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Bocchero U, Pahlberg J. Origin of Discrete and Continuous Dark Noise in Rod Photoreceptors. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0390-23.2023. [PMID: 37973380 PMCID: PMC10687842 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0390-23.2023] [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: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The detection of a single photon by a rod photoreceptor is limited by two sources of physiological noise, called discrete and continuous noise. Discrete noise occurs as intermittent current deflections with a waveform very similar to that of the single-photon response to real light and is thought to be produced by spontaneous activation of rhodopsin. Continuous noise occurs as random and continuous fluctuations in outer-segment current and is usually attributed to some intermediate in the phototransduction cascade. To confirm the origin of these noise sources, we have recorded from retinas of mouse lines with rods having reduced levels of rhodopsin, transducin, or phosphodiesterase. We show that the rate of discrete noise is diminished in proportion to the decrease in rhodopsin concentration, and that continuous noise is independent of transducin concentration but clearly elevated when the level of phosphodiesterase is reduced. Our experiments provide new molecular evidence that discrete noise is indeed produced by rhodopsin itself, and that continuous noise is generated by spontaneous activation of phosphodiesterase resulting in random fluctuations in outer-segment current.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulisse Bocchero
- Photoreceptor Physiology Group, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-2510
| | - Johan Pahlberg
- Photoreceptor Physiology Group, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-2510
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Huang PY, Jiang BY, Chen HJ, Xu JY, Wang K, Zhu CY, Hu XY, Li D, Zhen L, Zhou FC, Qin JK, Xu CY. Neuro-inspired optical sensor array for high-accuracy static image recognition and dynamic trace extraction. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6736. [PMID: 37872169 PMCID: PMC10593955 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42488-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuro-inspired vision systems hold great promise to address the growing demands of mass data processing for edge computing, a distributed framework that brings computation and data storage closer to the sources of data. In addition to the capability of static image sensing and processing, the hardware implementation of a neuro-inspired vision system also requires the fulfilment of detecting and recognizing moving targets. Here, we demonstrated a neuro-inspired optical sensor based on two-dimensional NbS2/MoS2 hybrid films, which featured remarkable photo-induced conductance plasticity and low electrical energy consumption. A neuro-inspired optical sensor array with 10 × 10 NbS2/MoS2 phototransistors enabled highly integrated functions of sensing, memory, and contrast enhancement capabilities for static images, which benefits convolutional neural network (CNN) with a high image recognition accuracy. More importantly, in-sensor trajectory registration of moving light spots was experimentally implemented such that the post-processing could yield a high restoration accuracy. Our neuro-inspired optical sensor array could provide a fascinating platform for the implementation of high-performance artificial vision systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei-Yu Huang
- Sauvage Laboratory for Smart Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Bi-Yi Jiang
- School of Microelectronics, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
- Department of Applied Physics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Hong-Ji Chen
- Sauvage Laboratory for Smart Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Jia-Yi Xu
- School of Microelectronics, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Kang Wang
- Key Laboratory of MEMS of the Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
| | - Cheng-Yi Zhu
- Sauvage Laboratory for Smart Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Xin-Yan Hu
- School of Microelectronics, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Dong Li
- Sauvage Laboratory for Smart Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Liang Zhen
- MOE Key Laboratory of Micro-Systems and Micro-Structures Manufacturing, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150080, China
| | - Fei-Chi Zhou
- School of Microelectronics, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
| | - Jing-Kai Qin
- Sauvage Laboratory for Smart Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen, 518055, China.
| | - Cheng-Yan Xu
- Sauvage Laboratory for Smart Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen, 518055, China.
- MOE Key Laboratory of Micro-Systems and Micro-Structures Manufacturing, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150080, China.
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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.
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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
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Griffis KG, Fehlhaber KE, Rieke F, Sampath AP. Light Adaptation of Retinal Rod Bipolar Cells. J Neurosci 2023; 43:4379-4389. [PMID: 37208176 PMCID: PMC10278674 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0444-23.2023] [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: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The sensitivity of retinal cells is altered in background light to optimize the detection of contrast. For scotopic (rod) vision, substantial adaptation occurs in the first two cells, the rods and rod bipolar cells (RBCs), through sensitivity adjustments in rods and postsynaptic modulation of the transduction cascade in RBCs. To study the mechanisms mediating these components of adaptation, we made whole-cell, voltage-clamp recordings from retinal slices of mice from both sexes. Adaptation was assessed by fitting the Hill equation to response-intensity relationships with the parameters of half-maximal response (I1/2 ), Hill coefficient (n), and maximum response amplitude (Rmax ). We show that rod sensitivity decreases in backgrounds according to the Weber-Fechner relation with an I1/2 of ∼50 R* s-1 The sensitivity of RBCs follows a near-identical function, indicating that changes in RBC sensitivity in backgrounds bright enough to adapt the rods are mostly derived from the rods themselves. Backgrounds too dim to adapt the rods can however alter n, relieving a synaptic nonlinearity likely through entry of Ca2+ into the RBCs. There is also a surprising decrease of Rmax , indicating that a step in RBC synaptic transduction is desensitized or that the transduction channels became reluctant to open. This effect is greatly reduced after dialysis of BAPTA at a membrane potential of +50 mV to impede Ca2+ entry. Thus the effects of background illumination in RBCs are in part the result of processes intrinsic to the photoreceptors and in part derive from additional Ca2+-dependent processes at the first synapse of vision.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Light adaptation adjusts the sensitivity of vision as ambient illumination changes. Adaptation for scotopic (rod) vision is known to occur partly in the rods and partly in the rest of the retina from presynaptic and postsynaptic mechanisms. We recorded light responses of rods and rod bipolar cells to identify different components of adaptation and study their mechanisms. We show that bipolar-cell sensitivity largely follows adaptation of the rods but that light too dim to adapt the rods produces a linearization of the bipolar-cell response and a surprising decrease in maximum response amplitude, both mediated by a change in intracellular Ca2+ These findings provide a new understanding of how the retina responds to changing illumination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khris G Griffis
- Department of Ophthalmology and Stein Eye Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Katherine E Fehlhaber
- Department of Ophthalmology and Stein Eye Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Fred Rieke
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
| | - Alapakkam P Sampath
- Department of Ophthalmology and Stein Eye Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095
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Fehlhaber KE, Majumder A, Boyd KK, Griffis KG, Artemyev NO, Fain GL, Sampath AP. A Novel Role for UNC119 as an Enhancer of Synaptic Transmission. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:8106. [PMID: 37175812 PMCID: PMC10178850 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24098106] [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: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Mammalian UNC119 is a ciliary trafficking chaperone highly expressed in the inner segment of retinal photoreceptors. Previous research has shown that UNC119 can bind to transducin, the synaptic ribbon protein RIBEYE, and the calcium-binding protein CaBP4, suggesting that UNC119 may have a role in synaptic transmission. We made patch-clamp recordings from retinal slices in mice with the UNC119 gene deleted and showed that removal of even one gene of UNC119 has no effect on the rod outer segment photocurrent, but acted on bipolar cells much like background light: it depolarized membrane potential, decreased sensitivity, accelerated response decay, and decreased the Hill coefficient of the response-intensity relationship. Similar effects were seen on rod bipolar-cell current and voltage responses, and after exposure to bright light to translocate transducin into the rod inner segment. These findings indicate that UNC119 deletion reduces the steady-state glutamate release rate at rod synapses, though no change in the voltage dependence of the synaptic Ca current was detected. We conclude that UNC119, either by itself or together with transducin, can facilitate the release of glutamate at rod synapses, probably by some interaction with RIBEYE or other synaptic proteins rather than by binding to CaBP4 or calcium channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine E. Fehlhaber
- Department of Ophthalmology, Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA (G.L.F.)
| | - Anurima Majumder
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA (N.O.A.)
| | - Kimberly K. Boyd
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA (N.O.A.)
| | - Khris G. Griffis
- Department of Ophthalmology, Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA (G.L.F.)
| | - Nikolai O. Artemyev
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA (N.O.A.)
- Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Gordon L. Fain
- Department of Ophthalmology, Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA (G.L.F.)
| | - Alapakkam P. Sampath
- Department of Ophthalmology, Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA (G.L.F.)
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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: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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.
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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
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Mesnard CS, Hays CL, Barta CL, Sladek AL, Grassmeyer JJ, Hinz KK, Quadros RM, Gurumurthy CB, Thoreson WB. Synaptotagmins 1 and 7 in vesicle release from rods of mouse retina. Exp Eye Res 2022; 225:109279. [PMID: 36280223 PMCID: PMC9830644 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2022.109279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Synaptotagmins are the primary Ca2+ sensors for synaptic exocytosis. Previous work suggested synaptotagmin-1 (Syt1) mediates evoked vesicle release from cone photoreceptor cells in the vertebrate retina whereas release from rods may involve another sensor in addition to Syt1. We found immunohistochemical evidence for syntaptotagmin-7 (Syt7) in mouse rod terminals and so performed electroretinograms (ERG) and single-cell recordings using mice in which Syt1 and/or Syt7 were conditionally removed from rods and/or cones. Synaptic release was measured in mouse rods by recording presynaptic anion currents activated during glutamate re-uptake and from exocytotic membrane capacitance changes. Deleting Syt1 from rods reduced glutamate release evoked by short depolarizing steps but not long steps whereas deleting Syt7 from rods reduced release evoked by long but not short steps. Deleting both sensors completely abolished depolarization-evoked release from rods. Effects of various intracellular Ca2+ buffers showed that Syt1-mediated release from rods involves vesicles close to ribbon-associated Ca2+ channels whereas Syt7-mediated release evoked by longer steps involves more distant release sites. Spontaneous release from rods was unaffected by eliminating Syt7. While whole animal knockout of Syt7 slightly reduced ERG b-waves and oscillatory potentials, selective elimination of Syt7 from rods had no effect on ERGs. Furthermore, eliminating Syt1 from rods and cones abolished ERG b-waves and additional elimination of Syt7 had no further effect. These results show that while Syt7 contributes to slow non-ribbon release from rods, Syt1 is the principal sensor shaping rod and cone inputs to bipolar cells in response to light flashes.
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Affiliation(s)
- C S Mesnard
- Truhlsen Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, USA; Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, USA
| | - C L Hays
- Truhlsen Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, USA
| | - C L Barta
- Truhlsen Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, USA
| | - A L Sladek
- Truhlsen Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, USA
| | - J J Grassmeyer
- Truhlsen Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, USA; Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, USA
| | - K K Hinz
- Truhlsen Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, USA
| | - R M Quadros
- Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, USA; Mouse Genome Engineering Core Facility, Vice Chancellor for Research Office, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68106, USA
| | - C B Gurumurthy
- Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, USA; Mouse Genome Engineering Core Facility, Vice Chancellor for Research Office, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68106, USA
| | - W B Thoreson
- Truhlsen Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, USA; Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, USA.
