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Ichinose T, Hellmer CB, Bohl JM. Presynaptic depolarization differentially regulates dual neurotransmitter release from starburst amacrine cells in the mouse retina. FRONTIERS IN OPHTHALMOLOGY 2023; 3:1225824. [PMID: 38444728 PMCID: PMC10914334 DOI: 10.3389/fopht.2023.1225824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
The retina is comprised of diverse neural networks, signaling from photoreceptors to ganglion cells to encode images. The synaptic connections between these retinal neurons are crucial points for information transfer; however, the input-output relations of many synapses are understudied. Starburst amacrine cells in the retina are known to contribute to retinal motion detection circuits, providing a unique window for understanding neural computations. We examined the dual transmitter release of GABA and acetylcholine from starburst amacrine cells by optogenetic activation of these cells, and conducted patch clamp recordings from postsynaptic ganglion cells to record excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs and IPSCs). As starburst amacrine cells exhibit distinct kinetics in response to objects moving in a preferred or null direction, we mimicked their depolarization kinetics using optogenetic stimuli by varying slopes of the rising phase. The amplitudes of EPSCs and IPSCs in postsynaptic ganglion cells were reduced as the stimulus rising speed was prolonged. However, the sensitivity of postsynaptic currents to the stimulus slope differed. EPSC amplitudes were consistently reduced as the steepness of the rising phase fell. By contrast, IPSCs were less sensitive to the slope of the stimulus rise phase and maintained their amplitudes until the slope became shallow. These results indicate that distinct synaptic release mechanisms contribute to acetylcholine and GABA release from starburst amacrine cells, which could contribute to the ganglion cells' direction selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomomi Ichinose
- Department of Ophthalmology, Visual and Anatomical Sciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
| | | | - Jeremy M. Bohl
- Department of Ophthalmology, Visual and Anatomical Sciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
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Stincic T, Gayet-Primo J, Taylor WR, Puthussery T. TARPγ2 Is Required for Normal AMPA Receptor Expression and Function in Direction-Selective Circuits of the Mammalian Retina. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0158-23.2023. [PMID: 37491367 PMCID: PMC10431237 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0158-23.2023] [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: 05/13/2023] [Revised: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
AMPA receptors (AMPARs) are the major mediators of fast excitatory neurotransmission in the retina as in other parts of the brain. In most neurons, the synaptic targeting, pharmacology, and function of AMPARs are influenced by auxiliary subunits including the transmembrane AMPA receptor regulatory proteins (TARPs). However, it is unclear which TARP subunits are present at retinal synapses and how they influence receptor localization and function. Here, we show that TARPɣ2 (stargazin) is associated with AMPARs in the synaptic layers of the mouse, rabbit, macaque, and human retina. In most species, TARPɣ2 expression was high where starburst amacrine cells (SACs) ramify and transcriptomic analyses suggest correspondingly high gene expression in mouse and human SACs. Synaptic expression of GluA2, GluA3, and GluA4 was significantly reduced in a mouse mutant lacking TARPɣ2 expression (stargazer mouse; stg), whereas GluA1 levels were unaffected. AMPAR-mediated light-evoked EPSCs in ON-SACs from stg mice were ∼30% smaller compared with heterozygous littermates. There was also loss of a transient ON pathway-driven GABAergic input to ON-SACs in stg mutants. Direction-selective ganglion cells in the stg mouse showed normal directional tuning, but their surround inhibition and thus spatial tuning was reduced. Our results indicate that TARPɣ2 is required for normal synaptic expression of GluA2, GluA3, and GluA4 in the inner retina. The presence of residual AMPAR expression in the stargazer mutant suggests that other TARP subunits may compensate in the absence of TARPɣ2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Todd Stincic
- Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239
| | - Jacqueline Gayet-Primo
- Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720
- Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239
| | - W Rowland Taylor
- Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720
- Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239
| | - Teresa Puthussery
- Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720
- Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239
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Chrobok L, Palus-Chramiec K, Jeczmien-Lazur JS, Lewandowski MH. Altered oscillation frequencies in the lateral geniculate complex in the rat model of absence epilepsy. Epilepsy Res 2019; 157:106212. [DOI: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2019.106212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Revised: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 09/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Stincic TL, Keeley PW, Reese BE, Taylor WR. Bistratified starburst amacrine cells in Sox2 conditional knockout mouse retina display ON and OFF responses. J Neurophysiol 2018; 120:2121-2129. [PMID: 30089022 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00322.