Skip to main content

Main menu

  • HOME
  • CONTENT
    • Early Release
    • Featured
    • Current Issue
    • Issue Archive
    • Collections
    • Podcast
  • ALERTS
  • FOR AUTHORS
    • Information for Authors
    • Fees
    • Journal Clubs
    • eLetters
    • Submit
    • Special Collections
  • EDITORIAL BOARD
    • Editorial Board
    • ECR Advisory Board
    • Journal Staff
  • ABOUT
    • Overview
    • Advertise
    • For the Media
    • Rights and Permissions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Feedback
    • Accessibility
  • SUBSCRIBE

User menu

  • Log out
  • Log in
  • My Cart

Search

  • Advanced search
Journal of Neuroscience
  • Log out
  • Log in
  • My Cart
Journal of Neuroscience

Advanced Search

Submit a Manuscript
  • HOME
  • CONTENT
    • Early Release
    • Featured
    • Current Issue
    • Issue Archive
    • Collections
    • Podcast
  • ALERTS
  • FOR AUTHORS
    • Information for Authors
    • Fees
    • Journal Clubs
    • eLetters
    • Submit
    • Special Collections
  • EDITORIAL BOARD
    • Editorial Board
    • ECR Advisory Board
    • Journal Staff
  • ABOUT
    • Overview
    • Advertise
    • For the Media
    • Rights and Permissions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Feedback
    • Accessibility
  • SUBSCRIBE
PreviousNext
ARTICLE

Modulation of Neuronal Activity by Glial Cells in the Retina

Eric A. Newman and Kathleen R. Zahs
Journal of Neuroscience 1 June 1998, 18 (11) 4022-4028; https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.18-11-04022.1998
Eric A. Newman
1Department of Physiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Kathleen R. Zahs
1Department of Physiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • Figures & Data
  • Info & Metrics
  • eLetters
  • PDF
Loading

Article Figures & Data

Figures

  • Tables
  • Fig. 1.
    • Download figure
    • Open in new tab
    • Download powerpoint
    Fig. 1.

    Confocal fluorescence image of the retinal surface of the eyecup labeled with Calcium Green-1. Astrocytes (arrows) and Müller cell endfeet (dim, diffuse fluorescence) were labeled. Calcium waves were initiated by advance of a micropipette (left). Extracellular activity of single neurons within the ganglion cell layer was recorded with a metal microelectrode (right). Calcium Green-1 fluorescence was measured within a 15 μm diameter region near the microelectrode tip (open circle). Scale bar, 50 μm.

  • Fig. 2.
    • Download figure
    • Open in new tab
    • Download powerpoint
    Fig. 2.

    Peristimulus time histograms of the light-driven activity of an ON (A), an ON–OFF (B), and an OFF (C) neuron, each representative of one of the three response classes observed.Open and closed bars above the histograms indicate periods of light ON and OFF, respectively. Activity was recorded during control periods, before initiation of Ca2+ waves.

  • Fig. 3.
    • Download figure
    • Open in new tab
    • Download powerpoint
    Fig. 3.

    Modulation of neuronal activity in an ON neuron. Cell activity is plotted as a spike display in trace 1(vertical lines represent single action potentials) and as a frequency plot in trace 2 (abscissa represents the running average of spike frequency, i.e., a leaky integrator with a linear decay to 0% at 10 sec; 0 frequency is indicated at left end of the trace). Trace 3, Calcium Green-1 fluorescence in a circular region near the recording microelectrode tip. Trace 4, light stimulus, indicating periods of light ON (open segments) and OFF (closed segments). Arrow indicates initiation of the Ca2+ wave. Open and closed bars above trace 1 indicate control and test periods, respectively, during which average spike frequency was measured. Neuron spike frequency and glial cell fluorescence increase concurrently several seconds after initiation of the glial Ca2+ wave. Calibration bars: trace 2(spike frequency), three spikes/sec; trace 3 (Calcium Green-1 fluorescence), 20% ΔF/F; time, 10 sec.

  • Fig. 4.
    • Download figure
    • Open in new tab
    • Download powerpoint
    Fig. 4.