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Sharma P, Ramachandran R. Retina regeneration: lessons from vertebrates. OXFORD OPEN NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 1:kvac012. [PMID: 38596712 PMCID: PMC10913848 DOI: 10.1093/oons/kvac012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/25/2022] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Unlike mammals, vertebrates such as fishes and frogs exhibit remarkable tissue regeneration including the central nervous system. Retina being part of the central nervous system has attracted the interest of several research groups to explore its regenerative ability in different vertebrate models including mice. Fishes and frogs completely restore the size, shape and tissue structure of an injured retina. Several studies have unraveled molecular mechanisms underlying retina regeneration. In teleosts, soon after injury, the Müller glial cells of the retina reprogram to form a proliferating population of Müller glia-derived progenitor cells capable of differentiating into various neural cell types and Müller glia. In amphibians, the transdifferentiation of retinal pigment epithelium and differentiation of ciliary marginal zone cells contribute to retina regeneration. In chicks and mice, supplementation with external growth factors or genetic modifications cause a partial regenerative response in the damaged retina. The initiation of retina regeneration is achieved through sequential orchestration of gene expression through controlled modulations in the genetic and epigenetic landscape of the progenitor cells. Several developmental biology pathways are turned on during the Müller glia reprogramming, retinal pigment epithelium transdifferentiation and ciliary marginal zone differentiation. Further, several tumorigenic pathways and gene expression events also contribute to the complete regeneration cascade of events. In this review, we address the various retinal injury paradigms and subsequent gene expression events governed in different vertebrate species. Further, we compared how vertebrates such as teleost fishes and amphibians can achieve excellent regenerative responses in the retina compared with their mammalian counterparts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Poonam Sharma
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Mohali, Knowledge City, SAS Nagar, Sector 81, Manauli PO, 140306 Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Rajesh Ramachandran
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Mohali, Knowledge City, SAS Nagar, Sector 81, Manauli PO, 140306 Mohali, Punjab, India
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Tsukamoto Y, Omi N. Multiple Invagination Patterns and Synaptic Efficacy in Primate and Mouse Rod Synaptic Terminals. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2022; 63:11. [PMID: 35819284 PMCID: PMC9287620 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.63.8.11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Optical retina images are scaled based on eye size, which results in a linear scale ratio of 10:1 for human versus mouse and 7:1 for macaque monkey versus mouse. We examined how this scale difference correlates with the structural configuration of synaptic wiring in the rod spherule (RS) between macaque and mouse retinas compared with human data. Methods Rod bipolar cell (BC) dendrites and horizontal cell (HC) axonal processes, which invaginate the RS to form synaptic ribbon-associated triads, were examined by serial section transmission electron microscopy. Results The number of rod BC invaginating dendrites ranged 1∼4 in the macaque RS but only 1∼2 in the mouse. Approximately 40% of those dendrites bifurcated into two central elements in the macaque, but 2% of those dendrites did in the mouse. Both factors gave rise to 10 invagination patterns of BC and HC neurites in the macaque RS but only two in the mouse. Five morphological parameters: the lengths of arciform densities and ribbons, the area of the BC-RS contact, and the surface areas of BC and HC invaginating neurites, were all independent of the invagination patterns in the macaque RS. However, those parameters were significantly greater in the macaque than in the mouse by ratios of 1.5∼1.8. Conclusions The primate RS provides a more expansive BC-RS interface associated with the longer arciform density and more branched invaginating neurites of BCs and HCs than the mouse RS. The resulting greater synaptic contact area may contribute to more efficient signal transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshihiko Tsukamoto
- Department of Biology, Hyogo College of Medicine, Mukogawa, Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan.,Studio EM-Retina, Satonaka, Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan.,Center for Systems Vision Science, Organization of Science and Technology, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga, Japan
| | - Naoko Omi
- Studio EM-Retina, Satonaka, Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan
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Hsieh CL, Yao Y, Gurevich VV, Chen J. Arrestin Facilitates Rhodopsin Dephosphorylation in Vivo. J Neurosci 2022; 42:3537-3545. [PMID: 35332081 PMCID: PMC9053844 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0141-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Deactivation of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) involves multiple phosphorylations followed by arrestin binding, which uncouples the GPCR from G-protein activation. Some GPCRs, such as rhodopsin, are reused many times. Arrestin dissociation and GPCR dephosphorylation are key steps in the recycling process. In vitro evidence suggests that visual arrestin (ARR1) binding to light-activated, phosphorylated rhodopsin hinders dephosphorylation. Whether ARR1 binding also affects rhodopsin dephosphorylation in vivo is not known. We investigated this using both male and female mice lacking ARR1. Mice were exposed to bright light and placed in darkness for different periods of time, and differently phosphorylated species of rhodopsin were assayed by isoelectric focusing. For WT mice, rhodopsin dephosphorylation was nearly complete by 1 h in darkness. Surprisingly, we observed that, in the Arr1 KO rods, rhodopsin remained phosphorylated even after 3 h. Delayed dephosphorylation in Arr1 KO rods cannot be explained by cell stress induced by persistent signaling, since it is not prevented by the removal of transducin, the visual G-protein, nor can it be explained by downregulation of protein phosphatase 2A, the putative rhodopsin phosphatase. We further show that cone arrestin (ARR4), which binds light-activated, phosphorylated rhodopsin poorly, had little effect in enhancing rhodopsin dephosphorylation, whereas mice expressing binding-competent mutant ARR1-3A showed a similar time course of rhodopsin dephosphorylation as WT. Together, these results reveal a novel role of ARR1 in facilitating rhodopsin dephosphorylation in vivoSIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are transmembrane proteins used by cells to receive and respond to a broad range of extracellular signals that include neurotransmitters, hormones, odorants, and light (photons). GPCR signaling is terminated by two sequential steps: phosphorylation and arrestin binding. Both steps must be reversed when GPCRs are recycled and reused. Dephosphorylation, which is required for recycling, is an understudied process. Using rhodopsin as a prototypical GPCR, we discovered that arrestin facilitated rhodopsin dephosphorylation in living mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Ling Hsieh
- Ziliha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089
| | - Yun Yao
- Ziliha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089
| | - Vsevolod V Gurevich
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
| | - Jeannie Chen
- Ziliha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089
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The Vertical and Horizontal Pathways in the Monkey Retina Are Modulated by Typical and Atypical Cannabinoid Receptors. Cells 2021; 10:cells10113160. [PMID: 34831383 PMCID: PMC8622302 DOI: 10.3390/cells10113160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The endocannabinoid (eCB) system has been found in all visual parts of the central ner-vous system and plays a role in the processing of visual information in many species, including monkeys and humans. Using anatomical methods, cannabinoid receptors are present in the monkey retina, particularly in the vertical glutamatergic pathway, and also in the horizontal GABAergic pathway. Modulating the eCB system regulates normal retinal function as demonstrated by electrophysiological recordings. The characterization of the expression patterns of all types of cannabinoid receptors in the retina is progressing, and further research is needed to elucidate their exact role in processing visual information. Typical cannabinoid receptors include G-protein coupled receptor CB1R and CB2R, and atypical cannabinoid receptors include the G-protein coupled receptor 55 (GPR55) and the ion channel transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1). This review focuses on the expression and localization studies carried out in monkeys, but some data on other animal species and humans will also be reported. Furthermore, the role of the endogenous cannabinoid receptors in retinal function will also be presented using intraocular injections of known modulators (agonists and antagonists) on electroretinographic patterns in monkeys. The effects of the natural bioactive lipid lysophosphatidylglucoside and synthetic FAAH inhibitor URB597 on retinal function, will also be described. Finally, the potential of typical and atypical cannabinoid receptor acti-vity regulation in retinal diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and retinitis pigmentosa will be briefly explored.
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Hays CL, Sladek AL, Thoreson WB. Resting and stimulated mouse rod photoreceptors show distinct patterns of vesicle release at ribbon synapses. J Gen Physiol 2021; 152:211528. [PMID: 33175961 PMCID: PMC7664508 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202012716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The vertebrate visual system can detect and transmit signals from single photons. To understand how single-photon responses are transmitted, we characterized voltage-dependent properties of glutamate release in mouse rods. We measured presynaptic glutamate transporter anion current and found that rates of synaptic vesicle release increased with voltage-dependent Ca2+ current. Ca2+ influx and release rate also rose with temperature, attaining a rate of ∼11 vesicles/s/ribbon at -40 mV (35°C). By contrast, spontaneous release events at hyperpolarized potentials (-60 to -70 mV) were univesicular and occurred at random intervals. However, when rods were voltage clamped at -40 mV for many seconds to simulate maintained darkness, release occurred in coordinated bursts of 17 ± 7 quanta (mean ± SD; n = 22). Like fast release evoked by brief depolarizing stimuli, these bursts involved vesicles in the readily releasable pool of vesicles and were triggered by the opening of nearby ribbon-associated Ca2+ channels. Spontaneous release rates were elevated and bursts were absent after genetic elimination of the Ca2+ sensor synaptotagmin 1 (Syt1). This study shows that at the resting potential in darkness, rods release glutamate-filled vesicles from a pool at the base of synaptic ribbons at low rates but in Syt1-dependent bursts. The absence of bursting in cones suggests that this behavior may have a role in transmitting scotopic responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra L Hays
- Cellular and Integrative Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE.,Truhlsen Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
| | - Asia L Sladek
- Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
| | - Wallace B Thoreson
- Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE.,Truhlsen Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
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13
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Nonlinear spatial integration in retinal bipolar cells shapes the encoding of artificial and natural stimuli. Neuron 2021; 109:1692-1706.e8. [PMID: 33798407 PMCID: PMC8153253 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The retina dissects the visual scene into parallel information channels, which extract specific visual features through nonlinear processing. The first nonlinear stage is typically considered to occur at the output of bipolar cells, resulting from nonlinear transmitter release from synaptic terminals. In contrast, we show here that bipolar cells themselves can act as nonlinear processing elements at the level of their somatic membrane potential. Intracellular recordings from bipolar cells in the salamander retina revealed frequent nonlinear integration of visual signals within bipolar cell receptive field centers, affecting the encoding of artificial and natural stimuli. These nonlinearities provide sensitivity to spatial structure below the scale of bipolar cell receptive fields in both bipolar and downstream ganglion cells and appear to arise at the excitatory input into bipolar cells. Thus, our data suggest that nonlinear signal pooling starts earlier than previously thought: that is, at the input stage of bipolar cells. Some retinal bipolar cells represent visual contrast in a nonlinear fashion These bipolar cells also nonlinearly integrate visual signals over space The spatial nonlinearity affects the encoding of natural stimuli by bipolar cells The nonlinearity results from feedforward input, not from feedback inhibition
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14
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Thoreson WB. Transmission at rod and cone ribbon synapses in the retina. Pflugers Arch 2021; 473:1469-1491. [PMID: 33779813 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-021-02548-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Light-evoked voltage responses of rod and cone photoreceptor cells in the vertebrate retina must be converted to a train of synaptic vesicle release events for transmission to downstream neurons. This review discusses the processes, proteins, and structures that shape this critical early step in vision, focusing on studies from salamander retina with comparisons to other experimental animals. Many mechanisms are conserved across species. In cones, glutamate release is confined to ribbon release sites although rods are also capable of release at non-ribbon sites. The role of non-ribbon release in rods remains unclear. Release from synaptic ribbons in rods and cones involves at least three vesicle pools: a readily releasable pool (RRP) matching the number of membrane-associated vesicles along the ribbon base, a ribbon reserve pool matching the number of additional vesicles on the ribbon, and an enormous cytoplasmic reserve. Vesicle release increases in parallel with Ca2+ channel activity. While the opening of only a few Ca2+ channels beneath each ribbon can trigger fusion of a single vesicle, sustained release rates in darkness are governed by the rate at which the RRP can be replenished. The number of vacant release sites, their functional status, and the rate of vesicle delivery in turn govern replenishment. Along with an overview of the mechanisms of exocytosis and endocytosis, we consider specific properties of ribbon-associated proteins and pose a number of remaining questions about this first synapse in the visual system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wallace B Thoreson
- Truhlsen Eye Institute, Departments of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences and Pharmacology & Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA.
