 2024; 17:138-144. [PMID: 39170059 PMCID: PMC11338136 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibneur.2024.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 07/11/2024] [Accepted: 07/20/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Optomotor responses are a popular way to assess sub-cortical visual responses in mice. We studied photoreceptor inputs into optomotor circuits using genetically-modified mice lacking the exocytotic calcium sensors synaptotagmin 1 (Syt1) and 7 (Syt7) in rods or cones. We also tested mice that in which cone transducin, GNAT2, had been eliminated. We studied spatial frequency sensitivity under mesopic conditions by varying the spatial frequency of a grating rotating at 12 deg/s and contrast sensitivity by varying luminance contrast of 0.2c/deg gratings. We found that eliminating Syt1 from rods reduced responses to a low spatial frequency grating (0.05c/deg) consistent with low resolution in this pathway. Conversely, eliminating the ability of cones to respond to light (by eliminating GNAT2) or transmit light responses (by selectively eliminating Syt1) showed weaker responses to a high spatial frequency grating (3c/deg). Eliminating Syt7 from the entire optomotor pathway in a global knockout had no significant effect on optomotor responses. We isolated the secondary rod pathway involving transmission of rod responses to cones via gap junctions by simultaneously eliminating Syt1 from rods and GNAT2 from cones. We found that the secondary rod pathway is sufficient to drive robust optomotor responses under mesopic conditions. Finally, eliminating Syt1 from both rods and cones almost completely abolished optomotor responses, but we detected weak responses to large, bright rotating gratings that are likely driven by input from intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- CL Barta
- Truhlsen Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, USA
| | - WB Thoreson
- Truhlsen Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, USA
- Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Hanke-Gogokhia C, Zapadka TE, Finkelstein S, Klingeborn M, Maugel TK, Singer JH, Arshavsky VY, Demb JB. The Structural and Functional Integrity of Rod Photoreceptor Ribbon Synapses Depends on Redundant Actions of Dynamins 1 and 3. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e1379232024. [PMID: 38641407 PMCID: PMC11209669 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1379-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Vertebrate vision begins with light absorption by rod and cone photoreceptors, which transmit signals from their synaptic terminals to second-order neurons: bipolar and horizontal cells. In mouse rods, there is a single presynaptic ribbon-type active zone at which the release of glutamate occurs tonically in the dark. This tonic glutamatergic signaling requires continuous exo- and endocytosis of synaptic vesicles. At conventional synapses, endocytosis commonly requires dynamins: GTPases encoded by three genes (Dnm1-3), which perform membrane scission. Disrupting endocytosis by dynamin deletions impairs transmission at conventional synapses, but the impact of disrupting endocytosis and the role(s) of specific dynamin isoforms at rod ribbon synapses are understood incompletely. Here, we used cell-specific knock-outs (KOs) of the neuron-specific Dnm1 and Dnm3 to investigate the functional roles of dynamin isoforms in rod photoreceptors in mice of either sex. Analysis of synaptic protein expression, synapse ultrastructure, and retinal function via electroretinograms (ERGs) showed that dynamins 1 and 3 act redundantly and are essential for supporting the structural and functional integrity of rod ribbon synapses. Single Dnm3 KO showed no phenotype, and single Dnm1 KO only modestly reduced synaptic vesicle density without affecting vesicle size and overall synapse integrity, whereas double Dnm1/Dnm3 KO impaired vesicle endocytosis profoundly, causing enlarged vesicles, reduced vesicle density, reduced ERG responses, synaptic terminal degeneration, and disassembly and degeneration of postsynaptic processes. Concurrently, cone function remained intact. These results show the fundamental redundancy of dynamins 1 and 3 in regulating the structure and function of rod ribbon synapses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christin Hanke-Gogokhia
- Departments of Ophthalmology & Visual Science, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511
| | - Thomas E Zapadka
- Departments of Ophthalmology & Visual Science, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511
- Cellular & Molecular Physiology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511
| | - Stella Finkelstein
- Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina 27705
| | - Mikael Klingeborn
- Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina 27705
| | - Timothy K Maugel
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742
| | - Joshua H Singer
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742
| | - Vadim Y Arshavsky
- Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina 27705
| | - Jonathan B Demb
- Departments of Ophthalmology & Visual Science, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511
- Cellular & Molecular Physiology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Thoreson WB, Chhunchha B. EAAT5 glutamate transporter rapidly binds glutamate with micromolar affinity in mouse rods. J Gen Physiol 2023; 155:e202313349. [PMID: 37477643 PMCID: PMC10359920 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202313349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Light responses of rod photoreceptor cells in the retina are encoded by changes in synaptic glutamate release that is in turn shaped by reuptake involving EAAT5 plasma membrane glutamate transporters. Heterologously expressed EAAT5 activates too slowly upon glutamate binding to support significant uptake. We tested EAAT5 activation in mouse rods in vivo by stimulating glutamate transporter anion currents (IA(glu)) with UV flash photolysis of MNI-glutamate, varying flash intensity to vary glutamate levels. Responses to uncaging rose rapidly with time constants of 2-3 ms, similar to IA(glu) events arising from spontaneous release. Spontaneous release events and IA(glu) evoked by weak flashes also declined with similar time constants of 40-50 ms. Stronger flashes evoked responses that decayed more slowly. Time constants were twofold faster at 35°C, suggesting that they reflect transporter kinetics, not diffusion. Selective EAAT1 and EAAT2 inhibitors had no significant effect, suggesting IA(glu) in rods arises solely from EAAT5. We calibrated glutamate levels attained during flash photolysis by expressing a fluorescent glutamate sensor iGluSnFr in cultured epithelial cells. We compared fluorescence at different glutamate concentrations to fluorescence evoked by photolytic uncaging of MNI-glutamate. The relationship between flash intensity and glutamate yielded EC50 values for EAAT5 amplitude, decay time, and rise time of ∼10 μM. Micromolar affinity and rapid activation of EAAT5 in rods show it can rapidly bind synaptic glutamate. However, we also found that EAAT5 currents are saturated by the synchronous release of only a few vesicles, suggesting limited capacity and a role for glial uptake at higher release rates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wallace B. Thoreson
