Summary
The outer plexiform layer of the cat retina has been examined by electron microscopy of random and serial ultrathin sections in order that neural profiles might be positively identified and their synaptic relationships studied. Photoreceptors are interconnected by means of gap junctions as are the A horizontal cells. B horizontal cells and axon terminals do not appear to be engaged in any synapses apart from those with photoreceptors, while A horizontal cells make rare ‘junctions’ with cone bipolars only. Interplexiform cell processes probably account for all the conventional chemical synapses in the outer plexiform layer of cat retina.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Baylor, D. A. andHodgkin, A. L. (1973) Detection and resolution by turtle photoreceptors.Journal of Physiology 234, 163–98.
Boycott, B. B. (1974) Aspects of the comparative anatomy and physiology of the vertebrate retina. InEssays on the nervous system;a festschrift for Professor J. Z. Young (edited byBellairs, R. andGray, E. G.), pp. 233–257. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Boycott, B. B., Dowling, J. E., Fisher, S. K., Kolb, H. andLaties, A. M. (1975) Interplexiform cells of the mammalian retina and their comparison with catechol-amine-containing retinal cells.Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B 191, 353–68.
Boycott, B. B. andKolb, H. (1973) The connexions between bipolar cells and photoreceptors in the retina of the domestic cat.Journal of Comparative Neurology 148, 91–114.
Cajal, S. R. (1892) La retine des vertébrés. The English translation of Greef (1894) has been used here:The structure of the retina (1972). (edited byThorpe, S. A. andGlickstein, M.), Charles C. Thomas: Springfield, Illinois.
Cleland, B. B. andLevick, W. R. (1974) Brisk and sluggish concentrically organized ganglion cells in the cat's retina.Journal of Physiology 240, 421–56.
Colonnier, R. (1964) The tangential organization of the visual cortex.Journal of Anatomy 98, 327–44.
Custer, N. V. (1973) Structurally specialized contacts between the photoreceptors of the retina of the Axolotol.Journal of Comparative Neurology 151, 35–56.
Dowling, J. E. (1970) Organization of vertebrate retinas.Investigative Ophthalmology 9, 655–80.
Dowling, J. E., Brown, J. E. andMajor, D. (1966) Synapses of horizontal cells in the rabbit and cat retinae.Science 153, 1639–41.
Dowling, J. E. andWerblin, F. S. (1968) Organization of retina of the mudpuppy,Necturus maculosus. I. Synaptic structure.Journal of Neurophysiology 32, 315–38.
Enroth-Cugell, C. andRobson, J. G. (1966) The contrast sensitivity of retinal ganglion cells of the cat.Journal of Physiology 187, 517–52.
Fain, G. L. (1975) Quantum sensitivity of rods in the toad retina.Science 187, 838–40.
Fain, G. L., Gold, G. H. andDowling, J. E. (1976) Receptor coupling in toad retina.Cold Spring Harbor Symposium on Quantitative Biology 40, 547–62.
Fisher, S. K. andBoycott, B. B. (1974) Synaptic connexions made by horizontal cells within the outer plexiform layer of the retina of the cat and the rabbit.Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B 186, 317–31.
Gallego, A. (1965) Connexions transversales au niveau des couches plexiforme de la retine. InActualitiées nemophysiologiques, Serie VI 5–27. Masson: Paris.
Gallego, A. (1971) Horizontal and amacrine cells in the mammal's retina.Vision Research, Supplement to2, 33–50.
Honrubia, F. M. andElliot, J. E. (1969) Horizontal cells of the Mammal retina.Archives of Ophthalmology 82, 98–104.
Kaneko, A. (1971) Electrical connexions between horizontal cells in the dogfish retina.Journal of Physiology 213, 95–105.
Kaneko, A. (1973) Receptive field organization of bipolar and amacrine cells in the goldfish retina.Journal of Physiology 235, 133–53.
Kolb, H. (1974) The connections between horizontal cells and photoreceptors in the retina of the cat: Electron microscopy of Golgi preparations.Journal of Comparative Neurology 155, 1–14.
Kolb, H. andWest, R. (1977) Synaptic connections of the interplexiform cell in the retina of thecat.Journal of Neurocytology 6, 155–70.
Lasansky, A. (1971) Synaptic organization of cone cells in the turtle retina.Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society Series B 262, 365–81.
Lasansky, A. (1972) Cell junctions at the outer synaptic layer of the retina.Investigative Ophthalmology 11, 265–75.