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15
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Hays CL, Sladek AL, Field GD, Thoreson WB. Properties of multivesicular release from mouse rod photoreceptors support transmission of single-photon responses. eLife 2021; 10:67446. [PMID: 33769285 PMCID: PMC8032395 DOI: 10.7554/elife.67446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Vision under starlight requires rod photoreceptors to transduce and transmit single-photon responses to the visual system. Small single-photon voltage changes must therefore cause detectable reductions in glutamate release. We found that rods achieve this by employing mechanisms that enhance release regularity and its sensitivity to small voltage changes. At the resting membrane potential in darkness, mouse rods exhibit coordinated and regularly timed multivesicular release events, each consisting of ~17 vesicles and occurring two to three times more regularly than predicted by Poisson statistics. Hyperpolarizing rods to mimic the voltage change produced by a single photon abruptly reduced the probability of multivesicular release nearly to zero with a rebound increase at stimulus offset. Simulations of these release dynamics indicate that this regularly timed, multivesicular release promotes transmission of single-photon responses to post-synaptic rod-bipolar cells. Furthermore, the mechanism is efficient, requiring lower overall release rates than uniquantal release governed by Poisson statistics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra L Hays
- Truhlsen Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, United States.,Cellular and Integrative Physiology, Omaha, United States
| | - Asia L Sladek
- Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, Omaha, United States
| | - Greg D Field
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, United States
| | - Wallace B Thoreson
- Truhlsen Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, United States.,Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, Omaha, United States
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16
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Position of rhodopsin photoisomerization on the disk surface confers variability to the rising phase of the single photon response in vertebrate rod photoreceptors. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0240527. [PMID: 33052986 PMCID: PMC7556485 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0240527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Retinal rods function as accurate photon counters to provide for vision under very dim light. To do so, rods must generate highly amplified, reproducible responses to single photons, yet outer segment architecture and randomness in the location of rhodopsin photoisomerization on the surface of an internal disk introduce variability to the rising phase of the photon response. Soon after a photoisomerization at a disk rim, depletion of cGMP near the plasma membrane closes ion channels and hyperpolarizes the rod. But with a photoisomerization in the center of a disk, local depletion of cGMP is distant from the channels in the plasma membrane. Thus, channel closure is delayed by the time required for the reduction of cGMP concentration to reach the plasma membrane. Moreover, the local fall in cGMP dissipates over a larger volume before affecting the channels, so response amplitude is reduced. This source of variability increases with disk radius. Using a fully space-resolved biophysical model of rod phototransduction, we quantified the variability attributable to randomness in the location of photoisomerization as a function of disk structure. In mouse rods that have small disks bearing a single incisure, this variability was negligible in the absence of the incisure. Variability was increased slightly by the incisure, but randomness in the shutoff of rhodopsin emerged as the main source of single photon response variability at all but the earliest times. Variability arising from randomness in the transverse location of photoisomerization increased in magnitude and persisted over a longer period in the photon response of large salamander rods. A symmetric arrangement of multiple incisures in the disks of salamander rods greatly reduced this variability during the rising phase, but the incisures had the opposite effect on variability arising from randomness in rhodopsin shutoff at later times.
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17
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Wakeham CM, Ren G, Morgans CW. Expression and distribution of trophoblast glycoprotein in the mouse retina. J Comp Neurol 2020; 528:1660-1671. [PMID: 31891182 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Revised: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
We recently identified the leucine-rich repeat (LRR) adhesion protein, trophoblast glycoprotein (TPBG), as a novel PKCα-dependent phosphoprotein in retinal rod bipolar cells (RBCs). Since TPBG has not been thoroughly examined in the retina, this study characterizes the localization and expression patterns of TPBG in the developing and adult mouse retina using two antibodies, one against the N-terminal LRR domain and the other against the C-terminal PDZ-interacting motif. Both antibodies labeled RBC dendrites in the outer plexiform layer and axon terminals in the IPL, as well as a putative amacrine cell with their cell bodies in the inner nuclear layer (INL) and a dense layer in the middle of the inner plexiform layer (IPL). In live transfected HEK293 cells, TPBG was localized to the plasma membrane with the N-terminal LRR domain facing the extracellular space. TPBG immunofluorescence in RBCs was strongly altered by the loss of TRPM1 in the adult retina, with significantly less dendritic and axon terminal labeling in TRPM1 knockout compared to wild type, despite no change in total TPBG detected by immunoblotting. During retinal development, TPBG expression increases dramatically just prior to eye opening with a time course closely correlated with that of TRPM1 expression. In the retina, LRR proteins have been implicated in the development and maintenance of functional bipolar cell synapses, and TPBG may play a similar role in RBCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin M Wakeham
- Department of Chemical Physiology & Biochemistry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Gaoying Ren
- Department of Chemical Physiology & Biochemistry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Catherine W Morgans
- Department of Chemical Physiology & Biochemistry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
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18
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Thoreson WB, Dacey DM. Diverse Cell Types, Circuits, and Mechanisms for Color Vision in the Vertebrate Retina. Physiol Rev 2019; 99:1527-1573. [PMID: 31140374 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00027.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Synaptic interactions to extract information about wavelength, and thus color, begin in the vertebrate retina with three classes of light-sensitive cells: rod photoreceptors at low light levels, multiple types of cone photoreceptors that vary in spectral sensitivity, and intrinsically photosensitive ganglion cells that contain the photopigment melanopsin. When isolated from its neighbors, a photoreceptor confounds photon flux with wavelength and so by itself provides no information about color. The retina has evolved elaborate color opponent circuitry for extracting wavelength information by comparing the activities of different photoreceptor types broadly tuned to different parts of the visible spectrum. We review studies concerning the circuit mechanisms mediating opponent interactions in a range of species, from tetrachromatic fish with diverse color opponent cell types to common dichromatic mammals where cone opponency is restricted to a subset of specialized circuits. Distinct among mammals, primates have reinvented trichromatic color vision using novel strategies to incorporate evolution of an additional photopigment gene into the foveal structure and circuitry that supports high-resolution vision. Color vision is absent at scotopic light levels when only rods are active, but rods interact with cone signals to influence color perception at mesopic light levels. Recent evidence suggests melanopsin-mediated signals, which have been identified as a substrate for setting circadian rhythms, may also influence color perception. We consider circuits that may mediate these interactions. While cone opponency is a relatively simple neural computation, it has been implemented in vertebrates by diverse neural mechanisms that are not yet fully understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wallace B Thoreson
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Truhlsen Eye Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center , Omaha, Nebraska ; and Department of Biological Structure, Washington National Primate Research Center, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington
| | - Dennis M Dacey
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Truhlsen Eye Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center , Omaha, Nebraska ; and Department of Biological Structure, Washington National Primate Research Center, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington
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19
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Activation of Rod Input in a Model of Retinal Degeneration Reverses Retinal Remodeling and Induces Formation of Functional Synapses and Recovery of Visual Signaling in the Adult Retina. J Neurosci 2019; 39:6798-6810. [PMID: 31285302 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2902-18.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2018] [Revised: 05/28/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
A major cause of human blindness is the death of rod photoreceptors. As rods degenerate, synaptic structures between rod and rod bipolar cells disappear and the rod bipolar cells extend their dendrites and occasionally make aberrant contacts. Such changes are broadly observed in blinding disorders caused by photoreceptor cell death and are thought to occur in response to deafferentation. How the remodeled retinal circuit affects visual processing following rod rescue is not known. To address this question, we generated male and female transgenic mice wherein a disrupted cGMP-gated channel (CNG) gene can be repaired at the endogenous locus and at different stages of degeneration by tamoxifen-inducible cre-mediated recombination. In normal rods, light-induced closure of CNG channels leads to hyperpolarization of the cell, reducing neurotransmitter release at the synapse. Similarly, rods lacking CNG channels exhibit a resting membrane potential that was ~10 mV hyperpolarized compared to WT rods, indicating diminished glutamate release. Retinas from these mice undergo stereotypic retinal remodeling as a consequence of rod malfunction and degeneration. Upon tamoxifen-induced expression of CNG channels, rods recovered their structure and exhibited normal light responses. Moreover, we show that the adult mouse retina displays a surprising degree of plasticity upon activation of rod input. Wayward bipolar cell dendrites establish contact with rods to support normal synaptic transmission, which is propagated to the retinal ganglion cells. These findings demonstrate remarkable plasticity extending beyond the developmental period and support efforts to repair or replace defective rods in patients blinded by rod degeneration.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Current strategies for treatment of neurodegenerative disorders are focused on the repair of the primary affected cell type. However, the defective neurons function within a complex neural circuitry, which also becomes degraded during disease. It is not known whether rescued neurons and the remodeled circuit will establish communication to regain normal function. We show that the adult mammalian neural retina exhibits a surprising degree of plasticity following rescue of rod photoreceptors. The wayward dendrites of rod bipolar cells re-establish contact with rods to support normal synaptic transmission, which is propagated to the retinal ganglion cells. These findings support efforts to repair or replace defective rods in patients blinded by rod cell loss.