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell-intrinsic factors, in conjunction with environmental signals, guide migration, differentiation, and connectivity during early development of neuronal circuits. Within the retina, inhibitory starburst amacrine cells (SBACs) comprise ON types with somas in the ganglion cell layer (GCL) and dendrites stratifying narrowly in the inner half of the inner plexiform layer (IPL) and OFF types with somas in the inner nuclear layer (INL) and dendrites stratifying narrowly in the outer half of the IPL. The transcription factor Sox2 is crucial to this subtype specification. Without Sox2, many ON-type SBACs destined for the GCL settle in the INL while many that reach the GCL develop bistratified dendritic arbors. This study asked whether ON-type SBACs in Sox2-conditional knockout retinas exhibit selective connectivity only with ON-type bipolar cells or their bistratified morphology allows them to connect to both ON and OFF bipolar cells. Physiological data demonstrate that these cells receive ON and OFF excitatory inputs, indicating that the ectopically stratified dendrites make functional synapses with bipolar cells. The excitatory inputs were smaller and more transient in Sox2-conditional knockout compared with wild type; however, inhibitory inputs appeared largely unchanged. Thus dendritic stratification, rather than cellular identification, may be the major factor that determines ON vs. OFF connectivity. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Conditional knockout of the transcription factor Sox2 during early embryogenesis converts a monostratifying starburst amacrine cell into a bistratifying starburst cell. Here we show that these bistratifying starburst amacrine cells form functional synaptic connections with both ON and OFF bipolar cells. This suggests that normal ON vs. OFF starburst connectivity may not require distinct molecular specification. Proximity alone may be sufficient to allow formation of functional synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Todd L Stincic
- Casey Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Oregon Health & Science University , Portland, Oregon
| | - Patrick W Keeley
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California , Santa Barbara, California
| | - Benjamin E Reese
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California , Santa Barbara, California.,Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California , Santa Barbara, California
| | - W Rowland Taylor
- Casey Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Oregon Health & Science University , Portland, Oregon.,School of Optometry and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California , Berkeley, California
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Chrobok L, Palus‐Chramiec K, Jeczmien‐Lazur JS, Blasiak T, Lewandowski MH. Gamma and infra-slow oscillations shape neuronal firing in the rat subcortical visual system. J Physiol 2018; 596:2229-2250. [PMID: 29577327 PMCID: PMC5983133 DOI: 10.1113/jp275563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS Neuronal oscillations observed in sensory systems are physiological carriers of information about stimulus features. Rhythm in the infra-slow range, originating from the retina, was previously found in the firing of subcortical visual system nuclei involved in both image and non-image forming functions. The present study shows that the firing of neurons in the lateral geniculate nucleus is also governed by gamma oscillation (∼35 Hz) time-locked to high phase of infra-slow rhythm that codes the intensity of transient light stimulation. We show that both physiological rhythms are synchronized within and between ipsilateral nuclei of the subcortical visual system and are dependent on retinal activity. The present study shows that neurophysiological oscillations characterized by various frequencies not only coexist in the subcortical visual system, but also are subjected to complex interference and synchronization processes. ABSTRACT The physiological function of rhythmic firing in the neuronal networks of sensory systems has been linked with information coding. Also, neuronal oscillations in different frequency bands often change as a signature of brain state or sensory processing. Infra-slow oscillation (ISO) in the neuronal firing dependent on the retinal network has been described previously in the structures of the subcortical visual system. In the present study, we show for the first time that firing of ISO neurons in the lateral geniculate nucleus is also characterized by a harmonic discharge pattern (i.e. action potentials are separated by the intervals governed by fundamental frequency in the gamma range: ∼35 Hz). A similar phenomenon was recently described in the suprachiasmatic nuclei of the hypothalamus: the master biological clock. We found that both gamma and ISO rhythms were synchronized within and between ipsilateral nuclei of the subcortical visual system and were dependent on the retinal activity of the contralateral eye. These oscillatory patterns were differentially influenced by transient and prolonged light stimulation with respect to both frequency change direction and sustainability. The results of the present study show that the firing pattern of neurons in the subcortical visual system is shaped by oscillations from infra-slow and gamma frequency bands that are plausibly generated by the retinal network. Additionally, the results demonstrate that both rhythms are not a distinctive feature of image or non-image forming visual systems but, instead, they comprise two channels carrying distinctive properties of photic information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukasz Chrobok
- Department of Neurophysiology and ChronobiologyInstitute of Zoology and Biomedical ResearchJagiellonian University in KrakowKrakowPoland
| | - Katarzyna Palus‐Chramiec
- Department of Neurophysiology and ChronobiologyInstitute of Zoology and Biomedical ResearchJagiellonian University in KrakowKrakowPoland
| | - Jagoda Stanislawa Jeczmien‐Lazur
- Department of Neurophysiology and ChronobiologyInstitute of Zoology and Biomedical ResearchJagiellonian University in KrakowKrakowPoland
