Journal of Neuroscience, Vol 6, 594-604, Copyright © 1986 by Society for Neuroscience
Analysis of a glycinergic inhibitory pathway in the cat retina
H Wassle, I Schafer-Trenkler and T Voigt
Incubation of cat retinas with 3H-glycine in vitro, followed by horizontal
sectioning and autoradiography, showed labeling of 10-12% of bipolar cells
and 45% of amacrine cells. To ascertain the effects of glycine-accumulating
bipolar and amacrine cells on the response properties of retinal ganglion
cells, in vivo iontophoretic studies were performed in the cat eye. Glycine
inhibited all ganglion cells, and this action was blocked by strychnine.
Aminophosphonobutyric acid (APB) suppressed ON-ganglion cells, but
activated OFF-ganglion cells. The influence of APB upon OFF-ganglion cells
could be completely blocked by strychnine. In the mudpuppy, APB suppressed
ON-bipolar cells without affecting OFF-bipolar cells and without direct
effects on other retinal neurons (Slaughter and Miller, 1981, 1985). If APB
has the same mode of action in the cat retina, the present results suggest
a glycinergic inhibitory input of the ON-channel upon OFF-ganglion cells.