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20
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Wakeham CM, Wilmarth PA, Cunliffe JM, Klimek JE, Ren G, David LL, Morgans CW. Identification of PKCα-dependent phosphoproteins in mouse retina. J Proteomics 2019; 206:103423. [PMID: 31255707 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2019.103423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2019] [Revised: 06/11/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Adjusting to a wide range of light intensities is an essential feature of retinal rod bipolar cell (RBC) function. While persuasive evidence suggests this modulation involves phosphorylation by protein kinase C-alpha (PKCα), the targets of PKCα phosphorylation in the retina have not been identified. PKCα activity and phosphorylation in RBCs was examined by immunofluorescence confocal microscopy using a conformation-specific PKCα antibody and antibodies to phosphorylated PKC motifs. PKCα activity was dependent on light and expression of TRPM1, and RBC dendrites were the primary sites of light-dependent phosphorylation. PKCα-dependent retinal phosphoproteins were identified using a phosphoproteomics approach to compare total protein and phosphopeptide abundance between phorbol ester-treated wild type and PKCα knockout (PKCα-KO) mouse retinas. Phosphopeptide mass spectrometry identified over 1100 phosphopeptides in mouse retina, with 12 displaying significantly greater phosphorylation in WT compared to PKCα-KO samples. The differentially phosphorylated proteins fall into the following functional groups: cytoskeleton/trafficking (4 proteins), ECM/adhesion (2 proteins), signaling (2 proteins), transcriptional regulation (3 proteins), and homeostasis/metabolism (1 protein). Two strongly differentially expressed phosphoproteins, BORG4 and TPBG, were localized to the synaptic layers of the retina, and may play a role in PKCα-dependent modulation of RBC physiology. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD012906. SIGNIFICANCE: Retinal rod bipolar cells (RBCs), the second-order neurons of the mammalian rod visual pathway, are able to modulate their sensitivity to remain functional across a wide range of light intensities, from starlight to daylight. Evidence suggests that this modulation requires the serine/threonine kinase, PKCα, though the specific mechanism by which PKCα modulates RBC physiology is unknown. This study examined PKCα phosophorylation patterns in mouse rod bipolar cells and then used a phosphoproteomics approach to identify PKCα-dependent phosphoproteins in the mouse retina. A small number of retinal proteins showed significant PKCα-dependent phosphorylation, including BORG4 and TPBG, suggesting a potential contribution to PKCα-dependent modulation of RBC physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin M Wakeham
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Phillip A Wilmarth
- Proteomics Shared Resource, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Jennifer M Cunliffe
- Proteomics Shared Resource, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - John E Klimek
- Proteomics Shared Resource, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Gaoying Ren
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Larry L David
- Proteomics Shared Resource, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Catherine W Morgans
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA.
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21
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Pangrsic T, Singer JH, Koschak A. Voltage-Gated Calcium Channels: Key Players in Sensory Coding in the Retina and the Inner Ear. Physiol Rev 2019; 98:2063-2096. [PMID: 30067155 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00030.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Calcium influx through voltage-gated Ca (CaV) channels is the first step in synaptic transmission. This review concerns CaV channels at ribbon synapses in primary sense organs and their specialization for efficient coding of stimuli in the physical environment. Specifically, we describe molecular, biochemical, and biophysical properties of the CaV channels in sensory receptor cells of the retina, cochlea, and vestibular apparatus, and we consider how such properties might change over the course of development and contribute to synaptic plasticity. We pay particular attention to factors affecting the spatial arrangement of CaV channels at presynaptic, ribbon-type active zones, because the spatial relationship between CaV channels and release sites has been shown to affect synapse function critically in a number of systems. Finally, we review identified synaptopathies affecting sensory systems and arising from dysfunction of L-type, CaV1.3, and CaV1.4 channels or their protein modulatory elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina Pangrsic
- Synaptic Physiology of Mammalian Vestibular Hair Cells Group, Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen and Auditory Neuroscience Group, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine , Göttingen, Germany ; Department of Biology, University of Maryland , College Park, Maryland ; and Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Innsbruck , Innsbruck , Austria
| | - Joshua H Singer
- Synaptic Physiology of Mammalian Vestibular Hair Cells Group, Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen and Auditory Neuroscience Group, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine , Göttingen, Germany ; Department of Biology, University of Maryland , College Park, Maryland ; and Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Innsbruck , Innsbruck , Austria
| | - Alexandra Koschak
- Synaptic Physiology of Mammalian Vestibular Hair Cells Group, Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen and Auditory Neuroscience Group, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine , Göttingen, Germany ; Department of Biology, University of Maryland , College Park, Maryland ; and Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Innsbruck , Innsbruck , Austria
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22
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Grimes WN, Songco-Aguas A, Rieke F. Parallel Processing of Rod and Cone Signals: Retinal Function and Human Perception. Annu Rev Vis Sci 2018; 4:123-141. [PMID: 29883274 PMCID: PMC6153147 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-vision-091517-034055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
We know a good deal about the operation of the retina when either rod or cone photoreceptors provide the dominant input (i.e., under very dim or very bright conditions). However, we know much less about how the retina operates when rods and cones are coactive (i.e., under intermediate lighting conditions, such as dusk). Such mesopic conditions span 20-30% of the light levels over which vision operates and encompass many situations in which vision is essential (e.g., driving at night). These lighting conditions are challenging because rod and cone signals differ substantially: Rod responses are nearing saturation, while cone responses are weak and noisy. A rich history of perceptual studies guides our investigation of how the retina operates under mesopic conditions and in doing so provides a powerful opportunity to link general issues about parallel processing in neural circuits with computation and perception. We review some of the successes and challenges in understanding the retinal basis of perceptual rod-cone interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- William N Grimes
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA;
| | - Adree Songco-Aguas
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA;
| | - Fred Rieke
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA;
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23
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Liu F, Zhang J, Xiang Z, Xu D, So KF, Vardi N, Xu Y. Lycium Barbarum Polysaccharides Protect Retina in rd1 Mice During Photoreceptor Degeneration. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2018; 59:597-611. [PMID: 29372259 PMCID: PMC6623178 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.17-22881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose As an active component in wolfberry, lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBP) are capable of protecting retinal neurons in several animal disease models. Here, we asked whether LBP rescues the retinal morphology and function in rd1 mouse, a photoreceptor fast-degenerating animal model of retinitis pigmentosa, and in particular focused on LBP's effects on the function of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) during photoreceptor degeneration. Methods An equal volume of LBP or control vehicle was daily intraperitoneal (i.p.) injected in rd1 mice from postnatal day 4 (P4) to P14, P20, or P24 when photoreceptors completely degenerate. Immunostaining, electroretinogram (ERG), visual behavior tests and multielectrode array (MEA) recordings were assessed to determine the structure and function of the treated retina. Results LBP treatment greatly promoted photoreceptor survival, enhanced ERG responses, and improved visual behaviors in rd1 mice. MEA data showed that LBP treatment in general decreased the abnormally high spontaneous spiking that occurs in rd1 mice, and increased the percentage of light-responsive RGCs as well as their light-evoked response, light sensitivity, signal-to-noise ratio, and response speed. Interestingly, LBP treatment affected ON and OFF responses differently. Conclusions LBP improves retinal morphology and function in rd1 mice, and delays the functional decay of RGCs during photoreceptor degeneration. This is the first study that has examined in detail the effects of LBP on RGC responses. Our data suggest that LBP may help extend the effective time window before more invasive RP therapeutic approaches such as retinoprosthesis are applied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Liu
- Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Ministry of Education CNS Regeneration Collaborative Joint Laboratory, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jia Zhang
- Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Ministry of Education CNS Regeneration Collaborative Joint Laboratory, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zongqin Xiang
- Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Ministry of Education CNS Regeneration Collaborative Joint Laboratory, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Di Xu
- Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Ministry of Education CNS Regeneration Collaborative Joint Laboratory, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kwok-Fai So
- Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Ministry of Education CNS Regeneration Collaborative Joint Laboratory, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.,Changsha Academician Expert Workstation, Aier Eye Hospital Group, Changsha, China.,Co-Innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Jiangsu, China
| | - Noga Vardi
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Ying Xu
- Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Ministry of Education CNS Regeneration Collaborative Joint Laboratory, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.,Changsha Academician Expert Workstation, Aier Eye Hospital Group, Changsha, China.,Co-Innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Jiangsu, China
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24
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Field GD, Sampath AP. Behavioural and physiological limits to vision in mammals. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 372:rstb.2016.0072. [PMID: 28193817 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Human vision is exquisitely sensitive-a dark-adapted observer is capable of reliably detecting the absorption of a few quanta of light. Such sensitivity requires that the sensory receptors of the retina, rod photoreceptors, generate a reliable signal when single photons are absorbed. In addition, the retina must be able to extract this information and relay it to higher visual centres under conditions where very few rods signal single-photon responses while the majority generate only noise. Critical to signal transmission are mechanistic optimizations within rods and their dedicated retinal circuits that enhance the discriminability of single-photon responses by mitigating photoreceptor and synaptic noise. We describe behavioural experiments over the past century that have led to the appreciation of high sensitivity near absolute visual threshold. We further consider mechanisms within rod photoreceptors and dedicated rod circuits that act to extract single-photon responses from cellular noise. We highlight how these studies have shaped our understanding of brain function and point out several unresolved questions in the processing of light near the visual threshold.This article is part of the themed issue 'Vision in dim light'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greg D Field
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Alapakkam P Sampath
- Stein Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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25