| | - Tomasz Blasiak
- Department of Neurophysiology and ChronobiologyInstitute of Zoology and Biomedical ResearchJagiellonian University in KrakowKrakowPoland
| | - Marian Henryk Lewandowski
- Department of Neurophysiology and ChronobiologyInstitute of Zoology and Biomedical ResearchJagiellonian University in KrakowKrakowPoland
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Smith BJ, Côté PD, Tremblay F. Contribution of Na v1.8 sodium channels to retinal function. Neuroscience 2016; 340:279-290. [PMID: 27984182 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.10.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2016] [Revised: 10/07/2016] [Accepted: 10/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
We examined the contribution of the sodium channel isoform Nav1.8 to retinal function using the specific blocker A803467. We found that A803467 has little influence on the electroretinogram (ERG) a- and b-waves, but significantly reduces the oscillatory potentials (OPs) to 40-60% of their original amplitude, with significant changes in implicit time in the rod-driven range. To date, only two cell types were found in mouse to express Nav1.8; the starburst amacrine cells (SBACs), and a subtype of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). When we recorded light responses from ganglion cells using a multielectrode array we found significant and opposing changes in two physiological groups of RGCs. ON-sustained cells showed significant decreases while transient ON-OFF cells showed significant increases. The effects on ON-OFF transient cells but not ON-sustained cells disappeared in the presence of an inhibitory cocktail. We have previously shown that RGCs have only a minor contribution to the OPs (Smith et al., 2014), therefore suggesting that SBACs might be a significant contributor to this ERG component. Targeting SBACs with the cholinergic neurotoxin ethylcholine mustard aziridinium (AF64A) caused a reduction in the amplitude of the OPs similar to A803467. Our results, both using the ERG and MEA recordings from RGCs, suggest that Nav1.8 plays a role in modulating specific aspects of the retinal physiology and that SBACs are a fundamental cellular contributor to the OPs in mice, a clear demonstration of the dichotomy between ERG b-wave and OPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J Smith
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford St., PO Box 15000, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada.
| | - Patrice D Côté
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford St., PO Box 15000, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Dalhousie University, 1276 South Park St., PO Box 15000, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada.
| | - François Tremblay
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Dalhousie University, 1276 South Park St., PO Box 15000, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada; Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Dalhousie University, 5850 College Street, PO Box 15000, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada.
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Tu HY, Chen YJ, McQuiston AR, Chiao CC, Chen CK. A Novel Retinal Oscillation Mechanism in an Autosomal Dominant Photoreceptor Degeneration Mouse Model. Front Cell Neurosci 2016; 9:513. [PMID: 26793064 PMCID: PMC4709559 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2015.00513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2015] [Accepted: 12/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been shown in rd1 and rd10 models of photoreceptor degeneration (PD) that inner retinal neurons display spontaneous and rhythmic activities. Furthermore, the rhythmic activity has been shown to require the gap junction protein connexin 36, which is likely located in AII amacrine cells (AII-ACs). In the present study, an autosomal dominant PD model called rhoΔCTA, whose rods overexpress a C-terminally truncated mutant rhodopsin and degenerate with a rate similar to that of rd1, was used to investigate the generality and mechanisms of heightened inner retinal activity following PD. To fluorescently identify cholinergic starburst amacrine cells (SACs), the rhoΔCTA mouse was introduced into a combined ChAT-IRES-Cre and Ai9 background. In this mouse, we observed excitatory postsynaptic current (EPSC) oscillation and non-rhythmic inhibitory postsynaptic current (IPSC) in both ON- and OFF-SACs. The IPSCs were more noticeable in OFF- than in ON-SACs. Similar to reported retinal ganglion cell (RGC) oscillation in rd1 mice, EPSC oscillation was synaptically driven by glutamate and sensitive to blockade of NaV channels and gap junctions. These data suggest that akin to rd1 mice, AII-AC is a prominent oscillator in rhoΔCTA mice. Surprisingly, OFF-SAC but not ON-SAC EPSC oscillation could readily be enhanced by GABAergic blockade. More importantly, weakening the AII-AC gap junction network by activating retinal dopamine receptors abolished oscillations in ON-SACs but not in OFF-SACs. Furthermore, the latter persisted in the presence of flupirtine, an M-type potassium channel activator recently reported to dampen intrinsic AII-AC bursting. These data suggest the existence of a novel oscillation mechanism in mice with PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hung-Ya Tu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Baylor College of MedicineHouston, TX, USA; Institute of Molecular Medicine, National Tsing Hua UniversityHsinchu, Taiwan; Department of Life Science, National Tsing Hua UniversityHsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Jiun Chen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Baylor College of Medicine Houston, TX, USA
| | - Adam R McQuiston
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Chuan-Chin Chiao