    Excitatory and inhibitory modulation of neuronal activity. A frequency plot of cell activity (top trace) and glial cell Calcium Green-1 fluorescence (bottom trace) are shown for each trial. A, Excitatory modulation in an ON neuron. Spike frequency increases in those trials (1 and 3) in which [Ca2+]i in neighboring glial cells also increases. B, Inhibitory modulation in an ON–OFF neuron. Spike frequency decreases when glial [Ca2+]i increases. The peristimulus time histograms of cells in A and B are shown in Figure 2, A and B, respectively. Calibration bars are the same as in Figure 3.

  • Fig. 5.
    • Download figure
    • Open in new tab
    • Download powerpoint
    Fig. 5.

    Correlation between neuronal modulation and Ca2+ increases. A, Relation between the magnitude of inhibition of neuronal activity and the amplitude of the Ca2+ wave. Points represent single trials from all cells showing significant inhibitory modulation.Points at the left of the plot (ΔF/F = 0) represent trials in which the Ca2+ wave failed to reach the neuron. Least-squares fit, R2 = 0.42.B, Relation between the time to the peak of neuron modulation and the time to the peak of the Ca2+wave. Trials in which the inhibition of activity was 25% or greater are included. The discrete Ca2+ wave times reflect the 2.55 sec acquisition period of fluorescence images. Least-squares fit, slope = 0.97, intercept = 3.6 sec,R2 = 0.30.

  • Fig. 6.
    • Download figure
    • Open in new tab
    • Download powerpoint
    Fig. 6.

    Effect of thapsigargin on the modulation of neuronal activity. Thapsigargin (3.0 μm) reduces the glial Ca2+ increase and the inhibition of activity in an OFF neuron. Calibration bars for trials in Figures 6 and 7: spike frequency, two spikes/sec; Calcium Green-1 fluorescence, 20% ΔF/F; time, 10 sec. A frequency plot of neuronal activity and Calcium Green-1 fluorescence are shown in each trial.

  • Fig. 7.
    • Download figure
    • Open in new tab
    • Download powerpoint
    Fig. 7.

    Effect of neurotransmitter antagonists on neuronal modulation. A, Bicuculline (5 μm) and strychnine (1 μm), applied together, abolish the inhibition of activity in an ON–OFF neuron without attenuating the glial Ca2+ increase. B, NBQX (10 μm) and D-AP7 (200 μm) together reduce the inhibition of activity in an ON–OFF neuron without reducing the glial Ca2+ increase. As illustrated, light responses of neurons often changed during drug application and recovery.

Tables

  • Figures
    • View popup
    Table 1.

    Modulation of neuronal activity

    Neuronal typeONON–OFFOFF
    Number of cells with significant modulation
     Inhibition7 of 249 of 159 of 14
     Excitation5 of 240 of 150 of 14
    InhibitionExcitationInhibitionInhibition
    Magnitude of cell modulation
     No Ca2+wavea+3  ± 5% (30)−1  ± 3% (20)+1  ± 2% (39)−1  ± 1% (36)
     Large Ca2+ waveb−35  ± 3% (35)+27  ± 5% (27)−25  ± 3% (35)−25  ± 2% (44)
    • Number of cells. For each cell tested, modulation was judged significant if the modulation in those trials when a Ca2+wave reached the cell (ΔF/F Ca2+signal > 22%) was significantly different than when a Ca2+ wave failed to reach the cell (ΔF/F < 1%) (p < 0.05).

    • Magnitude of cell modulation. Shown are the average modulation values for trials in cells with statistically significant modulation. Separate means are given for trials when a Ca2+ wave reached the cell and did not reach the cell. For ON neurons, separate means are given for cells with excitatory and inhibitory modulation.

    • F1-a  Trials when the ΔF/FCa2+ signal was <1%.

    • F1-1002  Trials when ΔF/F was >22%.

    • View popup
    Table 2.