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Takeshita D, Smeds L, Ala-Laurila P. Processing of single-photon responses in the mammalian On and Off retinal pathways at the sensitivity limit of vision. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 372:rstb.2016.0073. [PMID: 28193818 PMCID: PMC5312023 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Visually guided behaviour at its sensitivity limit relies on single-photon responses originating in a small number of rod photoreceptors. For decades, researchers have debated the neural mechanisms and noise sources that underlie this striking sensitivity. To address this question, we need to understand the constraints arising from the retinal output signals provided by distinct retinal ganglion cell types. It has recently been shown in the primate retina that On and Off parasol ganglion cells, the cell types likely to underlie light detection at the absolute visual threshold, differ fundamentally not only in response polarity, but also in the way they handle single-photon responses originating in rods. The On pathway provides the brain with a thresholded, low-noise readout and the Off pathway with a noisy, linear readout. We outline the mechanistic basis of these different coding strategies and analyse their implications for detecting the weakest light signals. We show that high-fidelity, nonlinear signal processing in the On pathway comes with costs: more single-photon responses are lost and their propagation is delayed compared with the Off pathway. On the other hand, the responses of On ganglion cells allow better intensity discrimination compared with the Off ganglion cell responses near visual threshold. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Vision in dim light’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisuke Takeshita
- Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Lina Smeds
- Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Petri Ala-Laurila
- Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland .,Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University School of Science, PO Box 12200, 00076 Aalto, Finland
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Parag KV, Vinnicombe G. Point process analysis of noise in early invertebrate vision. PLoS Comput Biol 2017; 13:e1005687. [PMID: 29077703 PMCID: PMC5678801 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2015] [Revised: 11/08/2017] [Accepted: 07/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Noise is a prevalent and sometimes even dominant aspect of many biological processes. While many natural systems have adapted to attenuate or even usefully integrate noise, the variability it introduces often still delimits the achievable precision across biological functions. This is particularly so for visual phototransduction, the process responsible for converting photons of light into usable electrical signals (quantum bumps). Here, randomness of both the photon inputs (regarded as extrinsic noise) and the conversion process (intrinsic noise) are seen as two distinct, independent and significant limitations on visual reliability. Past research has attempted to quantify the relative effects of these noise sources by using approximate methods that do not fully account for the discrete, point process and time ordered nature of the problem. As a result the conclusions drawn from these different approaches have led to inconsistent expositions of phototransduction noise performance. This paper provides a fresh and complete analysis of the relative impact of intrinsic and extrinsic noise in invertebrate phototransduction using minimum mean squared error reconstruction techniques based on Bayesian point process (Snyder) filters. An integrate-fire based algorithm is developed to reliably estimate photon times from quantum bumps and Snyder filters are then used to causally estimate random light intensities both at the front and back end of the phototransduction cascade. Comparison of these estimates reveals that the dominant noise source transitions from extrinsic to intrinsic as light intensity increases. By extending the filtering techniques to account for delays, it is further found that among the intrinsic noise components, which include bump latency (mean delay and jitter) and shape (amplitude and width) variance, it is the mean delay that is critical to noise performance. As the timeliness of visual information is important for real-time action, this delay could potentially limit the speed at which invertebrates can respond to stimuli. Consequently, if one wants to increase visual fidelity, reducing the photoconversion lag is much more important than improving the regularity of the electrical signal. The invertebrate phototransduction system captures and converts environmental light inputs into electrical signals for use in later visual processing. Consequently, one would expect it to be optimised in some way to ensure that only a minimal amount of environmental information is lost during conversion. Confirming this requires an understanding and quantification of the performance limiting noise sources. Photons, which are inherently random and discrete, introduce extrinsic noise. The phototransduction cascade, which converts photons into electrical bumps possessing non-deterministic shapes and latencies, contributes intrinsic noise. Previous work on characterising the relative impact of all these sources did not account for the discrete, causal, point process nature of the problem and thus results were often inconclusive. Here we use non-linear Poisson process filtering to show that photon noise is dominant at low light intensity and cascade noise limiting at high intensity. Further, our analysis reveals that mean bump delay is the most deleterious aspect of the intrinsic noise. Our work emphasises a new approach to assessing sensory noise and provides the first complete description and evaluation of the relative impact of noise in phototransduction that does not rely on continuity, linearity or Gaussian approximations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kris V. Parag
- Control Group, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Glenn Vinnicombe
- Control Group, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Martemyanov KA, Sampath AP. The Transduction Cascade in Retinal ON-Bipolar Cells: Signal Processing and Disease. Annu Rev Vis Sci 2017; 3:25-51. [PMID: 28715957 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-vision-102016-061338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Our robust visual experience is based on the reliable transfer of information from our photoreceptor cells, the rods and cones, to higher brain centers. At the very first synapse of the visual system, information is split into two separate pathways, ON and OFF, which encode increments and decrements in light intensity, respectively. The importance of this segregation is borne out in the fact that receptive fields in higher visual centers maintain a separation between ON and OFF regions. In the past decade, the molecular mechanisms underlying the generation of ON signals have been identified, which are unique in their use of a G-protein signaling cascade. In this review, we consider advances in our understanding of G-protein signaling in ON-bipolar cell (BC) dendrites and how insights about signaling have emerged from visual deficits, mostly night blindness. Studies of G-protein signaling in ON-BCs reveal an intricate mechanism that permits the regulation of visual sensitivity over a wide dynamic range.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alapakkam P Sampath
- Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095;
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28
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Effect of Rhodopsin Phosphorylation on Dark Adaptation in Mouse Rods. J Neurosci 2017; 36:6973-87. [PMID: 27358455 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3544-15.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2015] [Accepted: 05/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Rhodopsin is a prototypical G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that is activated when its 11-cis-retinal moiety is photoisomerized to all-trans retinal. This step initiates a cascade of reactions by which rods signal changes in light intensity. Like other GPCRs, rhodopsin is deactivated through receptor phosphorylation and arrestin binding. Full recovery of receptor sensitivity is then achieved when rhodopsin is regenerated through a series of steps that return the receptor to its ground state. Here, we show that dephosphorylation of the opsin moiety of rhodopsin is an extremely slow but requisite step in the restoration of the visual pigment to its ground state. We make use of a novel observation: isolated mouse retinae kept in standard media for routine physiologic recordings display blunted dephosphorylation of rhodopsin. Isoelectric focusing followed by Western blot analysis of bleached isolated retinae showed little dephosphorylation of rhodopsin for up to 4 h in darkness, even under conditions when rhodopsin was completely regenerated. Microspectrophotometeric determinations of rhodopsin spectra show that regenerated phospho-rhodopsin has the same molecular photosensitivity as unphosphorylated rhodopsin and that flash responses measured by trans-retinal electroretinogram or single-cell suction electrode recording displayed dark-adapted kinetics. Single quantal responses displayed normal dark-adapted kinetics, but rods were only half as sensitive as those containing exclusively unphosphorylated rhodopsin. We propose a model in which light-exposed retinae contain a mixed population of phosphorylated and unphosphorylated rhodopsin. Moreover, complete dark adaptation can only occur when all rhodopsin has been dephosphorylated, a process that requires >3 h in complete darkness. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) constitute the largest superfamily of proteins that compose ∼4% of the mammalian genome whose members share a common membrane topology. Signaling by GPCRs regulate a wide variety of physiological processes, including taste, smell, hearing, vision, and cardiovascular, endocrine, and reproductive homeostasis. An important feature of GPCR signaling is its timely termination. This normally occurs when, after their activation, GPCRs are rapidly phosphorylated by specific receptor kinases and subsequently bound by cognate arrestins. Recovery of receptor sensitivity to the ground state then requires dephosphorylation of the receptor and unbinding of arrestin, processes that are poorly understood. Here we investigate in mouse rod photoreceptors the relationship between rhodopsin dephosphorylation and recovery of visual sensitivity.
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Vascular Pericyte Impairment and Connexin43 Gap Junction Deficit Contribute to Vasomotor Decline in Diabetic Retinopathy. J Neurosci 2017; 37:7580-7594. [PMID: 28674171 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0187-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2017] [Revised: 05/25/2017] [Accepted: 06/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Adequate blood flow is essential to brain function, and its disruption is an early indicator in diseases, such as stroke and diabetes. However, the mechanisms contributing to this impairment remain unclear. To address this gap, in the diabetic and nondiabetic male mouse retina, we combined an unbiased longitudinal assessment of vasomotor activity along a genetically defined vascular network with pharmacological and immunohistochemical analyses of pericytes, the capillary vasomotor elements. In nondiabetic retina, focal stimulation of a pericyte produced a robust vasomotor response, which propagated along the blood vessel with increasing stimulus. In contrast, the magnitude, dynamic range, a measure of fine vascular diameter control, and propagation of vasomotor response were diminished in diabetic retinas from streptozotocin-treated mice. These functional changes were linked to several mechanisms. We found that density of pericytes and their sensitivity to stimulation were reduced in diabetes. The impaired response propagation from the stimulation site was associated with lower expression of connexin43, a major known gap junction unit in vascular cells. Indeed, selective block of gap junctions significantly reduced propagation but not initiation of vasomotor response in the nondiabetic retina. Our data establish the mechanisms for fine local regulation of capillary diameter by pericytes and a role for gap junctions in vascular network interactions. We show how disruption of this balance contributes to impaired vasomotor control in diabetes.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Identification of mechanisms governing capillary blood flow in the CNS and how they are altered in disease provides novel insight into early states of neurological dysfunction. Here, we present physiological and anatomical evidence that both intact pericyte function as well as gap junction-mediated signaling across the vascular network are essential for proper capillary diameter control and vasomotor function. Changes to capillary blood flow precede other anatomical and functional hallmarks of diabetes establishing a significant window for prevention and treatment.