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, National Tsing Hua UniversityHsinchu, Taiwan; Department of Life Science, National Tsing Hua UniversityHsinchu, Taiwan; Institute of Systems Neuroscience, National Tsing Hua UniversityHsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Kang Chen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Baylor College of MedicineHouston, TX, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of MedicineHouston, TX, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of MedicineHouston, TX, USA
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Ishii T, Kaneda M. ON-pathway-dominant glycinergic regulation of cholinergic amacrine cells in the mouse retina. J Physiol 2014; 592:4235-45. [PMID: 25085888 DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2014.271148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Direction selectivity in the retina has been studied as a model of dendritic computation of neural circuits. Starburst amacrine cells (SACs) have been examined as a model system of dendritic computation as they play a pivotal role in the formation of direction selectivity. Because the difference of anatomical location inside the retina made ON-SACs an easier target to record, the biophysical properties of ON-SACs have been used to predict those of OFF-SACs. In this study, we systematically compared the responses of ON- and OFF-SACs to the two principal neurotransmitters, glycine and glutamate. We found that responses to glycine were significantly larger in ON-SACs than in OFF-SACs. In contrast, ON- and OFF-SACs responded similarly to glutamate. The amplitude of glycine responses in ON-SACs increased after eye opening and the largest amplitude was observed at postnatal day 28. On the other hand, no increase in the amplitude of glycine responses in OFF-SACs was observed until postnatal day 28. Glycine-evoked currents were inhibited by the application of strychnine. Glutamate-evoked currents were mimicked by the application of AMPA or kainite, and responses to N-methyl-d-aspartate were observed in the absence of Mg(2+) block. Glutamate-evoked currents produced an increase in the frequency of GABAergic inhibitory postsynaptic currents. Our results suggest that signal processing in ON-SACs cannot be directly used to understand the properties of OFF-SACs. Therefore fully defining the physiological properties of OFF-SACs will be critical to understanding and modelling direction selectivity in the retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshiyuki Ishii
- Department of Physiology, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, 113-8602, Japan
| | - Makoto Kaneda
- Department of Physiology, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, 113-8602, Japan
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Toychiev AH, Yee CW, Sagdullaev BT. Correlated spontaneous activity persists in adult retina and is suppressed by inhibitory inputs. PLoS One 2013; 8:e77658. [PMID: 24204906 PMCID: PMC3812233 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0077658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2013] [Accepted: 09/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Spontaneous rhythmic activity is a hallmark feature of the developing retina, where propagating retinal waves instruct axonal targeting and synapse formation. Retinal waves cease around the time of eye-opening; however, the fate of the underlying synaptic circuitry is unknown. Whether retinal waves are unique to the developing retina or if they can be induced in adulthood is not known. Combining patch-clamp techniques with calcium imaging, we demonstrate that propagative events persist in adult mouse retina when it is deprived of inhibitory input. This activity originates in bipolar cells, resembling glutamatergic stage III retinal waves. We find that, as it develops, the network interactions progressively curtail this activity. Together, this provides evidence that the correlated propagative neuronal activity can be induced in adult retina following the blockade of inhibitory interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abduqodir H Toychiev
- Department of Neurology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York, United States of America ; Department of Ophthalmology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York, United States of America
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Koehler CL, Akimov NP, Rentería RC. Receptive field center size decreases and firing properties mature in ON and OFF retinal ganglion cells after eye opening in the mouse. J Neurophysiol 2011; 106:895-904. [PMID: 21613583 DOI: 10.1152/jn.01046.2010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Development of the mammalian visual system is not complete at birth but continues postnatally well after eye opening. Although numerous studies have revealed changes in the development of the thalamus and visual cortex during this time, less is known about the development of response properties of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Here, we mapped functional receptive fields of mouse RGCs using a Gaussian white noise checkerboard stimulus and a multielectrode array to record from retinas at eye opening, 3 days later, and 4 wk after birth, when visual responses are essentially mature. Over this time, the receptive field center size of ON and OFF RGC populations decreased. The average receptive field center size of ON RGCs was larger than that of OFF RGCs at eye opening, but they decreased to the same size in the adult. Firing properties were also immature at eye opening. RGCs had longer latencies, lower frequencies of firing, and lower sensitivity than in the adult. Hence, the dramatic maturation of the visual system during the first weeks of visual experience includes the retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher L Koehler
- Department of Physiology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
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