    Effect of neurotransmitter antagonists on the inhibitory modulation of neuronal activity

    ConditionControlAntagonistRecovery
    Inhibitory neurotransmitter antagonists
     Bicuculline (5 μm)−31  ± 5% (15)−13  ± 3% (17)*−26  ± 3% (16)*
     Strychnine (1 μm)−28  ± 5% (20)−8  ± 3% (17)*−25  ± 4% (19)*
     Bicuculline + strychnine−28  ± 4% (28)0  ± 1% (23)*−20  ± 2% (32)*
    Glutamate antagonists
     NBQX (10 μm)−25  ± 5% (22)−6  ± 3% (22)*−15  ± 2% (23)*
     D-AP7 (200 μm)−24  ± 5% (21)−12  ± 4% (18)**−22  ± 5% (14)
     NBQX + D-AP7−18  ± 2% (19)−2  ± 2% (19)*−12  ± 3% (18)*
    • Shown are the average modulation values for trials when a Ca2+ wave reached the neuron. Only neurons with significant inhibitory modulation were tested. Antagonists were applied for 15 min before testing. Recovery followed a 60 min washout.

    • * p < 0.01, antagonist versus control, recovery versus antagonist.

    • ** p < 0.05.

Back to top

In this issue

The Journal of Neuroscience: 18 (11)
Journal of Neuroscience
Vol. 18, Issue 11
1 Jun 1998
  • Table of Contents
  • Index by author
Email

Thank you for sharing this Journal of Neuroscience article.

NOTE: We request your email address only to inform the recipient that it was you who recommended this article, and that it is not junk mail. We do not retain these email addresses.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Modulation of Neuronal Activity by Glial Cells in the Retina
(Your Name) has forwarded a page to you from Journal of Neuroscience
(Your Name) thought you would be interested in this article in Journal of Neuroscience.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Print
View Full Page PDF
Citation Tools
Modulation of Neuronal Activity by Glial Cells in the Retina
Eric A. Newman, Kathleen R. Zahs
Journal of Neuroscience 1 June 1998, 18 (11) 4022-4028; DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.18-11-04022.1998

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
Respond to this article
Request Permissions
Share
Modulation of Neuronal Activity by Glial Cells in the Retina
Eric A. Newman, Kathleen R. Zahs
Journal of Neuroscience 1 June 1998, 18 (11) 4022-4028; DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.18-11-04022.1998
Twitter logo Facebook logo Mendeley logo
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

Jump to section

  • Article
    • Abstract
    • MATERIALS AND METHODS
    • RESULTS
    • DISCUSSION
    • Footnotes
    • REFERENCES
  • Figures & Data
  • Info & Metrics
  • eLetters
  • PDF

Keywords

  • calcium waves
  • glial cells
  • astrocytes
  • Müller cells
  • neurons
  • ganglion cells
  • retina
  • modulation
  • glial–neuronal interaction

Responses to this article

Respond to this article

Jump to comment:

No eLetters have been published for this article.

Related Articles

Cited By...

More in this TOC Section

  • Intracranially Administered Anti-Αβ Antibodies Reduce β-Amyloid Deposition by Mechanisms Both Independent of and Associated with Microglial Activation
  • Neural Correlates of Competing Fear Behaviors Evoked by an Innately Aversive Stimulus
  • Distinct Developmental Modes and Lesion-Induced Reactions of Dendrites of Two Classes of Drosophila Sensory Neurons
Show more ARTICLE
  • Home
  • Alerts
  • Follow SFN on BlueSky
  • Visit Society for Neuroscience on Facebook
  • Follow Society for Neuroscience on Twitter
  • Follow Society for Neuroscience on LinkedIn
  • Visit Society for Neuroscience on Youtube
  • Follow our RSS feeds

Content

  • Early Release
  • Current Issue
  • Issue Archive
  • Collections

Information

  • For Authors
  • For Advertisers
  • For the Media
  • For Subscribers

About

  • About the Journal
  • Editorial Board
  • Privacy Notice
  • Contact
  • Accessibility
(JNeurosci logo)
(SfN logo)

Copyright © 2025 by the Society for Neuroscience.
JNeurosci Online ISSN: 1529-2401

The ideas and opinions expressed in JNeurosci do not necessarily reflect those of SfN or the JNeurosci Editorial Board. Publication of an advertisement or other product mention in JNeurosci should not be construed as an endorsement of the manufacturer’s claims. SfN does not assume any responsibility for any injury and/or damage to persons or property arising from or related to any use of any material contained in JNeurosci.