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Astakhova LA, Nikolaeva DA, Fedotkina TV, Govardovskii VI, Firsov ML. Elevated cAMP improves signal-to-noise ratio in amphibian rod photoreceptors. J Gen Physiol 2017; 149:689-701. [PMID: 28611079 PMCID: PMC5496506 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201611744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2016] [Accepted: 05/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Vertebrate photoreceptors need to distinguish light signals from background noise to convey visual information to downstream bipolar cells. By affecting both signal and noise, Astakhova et al. find that increases in intracellular cAMP can improve the signal-to-noise ratio by twofold. The absolute sensitivity of vertebrate retinas is set by a background noise, called dark noise, which originates from several different cell types and is generated by different molecular mechanisms. The major share of dark noise is produced by photoreceptors and consists of two components, discrete and continuous. Discrete noise is generated by spontaneous thermal activations of visual pigment. These events are undistinguishable from real single-photon responses (SPRs) and might be considered an equivalent of the signal. Continuous noise is produced by spontaneous fluctuations of the catalytic activity of the cGMP phosphodiesterase. This masks both SPR and spontaneous SPR-like responses. Circadian rhythms affect photoreceptors, among other systems by periodically increasing intracellular cAMP levels ([cAMP]in), which increases the size and changes the shape of SPRs. Here, we show that forskolin, a tool that increases [cAMP]in, affects the magnitude and frequency spectrum of the continuous and discrete components of dark noise in photoreceptors. By changing both components of rod signaling, the signal and the noise, cAMP is able to increase the photoreceptor signal-to-noise ratio by twofold. We propose that this results in a substantial improvement of signal detection, without compromising noise rejection, at the rod bipolar cell synapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luba A Astakhova
- Sechenov Institute for Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry, Russian Academy of Science, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Darya A Nikolaeva
- Sechenov Institute for Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry, Russian Academy of Science, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Tamara V Fedotkina
- Sechenov Institute for Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry, Russian Academy of Science, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Victor I Govardovskii
- Sechenov Institute for Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry, Russian Academy of Science, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Michael L Firsov
- Sechenov Institute for Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry, Russian Academy of Science, St. Petersburg, Russia
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31
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Wang Y, Fehlhaber KE, Sarria I, Cao Y, Ingram NT, Guerrero-Given D, Throesch B, Baldwin K, Kamasawa N, Ohtsuka T, Sampath AP, Martemyanov KA. The Auxiliary Calcium Channel Subunit α2δ4 Is Required for Axonal Elaboration, Synaptic Transmission, and Wiring of Rod Photoreceptors. Neuron 2017; 93:1359-1374.e6. [PMID: 28262416 PMCID: PMC5364038 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2017.02.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2016] [Revised: 12/31/2016] [Accepted: 02/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Neural circuit wiring relies on selective synapse formation whereby a presynaptic release apparatus is matched with its cognate postsynaptic machinery. At metabotropic synapses, the molecular mechanisms underlying this process are poorly understood. In the mammalian retina, rod photoreceptors form selective contacts with rod ON-bipolar cells by aligning the presynaptic voltage-gated Ca2+ channel directing glutamate release (CaV1.4) with postsynaptic mGluR6 receptors. We show this coordination requires an extracellular protein, α2δ4, which complexes with CaV1.4 and the rod synaptogenic mediator, ELFN1, for trans-synaptic alignment with mGluR6. Eliminating α2δ4 in mice abolishes rod synaptogenesis and synaptic transmission to rod ON-bipolar cells, and disrupts postsynaptic mGluR6 clustering. We further find that in rods, α2δ4 is crucial for organizing synaptic ribbons and setting CaV1.4 voltage sensitivity. In cones, α2δ4 is essential for CaV1.4 function, but is not required for ribbon organization, synaptogenesis, or synaptic transmission. These findings offer insights into retinal pathologies associated with α2δ4 dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuchen Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Katherine E Fehlhaber
- Jules Stein Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Ignacio Sarria
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Yan Cao
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Norianne T Ingram
- Jules Stein Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Debbie Guerrero-Given
- Electron Microscopy Core Facility, Max Planck Florida Institute, 1 Max Planck Way, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Ben Throesch
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92121, USA
| | - Kristin Baldwin
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92121, USA
| | - Naomi Kamasawa
- Electron Microscopy Core Facility, Max Planck Florida Institute, 1 Max Planck Way, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Toshihisa Ohtsuka
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi 409-3898, Japan
| | - Alapakkam P Sampath
- Jules Stein Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Kirill A Martemyanov
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA.
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32
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Sinha R, Hoon M, Baudin J, Okawa H, Wong ROL, Rieke F. Cellular and Circuit Mechanisms Shaping the Perceptual Properties of the Primate Fovea. Cell 2017; 168:413-426.e12. [PMID: 28129540 PMCID: PMC5298833 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2017.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2016] [Revised: 11/21/2016] [Accepted: 01/05/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The fovea is a specialized region of the retina that dominates the visual perception of primates by providing high chromatic and spatial acuity. While the foveal and peripheral retina share a similar core circuit architecture, they exhibit profound functional differences whose mechanisms are unknown. Using intracellular recordings and structure-function analyses, we examined the cellular and synaptic underpinnings of the primate fovea. Compared to peripheral vision, the fovea displays decreased sensitivity to rapid variations in light inputs; this difference is reflected in the responses of ganglion cells, the output cells of the retina. Surprisingly, and unlike in the periphery, synaptic inhibition minimally shaped the responses of foveal midget ganglion cells. This difference in inhibition cannot however, explain the differences in the temporal sensitivity of foveal and peripheral midget ganglion cells. Instead, foveal cone photoreceptors themselves exhibited slower light responses than peripheral cones, unexpectedly linking cone signals to perceptual sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raunak Sinha
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA.
| | - Mrinalini Hoon
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA.
| | - Jacob Baudin
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Haruhisa Okawa
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Rachel O L Wong
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Fred Rieke
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA.
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33
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Pan F, Toychiev A, Zhang Y, Atlasz T, Ramakrishnan H, Roy K, Völgyi B, Akopian A, Bloomfield SA. Inhibitory masking controls the threshold sensitivity of retinal ganglion cells. J Physiol 2016; 594:6679-6699. [PMID: 27350405 DOI: 10.1113/jp272267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2016] [Accepted: 06/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in dark-adapted retinas show a range of threshold sensitivities spanning ∼3 log units of illuminance. Here, we show that the different threshold sensitivities of RGCs reflect an inhibitory mechanism that masks inputs from certain rod pathways. The masking inhibition is subserved by GABAC receptors, probably on bipolar cell axon terminals. The GABAergic masking inhibition appears independent of dopaminergic circuitry that has been shown also to affect RGC sensitivity. The results indicate a novel mechanism whereby inhibition controls the sensitivity of different cohorts of RGCs. This can limit and thereby ensure that appropriate signals are carried centrally in scotopic conditions when sensitivity rather than acuity is crucial. ABSTRACT The responses of rod photoreceptors, which subserve dim light vision, are carried through the retina by three independent pathways. These pathways carry signals with largely different sensitivities. Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), the output neurons of the retina, show a wide range of sensitivities in the same dark-adapted conditions, suggesting a divergence of the rod pathways. However, this organization is not supported by the known synaptic morphology of the retina. Here, we tested an alternative idea that the rod pathways converge onto single RGCs, but inhibitory circuits selectively mask signals so that one pathway predominates. Indeed, we found that application of GABA receptor blockers increased the sensitivity of most RGCs by unmasking rod signals, which were suppressed. Our results indicate that inhibition controls the threshold responses of RGCs under dim ambient light. This mechanism can ensure that appropriate signals cross the bottleneck of the optic nerve in changing stimulus conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Pan
- Department of Biological and Vision Sciences, State University of New York College of Optometry, New York, NY, USA.,Current address: School of Optometry, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Abduqodir Toychiev
- Department of Biological and Vision Sciences, State University of New York College of Optometry, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yi Zhang
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tamas Atlasz
- Department of Sport Biology, Janos Szentagothai Research Center, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | | | - Kaushambi Roy
- Department of Biological and Vision Sciences, State University of New York College of Optometry, New York, NY, USA
| | - Béla Völgyi
- Department of Sport Biology, Janos Szentagothai Research Center, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.,Department of Experimental Zoology and Neurobiology, Janos Szentagothai Research Center, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Abram Akopian
- Department of Biological and Vision Sciences, State University of New York College of Optometry, New York, NY, USA
| | - Stewart A Bloomfield
- Department of Biological and Vision Sciences, State University of New York College of Optometry, New York, NY, USA
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Intermolecular Interaction between Anchoring Subunits Specify Subcellular Targeting and Function of RGS Proteins in Retina ON-Bipolar Neurons. J Neurosci 2016; 36:2915-25. [PMID: 26961947 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3833-15.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In vertebrate retina, light responses generated by the rod photoreceptors are transmitted to the second-order neurons, the ON-bipolar cells (ON-BC), and this communication is indispensible for vision in dim light. In ON-BCs, synaptic transmission is initiated by the metabotropic glutamate receptor, mGluR6, that signals via the G-protein Go to control opening of the effector ion channel, TRPM1. A key role in this process belongs to the GTPase Activating Protein (GAP) complex that catalyzes Go inactivation upon light-induced suppression of glutamate release in rod photoreceptors, thereby driving ON-BC depolarization to changes in synaptic input. The GAP complex has a striking molecular complexity. It contains two Regulator of G-protein Signaling (RGS) proteins RGS7 and RGS11 that directly act on Go and two adaptor subunits: RGS Anchor Protein (R9AP) and the orphan receptor, GPR179. Here we examined the organizational principles of the GAP complex in ON-BCs. Biochemical experiments revealed that RGS7 binds to a conserved site in GPR179 and that RGS11 in vivo forms a complex only with R9AP. R9AP and GPR179 are further integrated via direct protein-protein interactions involving their cytoplasmic domains. Elimination of GPR179 prevents postsynaptic accumulation of R9AP. Furthermore, concurrent knock-out of both R9AP and RGS7 does not reconfigure the GAP complex and completely abolishes synaptic transmission, resulting in a novel mouse model of night blindness. Based on these results, we propose a model of hierarchical assembly and function of the GAP complex that supports ON-BCs visual signaling.
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35
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Grabner CP, Ratliff CP, Light AC, DeVries SH. Mechanism of High-Frequency Signaling at a Depressing Ribbon Synapse. Neuron 2016; 91:133-45. [PMID: 27292536 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2015] [Revised: 02/26/2016] [Accepted: 05/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Ribbon synapses mediate continuous release in neurons that have graded voltage responses. While mammalian retinas can signal visual flicker at 80-100 Hz, the time constant, τ, for the refilling of a depleted vesicle release pool at cone photoreceptor ribbons is 0.7-1.1 s. Due to this prolonged depression, the mechanism for encoding high temporal frequencies is unclear. To determine the mechanism of high-frequency signaling, we focused on an "Off" cone bipolar cell type in the ground squirrel, the cb2, whose transient postsynaptic responses recovered following presynaptic depletion with a τ of ∼0.1 s, or 7- to 10-fold faster than the τ for presynaptic pool refilling. The difference in recovery time course is caused by AMPA receptor saturation, where partial refilling of the presynaptic pool is sufficient for a full postsynaptic response. By limiting the dynamic range of the synapse, receptor saturation counteracts ribbon depression to produce rapid recovery and facilitate high-frequency signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad P Grabner
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Charles P Ratliff
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Adam C Light
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Steven H DeVries
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
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36
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Kuo SP, Schwartz GW, Rieke F. Nonlinear Spatiotemporal Integration by Electrical and Chemical Synapses in the Retina. Neuron 2016; 90:320-32. [PMID: 27068789 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2015] [Revised: 02/02/2016] [Accepted: 03/06/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Electrical and chemical synapses coexist in circuits throughout the CNS. Yet, it is not well understood how electrical and chemical synaptic transmission interact to determine the functional output of networks endowed with both types of synapse. We found that release of glutamate from bipolar cells onto retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) was strongly shaped by gap-junction-mediated electrical coupling within the bipolar cell network of the mouse retina. Specifically, electrical synapses spread signals laterally between bipolar cells, and this lateral spread contributed to a nonlinear enhancement of bipolar cell output to visual stimuli presented closely in space and time. Our findings thus (1) highlight how electrical and chemical transmission can work in concert to influence network output and (2) reveal a previously unappreciated circuit mechanism that increases RGC sensitivity to spatiotemporally correlated input, such as that produced by motion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sidney P Kuo
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Gregory W Schwartz
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Fred Rieke
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
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37
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Abstract
AbstractThe endogenous cannabinoid system plays important roles in the retina of mice and monkeys via their classic CB1 and CB2 receptors. We have previously reported that the G protein-coupled receptor 55 (GPR55), a putative cannabinoid receptor, is exclusively expressed in rod photoreceptors in the monkey retina, suggesting its possible role in scotopic vision. To test this hypothesis, we recorded full-field electroretinograms (ERGs) after the intravitreal injection of the GPR55 agonist lysophosphatidylglucoside (LPG) or the selective GPR55 antagonist CID16020046 (CID), under light- and dark-adapted conditions. Thirteen vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus sabaeus) were used in this study: four controls (injected with the vehicle dimethyl sulfoxide, DMSO), four injected with LPG and five with CID. We analyzed amplitudes and latencies of the a-wave (photoreceptor responses) and the b-wave (rod and cone system responses) of the ERG. Our results showed that after injection of LPG, the amplitude of the scotopic b-wave was significantly higher, whereas after the injection of CID, it was significantly decreased, compared to the vehicle (DMSO). On the other hand, the a-wave amplitude, and the a-wave and b-wave latencies, of the scotopic ERG responses were not significantly affected by the injection of either compound. Furthermore, the photopic ERG waveforms were not affected by either drug. These results support the hypothesis that GPR55 plays an instrumental role in mediating scotopic vision.