Lasansky, A. (1973) Organization of the outer synaptic layer in the retina of the Larval Tiger Salamander.Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, Series B 265, 471–89.
Lasansky, A. andVallerga, S. (1975) Horizontal cell responses in the retina of the Larval Tiger Salamander.Journal of Physiology 251, 145–65.
Leicester, J. andStone, J. (1967) Ganglion, amacrine and horizontal cells of the cat's retina.Vision Research 7, 695–705.
Missotten, L. (1965)The ultrastructure of the human retina. Brussels: Arscia. Uitgaven N.V.
Nelson, R. (1977) Cat cones have rod input: A comparison of the response properties of cones and horizontal cell bodies in the retina of the cat.Journal of Comparative Neurology, in press.
Nelson, R., Von LÜtzow, A., Kolb, H. andGouras, P. (1975) Horizontal cells in cat retina with independent dendritic systems.Science 189, 137–9.
Niemeyer, G. andGouras, P. (1973) Rod and Cone signals in S-potentials of the isolated perfused cat eye.Vision Research 13, 1603–12.
Olney, J. W. (1968) An electron microscopic study of synapse formation, receptor outer segment development, and other aspects of developing mouse retina.Investigative Ophthalmology 7, 250–68.
Peters, A., Palay, S. L. andWebster, H. F. (1970)The fine structure of the nervous system.The cells and their processes. Hoeber Med. Div. Harper and Row: New York.
Raviola, E. andGilula, N. B. (1973) Gap junctions between photoreceptor cells in the vertebrate retina.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences U.S.A. 70, 1677–81.
Raviola, E. andGilula, N. B. (1975) Intramembrane organization of specialized contacts in the outer plexiform layer of the retina: A freeze-fracture study in Monkeys and Rabbits.Journal of Cell Biology 65, 192–222.
Reese, T. andKarnovsky, M. (1967) Fine structural localization of a blood-brain barrier to exogenous peroxidase.Journal of Cell Biology 34, 207–18.
Richter, A. andSimon, E. J. (1975) Properties of centre-hyperpolarizing, red-sensitive bipolar cell in the turtle retina.Journal of Physiology 248, 317–34.
Saito, T., Miller, W. H. andTomita, T. (1974) C- and L-type horizontal cells in the turtle retina.Vision Research 14, 119–23.
Schwartz, E. A. (1975) Rod-rod interaction in the retina ofthe turtle.Journal of Physiology 246, 617–38.
Shkolnick-Yarros, E. G. (1971) Neurons of the cat's retina.Vision Research 11, 7–26.
Simon, E. J. (1973) Two types of luminosity horizontal cells in the retina of the turtle.Journal of Physiology 230, 199–211.
Sjöstrand, F. S. (1969) The outer plexiform layer and the neural organization of the retina. 63–100. InThe Retina (edited byStraatsma, B. R., Hall, M. O., Allen, R. A. andCrescitelli, F.). University of California Press: Berkeley and Los Angeles.
Steinberg, R. H. (1969) Rod and cone contributions to the S-potential from the cat retina.Vision Research 9, 1319–29.
Steinberg, R. H., Reid, M. andLacey, P. L. (1973) The distribution of rods and cones in the retina of the cat (Felix domesticus).Journal of Comparative Neurology 148, 229–48.
Stell, W. K. (1965) Correlation of retinal cytoarchitecture and ultrastructure in Golgi preparations.Anatomical Record 153, 389–98.
Uga, S., Nakao, F., Mimura, M. andIkui, H. (1970) Some new findings on the fine structure of the human photoreceptor cells.Journal of Electron Microscopy 19, 210–4.
Werblin, F. S. andDowling, J. E. (1969) Organization of the retina of the mudpuppy,Necturus maculosus. II Intracellular recording.Journal of Neurophysiology 32, 339–55.
Witkovsky, P. andDowling, J. E. (1969) Synaptic relationships in the plexiform layers of carp retina.Zeitschrift für Zellforschung und mikroskopische Anatomie 100, 60–82.
Witkovsky, P., Shakib, M. andRipps, H. (1974) Interreceptoral junctions in the teleost retina.Investigative Ophthalmology 13, 996–1009.
Yamada, E. andIshikawa, T. (1965) The fine structure of the horizontal cells in some vertebrate retinae.Cold Spring Harbor Symposium on Quantitative Biology 30, 383–92.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kolb, H. The organization of the outer plexiform layer in the retina of the cat: electron microscopic observations. J Neurocytol 6, 131–153 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01261502
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01261502