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Truhlsen Eye Institute, Omaha, NE, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Bhavana Chhunchha
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Truhlsen Eye Institute, Omaha, NE, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Torten G, Fisher SK, Linberg KA, Luna G, Perkins G, Ellisman MH, Williams DS. Three-Dimensional Ultrastructure of the Normal Rod Photoreceptor Synapse and Degenerative Changes Induced by Retinal Detachment. J Neurosci 2023; 43:5468-5482. [PMID: 37414561 PMCID: PMC10376940 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2267-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The rod photoreceptor synapse is the first synapse of dim-light vision and one of the most complex in the mammalian CNS. The components of its unique structure, a presynaptic ribbon and a single synaptic invagination enclosing several postsynaptic processes, have been identified, but disagreements about their organization remain. Here, we have used EM tomography to generate high-resolution images of 3-D volumes of the rod synapse from the female domestic cat. We have resolved the synaptic ribbon as a single structure, with a single arciform density, indicating the presence of one long site of transmitter release. The organization of the postsynaptic processes, which has been difficult to resolve with past methods, appears as a tetrad arrangement of two horizontal cell and two rod bipolar cell processes. Retinal detachment severely disrupts this organization. After 7 d, EM tomography reveals withdrawal of rod bipolar dendrites from most spherules; fragmentation of synaptic ribbons, which lose their tight association with the presynaptic membrane; and loss of the highly branched telodendria of the horizontal cell axon terminals. After detachment, the hilus, the opening through which postsynaptic processes enter the invagination, enlarges, exposing the normally sequestered environment within the invagination to the extracellular space of the outer plexiform layer. Our use of EM tomography provides the most accurate description to date of the complex rod synapse and details changes it undergoes during outer segment degeneration. These changes would be expected to disrupt the flow of information in the rod pathway.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Ribbon-type synapses transmit the first electrical signals of vision and hearing. Despite their crucial role in sensory physiology, the three-dimensional ultrastructure of these synapses, especially the complex organization of the rod photoreceptor synapse, is not well understood. We used EM tomography to obtain 3-D imaging at nanoscale resolution to help resolve the organization of rod synapses in normal and detached retinas. This approach has enabled us to show that in the normal retina a single ribbon and arciform density oppose a tetrad of postsynaptic processes. In addition, it enabled us to provide a 3-D perspective of the ultrastructural changes that occur in response to retinal detachment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gil Torten
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Neurobiology, Stein Eye Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Steven K Fisher
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93117
- Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93117
| | - Kenneth A Linberg
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93117
| | - Gabriel Luna
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93117
| | - Guy Perkins
- National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research and Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093
| | - Mark H Ellisman
- National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research and Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093
| | - David S Williams
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Neurobiology, Stein Eye Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095
- Brain Research Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Sladek AL, Thoreson WB. Using optogenetics to dissect rod inputs to OFF ganglion cells in the mouse retina. FRONTIERS IN OPHTHALMOLOGY 2023; 3:1146785. [PMID: 37426783 PMCID: PMC10327572 DOI: 10.3389/fopht.2023.1146785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Introduction Light responses of rod photoreceptor cells traverse the retina through three pathways. The primary pathway involves synapses from rods to ON-type rod bipolar cells with OFF signals reaching retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) via sign-inverting glycinergic synapses. Secondly, rod signals can enter cones through gap junctions. Finally, rods can synapse directly onto cone OFF bipolar cells. Methods To analyze these pathways, we obtained whole cell recordings from OFF-type α RGCs in mouse retinas while expressing channelrhodopsin-2 in rods and/or cones. Results Optogenetic stimulation of rods or cones evoked large fast currents in OFF RGCs. Blocking the primary rod pathway with L-AP4 and/or strychnine reduced rod-driven optogenetic currents in OFF RGCs by ~1/3. Blocking kainate receptors of OFF cone bipolar cells suppressed both rod- and cone-driven optogenetic currents in OFF RGCs. Inhibiting gap junctions between rods and cones with mecloflenamic acid or quinpirole reduced rod-driven responses in OFF RGCs. Eliminating the exocytotic Ca2+ sensor, synaptotagmin 1 (Syt1), from cones abolished cone-driven optogenetic responses in RGCs. Rod-driven currents were not significantly reduced after isolating the secondary pathway by eliminating Syt1 and synaptotagmin 7 (Syt7) to block synaptic release from rods. Eliminating Syt1 from both rods and cones abolished responses to optogenetic stimulation. In Cx36 KO retinas lacking rod-cone gap junctions, optogenetic activation of rods evoked small and slow responses in most OFF RGCs suggesting rod signals reached them through an indirect pathway. Two OFF cells showed faster responses consistent with more direct input from cone OFF bipolar cells. Discussion These data show that the secondary rod pathway supports robust inputs into OFF α RGCs and suggests the tertiary pathway recruits both direct and indirect inputs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Asia L. Sladek
- Truhlsen Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Wallace B. Thoreson
- Truhlsen Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States
- Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States
| |
Collapse
|