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Xiong WH, Pang JJ, Pennesi ME, Duvoisin RM, Wu SM, Morgans CW. The Effect of PKCα on the Light Response of Rod Bipolar Cells in the Mouse Retina. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2015; 56:4961-74. [PMID: 26230760 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.15-16622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Protein kinase C α (PKCα) is abundantly expressed in rod bipolar cells (RBCs) in the retina, yet the physiological function of PKCα in these cells is not well understood. To elucidate the role of PKCα in visual processing in the eye, we examined the effect of genetic deletion of PKCα on the ERG and on RBC light responses in the mouse. METHODS Immunofluorescent labeling was performed on wild-type (WT), TRPM1 knockout, and PKCα knockout (PKC-KO) retina. Scotopic and photopic ERGs were recorded from WT and PKC-KO mice. Light responses of RBCs were measured using whole-cell recordings in retinal slices from WT and PKC-KO mice. RESULTS Protein kinase C alpha expression in RBCs is correlated with the activity state of the cell. Rod bipolar cells dendrites are a major site of PKCα phosphorylation. Electroretinogram recordings indicated that loss of PKCα affects the scotopic b-wave, including a larger peak amplitude, longer implicit time, and broader width of the b-wave. There were no differences in the ERG a- or c-wave between PKCα KO and WT mice, indicating no measurable effect of PKCα in photoreceptors or the RPE. The photopic ERG was unaffected consistent with the lack of detectable PKCα in cone bipolar cells. Whole-cell recordings from RBCs in PKC-KO retinal slices revealed that, compared with WT, RBC light responses in the PKC-KO retina are delayed and of longer duration. CONCLUSIONS Protein kinase C alpha plays an important modulatory role in RBCs, regulating both the peak amplitude and temporal properties of the RBC light response in the rod visual pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Hong Xiong
- Department of Physiology & Pharmacology Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States
| | - Ji-Jie Pang
- Cullen Eye Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States
| | - Mark E Pennesi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States
| | - Robert M Duvoisin
- Department of Physiology & Pharmacology Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States
| | - Samuel M Wu
- Cullen Eye Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States
| | - Catherine W Morgans
- Department of Physiology & Pharmacology Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States
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Reingruber J, Holcman D, Fain GL. How rods respond to single photons: Key adaptations of a G-protein cascade that enable vision at the physical limit of perception. Bioessays 2015; 37:1243-52. [PMID: 26354340 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201500081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Rod photoreceptors are among the most sensitive light detectors in nature. They achieve their remarkable sensitivity across a wide variety of species through a number of essential adaptations: a specialized cellular geometry, a G-protein cascade with an unusually stable receptor molecule, a low-noise transduction mechanism, a nearly perfect effector enzyme, and highly evolved mechanisms of feedback control and receptor deactivation. Practically any change in protein expression, enzyme activity, or feedback control can be shown to impair photon detection, either by decreasing sensitivity or signal-to-noise ratio, or by reducing temporal resolution. Comparison of mammals to amphibians suggests that rod outer-segment morphology and the molecules and mechanism of transduction may have evolved together to optimize light sensitivity in darkness, which culminates in the extraordinary ability of these cells to respond to single photons at the ultimate limit of visual perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jürgen Reingruber
- IBENS, Group of Computational Biology and Applied Mathematics, École Normale Supérieure, Paris, France.,INSERM U1024, Paris, France
| | - David Holcman
- IBENS, Group of Computational Biology and Applied Mathematics, École Normale Supérieure, Paris, France.,Department of Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Gordon L Fain
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, Terasaki Life Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Vinberg F, Wang T, Molday RS, Chen J, Kefalov VJ. A new mouse model for stationary night blindness with mutant Slc24a1 explains the pathophysiology of the associated human disease. Hum Mol Genet 2015; 24:5915-29. [PMID: 26246500 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddv319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2015] [Accepted: 07/31/2015] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations that affect calcium homeostasis (Ca(2+)) in rod photoreceptors are linked to retinal degeneration and visual disorders such as retinitis pigmentosa and congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB). It is thought that the concentration of Ca(2+) in rod outer segments is controlled by a dynamic balance between influx via cGMP-gated (CNG) channels and extrusion via Na(+)/Ca(2+), K(+) exchangers (NCKX1). The extrusion-driven lowering of rod [Ca(2+)]i following light exposure controls their light adaptation and response termination. Mutant NCKX1 has been linked to autosomal-recessive stationary night blindness. However, whether NCKX1 contributes to light adaptation has not been directly tested and the mechanisms by which human NCKX1 mutations cause night blindness are not understood. Here, we report that the deletion of NCKX1 in mice results in malformed outer segment disks, suppressed expression and function of rod CNG channels and a subsequent 100-fold reduction in rod responses, while preserving normal cone responses. The compensating loss of CNG channel function in the absence of NCKX1-mediated Ca(2+) extrusion may prevent toxic Ca(2+) buildup and provides an explanation for the stationary nature of the associated disorder in humans. Surprisingly, the lack of NCKX1 did not compromise rod background light adaptation, suggesting additional Ca(2+)-extruding mechanisms exist in these cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frans Vinberg
- Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Tian Wang
- Cell and Neurobiology, Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA and
| | - Robert S Molday
- Biochemistry/Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Jeannie Chen
- Cell and Neurobiology, Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA and
| | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA,
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41
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Purgert RJ, Lukasiewicz PD. Differential encoding of spatial information among retinal on cone bipolar cells. J Neurophysiol 2015. [PMID: 26203104 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00287.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The retina is the first stage of visual processing. It encodes elemental features of visual scenes. Distinct cone bipolar cells provide the substrate for this to occur. They encode visual information, such as color and luminance, a principle known as parallel processing. Few studies have directly examined whether different forms of spatial information are processed in parallel among cone bipolar cells. To address this issue, we examined the spatial information encoded by mouse ON cone bipolar cells, the subpopulation excited by increments in illumination. Two types of spatial processing were identified. We found that ON cone bipolar cells with axons ramifying in the central inner plexiform layer were tuned to preferentially encode small stimuli. By contrast, ON cone bipolar cells with axons ramifying in the proximal inner plexiform layer, nearest the ganglion cell layer, were tuned to encode both small and large stimuli. This dichotomy in spatial tuning is attributable to amacrine cells providing stronger inhibition to central ON cone bipolar cells compared with proximal ON cone bipolar cells. Furthermore, background illumination altered this difference in spatial tuning. It became less pronounced in bright light, as amacrine cell-driven inhibition became pervasive among all ON cone bipolar cells. These results suggest that differential amacrine cell input determined the distinct spatial encoding properties among ON cone bipolar cells. These findings enhance the known parallel processing capacity of the retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Purgert
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; and
| | - Peter D Lukasiewicz
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; and Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
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Sarria I, Pahlberg J, Cao Y, Kolesnikov AV, Kefalov VJ, Sampath AP, Martemyanov KA. Sensitivity and kinetics of signal transmission at the first visual synapse differentially impact visually-guided behavior. eLife 2015; 4:e06358. [PMID: 25879270 PMCID: PMC4412108 DOI: 10.7554/elife.06358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2015] [Accepted: 04/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In the retina, synaptic transmission between photoreceptors and downstream ON-bipolar neurons (ON-BCs) is mediated by a GPCR pathway, which plays an essential role in vision. However, the mechanisms that control signal transmission at this synapse and its relevance to behavior remain poorly understood. In this study we used a genetic system to titrate the rate of GPCR signaling in ON-BC dendrites by varying the concentration of key RGS proteins and measuring the impact on transmission of signal between photoreceptors and ON-BC neurons using electroretinography and single cell recordings. We found that sensitivity, onset timing, and the maximal amplitude of light-evoked responses in rod- and cone-driven ON-BCs are determined by different RGS concentrations. We further show that changes in RGS concentration differentially impact visually guided-behavior mediated by rod and cone ON pathways. These findings illustrate that neuronal circuit properties can be modulated by adjusting parameters of GPCR-based neurotransmission at individual synapses. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.06358.001 At the back of the eye, a structure called the retina contains several types of cell that convert light into the electrical signals that the brain interprets to produce vision. Cells called rods and cones detect the light, and then signal to other neurons in the retina that relay this information to the brain. Rods and cones are specialized to respond best to different visual features: cones detect color and can track rapid movement; whereas rods are more sensitive to low light levels and so enable night vision. All rods and cones communicate with particular types of neuron called an ‘ON bipolar cell’: rods send their information to rod-specific ON bipolar cells and cones to cone ON-bipolar cells. To maintain the differences in how visual features are detected, the signals sent by the rod or cone cells need to be tuned separately. Previous studies showed that bipolar cells rely on the action of proteins called RGSs to control how information is passed from rods and cones to ON bipolar cells. However, how the RGS proteins produce their effects is not well understood, and neither is their impact on vision or behavior. Sarria et al. used a genetic approach to create mice that progressively lost RGS proteins from their retina over the course of several weeks. Recording the nerve impulses produced by the bipolar cells as light shone on the retina revealed that RGS depletion affects these neurons in three ways: how sensitive they are to the signals sent by the rod and cone cells, how quickly they respond to a signal, and the size of the electrical response that they produce. Sarria et al. then investigated how these changes affected the behavior of the mice. To test the response of the rod cells, the mice performed tasks in dim light. This revealed that it was only when the sensitivity of the bipolar cells decreased that the mice performed worse. However, in a task involving fast-moving objects that investigated the response of cone cells, only changes to the speed of the response affected vision. Therefore, the RGS protein has different effects on the signals from rod cells and cone cells. These findings will be useful for understanding how different light sensitive cells in the retina communicate their signals to extract important visual features, allowing us to both see well at night and track rapid changes in scenery on a bright sunny day. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.06358.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio Sarria
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, United States
| | - Johan Pahlberg
- Jules Stein Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Yan Cao
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, United States
| | - Alexander V Kolesnikov
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University in St.Louis, St. Louis, United States
| | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University in St.Louis, St. Louis, United States
| | - Alapakkam P Sampath
- Jules Stein Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Kirill A Martemyanov
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, United States
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McKeown AS, Kraft TW, Loop MS. Increased visual sensitivity following periods of dim illumination. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2015; 56:1864-71. [PMID: 25698701 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.14-15958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE We measured changes in the sensitivity of the human rod pathway by testing visual reaction times before and after light adaptation. We targeted a specific range of conditioning light intensities to see if a physiological adaptation recently discovered in mouse rods is observable at the perceptual level in humans. We also measured the noise spectrum of single mouse rods due to the importance of the signal-to-noise ratio in rod to rod bipolar cell signal transfer. METHODS Using the well-defined relationship between stimulus intensity and reaction time (Piéron's law), we measured the reaction times of eight human subjects (ages 24-66) to scotopic test flashes of a single intensity before and after the presentation of a 3-minute background. We also made recordings from single mouse rods and processed the cellular noise spectrum before and after similar conditioning exposures. RESULTS Subject reaction times to a fixed-strength stimulus were fastest 5 seconds after conditioning background exposure (79% ± 1% of the preconditioning mean, in darkness) and were significantly faster for the first 12 seconds after background exposure (P < 0.01). During the period of increased rod sensitivity, the continuous noise spectrum of individual mouse rods was not significantly increased. CONCLUSIONS A decrease in human reaction times to a dim flash after conditioning background exposure may originate in rod photoreceptors through a transient increase in the sensitivity of the phototransduction cascade. There is no accompanying increase in rod cellular noise, allowing for reliable transmission of larger rod signals after conditioning exposures and the observed increase in perceptual sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex S McKeown
- University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Vision Sciences, Birmingham, Alabama, United States
| | - Timothy W Kraft
- University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Vision Sciences, Birmingham, Alabama, United States
| | - Michael S Loop
- University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Vision Sciences, Birmingham, Alabama, United States
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44
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Martemyanov KA. G protein signaling in the retina and beyond: the Cogan lecture. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2014; 55:8201-7. [PMID: 25511392 PMCID: PMC4541486 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.14-15928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kirill A. Martemyanov
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Florida, United States
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45
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Ala-Laurila P, Rieke F. Coincidence detection of single-photon responses in the inner retina at the sensitivity limit of vision. Curr Biol 2014; 24:2888-98. [PMID: 25454583 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2014.10.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2014] [Revised: 10/09/2014] [Accepted: 10/09/2014] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vision in starlight relies on our ability to detect single absorbed photons. Indeed, the sensitivity of dark-adapted vision approaches limits set by the quantal nature of light. This sensitivity requires neural mechanisms that selectively transmit quantal responses and suppress noise. Such mechanisms face an inevitable tradeoff because signal and noise cannot be perfectly separated, and rejecting noise also means rejecting signal. RESULTS We report measurements of single-photon responses in the output signals of the primate retina. We find that visual signals arising from a few absorbed photons are read out fundamentally differently by primate On and Off parasol ganglion cells, key retinal output neurons. Off parasol cells respond linearly to near-threshold flashes, retaining sensitivity to each absorbed photon but maintaining a high level of noise. On parasol cells respond nonlinearly due to thresholding of their excitatory synaptic inputs. This nonlinearity reduces neural noise but also limits information about single-photon absorptions. CONCLUSIONS The long-standing idea that information about each photon absorption is available for behavior at the sensitivity limit of vision is not universally true across retinal outputs. More generally, our work shows how a neural circuit balances the competing needs for sensitivity and noise rejection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petri Ala-Laurila
- Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 65, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
| | - Fred Rieke
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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46
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Grimes WN, Hoon M, Briggman KL, Wong RO, Rieke F. Cross-synaptic synchrony and transmission of signal and noise across the mouse retina. eLife 2014; 3:e03892. [PMID: 25180102 PMCID: PMC4174577 DOI: 10.7554/elife.03892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2014] [Accepted: 08/26/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cross-synaptic synchrony—correlations in transmitter release across output synapses of a single neuron—is a key determinant of how signal and noise traverse neural circuits. The anatomical connectivity between rod bipolar and A17 amacrine cells in the mammalian retina, specifically that neighboring A17s often receive input from many of the same rod bipolar cells, provides a rare technical opportunity to measure cross-synaptic synchrony under physiological conditions. This approach reveals that synchronization of rod bipolar cell synapses is near perfect in the dark and decreases with increasing light level. Strong synaptic synchronization in the dark minimizes intrinsic synaptic noise and allows rod bipolar cells to faithfully transmit upstream signal and noise to downstream neurons. Desynchronization in steady light lowers the sensitivity of the rod bipolar output to upstream voltage fluctuations. This work reveals how cross-synaptic synchrony shapes retinal responses to physiological light inputs and, more generally, signaling in complex neural networks. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.03892.001 The human eye is capable of detecting a single photon of starlight. This level of sensitivity is made possible by the high sensitivity of photoreceptors called rods. There are around 120 million rods in the retina, and they support vision in levels of light that are too low to activate the photoreceptors called cones that allow us to see in color. This is why we cannot see colors in the dark. Signals are relayed through the retina via a circuit made up of multiple types of neurons. The activation of rods leads to activation of cells known as ‘rod bipolar cells’ which, in turn, activate amacrine cells and ganglion cells, with the latter sending signals via the optic nerve to the brain. All of these neurons communicate with one another at junctions called synapses. Activation of a rod bipolar cell, for example, triggers the release of molecules called neurotransmitters: these molecules bind to and activate receptors on the amacrine cells, enabling the signal to be transmitted. For the brain to detect that a single photon has struck a rod, the eye must transmit information along this chain of neurons in a way that is highly reliable while adding very little noise to the signal. Grimes et al. have now revealed a key step in how this is achieved. Electrical recordings from the mouse retina revealed that, in the dark, small fluctuations in the activity of rod bipolar cells lead to the near-deterministic release of neurotransmitters. This reduces the impact of random fluctuations in neurotransmitter release produced at individual synapses and ensures that the signals from rod bipolar cells (and thus from rods) are transmitted faithfully through the circuit with minimal added noise. As light levels increase, this tight synchrony of transmitter release breaks down, reducing the sensitivity to individual photons. Given that many other brain regions share the features that enable retinal cells to coordinate the release of neurotransmitters, this mechanism might be used throughout the brain to increase the signal-to-noise ratio for the transmission of information through neural circuits. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.03892.002
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Affiliation(s)
- William N Grimes
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, United States
| | - Mrinalini Hoon
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, United States
| | - Kevin L Briggman
- Circuit Dynamics and Connectivity Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, United States
| | - Rachel O Wong
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, United States
| | - Fred Rieke
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, United States
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47
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Hoon M, Okawa H, Della Santina L, Wong ROL. Functional architecture of the retina: development and disease. Prog Retin Eye Res 2014; 42:44-84. [PMID: 24984227 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2014.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 327] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2014] [Revised: 06/08/2014] [Accepted: 06/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Structure and function are highly correlated in the vertebrate retina, a sensory tissue that is organized into cell layers with microcircuits working in parallel and together to encode visual information. All vertebrate retinas share a fundamental plan, comprising five major neuronal cell classes with cell body distributions and connectivity arranged in stereotypic patterns. Conserved features in retinal design have enabled detailed analysis and comparisons of structure, connectivity and function across species. Each species, however, can adopt structural and/or functional retinal specializations, implementing variations to the basic design in order to satisfy unique requirements in visual function. Recent advances in molecular tools, imaging and electrophysiological approaches have greatly facilitated identification of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that establish the fundamental organization of the retina and the specializations of its microcircuits during development. Here, we review advances in our understanding of how these mechanisms act to shape structure and function at the single cell level, to coordinate the assembly of cell populations, and to define their specific circuitry. We also highlight how structure is rearranged and function is disrupted in disease, and discuss current approaches to re-establish the intricate functional architecture of the retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mrinalini Hoon
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Haruhisa Okawa
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Luca Della Santina
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Rachel O L Wong
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
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GPR179 is required for high sensitivity of the mGluR6 signaling cascade in depolarizing bipolar cells. J Neurosci 2014; 34:6334-43. [PMID: 24790204 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.4044-13.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Parallel visual pathways are initiated at the first retinal synapse by signaling between the rod and cone photoreceptors and two general classes of bipolar cells. For normal function, ON or depolarizing bipolar cells (DBCs) require the G-protein-coupled receptor, mGluR6, an intact G-protein-coupled cascade and the transient receptor potential melastatin 1 (TRPM1) cation channel. In addition, another seven transmembrane protein, GPR179, is required for DBC function and recruits the regulators of G-protein signaling (RGS) proteins, RGS7 and RGS11, to the dendritic tips of the DBCs. Here we use the Gpr179(nob5) mouse, which lacks GPR179 and has a no b-wave electroretinogram (ERG) phenotype, to demonstrate that despite the absence of both GPR179 and RGS7/RGS11, a small dark-adapted ERG b-wave remains and can be enhanced with long duration flashes. Consistent with the ERG, the mGluR6-mediated gating of TRPM1 can be evoked pharmacologically in Gpr179(nob5) and RGS7(-/-)/RGS11(-/-) rod BCs if strong stimulation conditions are used. In contrast, direct gating of TRPM1 by capsaicin in RGS7(-/-)/RGS11(-/-) and WT rod BCs is similar, but severely compromised in Gpr179(nob5) rod BCs. Noise and standing current analyses indicate that the remaining channels in Gpr179(nob5) and RGS7(-/-)/RGS11(-/-) rod BCs have a very low open probability. We propose that GPR179 along with RGS7 and RGS11 controls the ability of the mGluR6 cascade to gate TRPM1. In addition to its role in localizing RGS7 and RGS11 to the dendritic tips, GPR179 via a direct interaction with the TRPM1 channel alters its ability to be gated directly by capsaicin.
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Ex vivo ERG analysis of photoreceptors using an in vivo ERG system. Vision Res 2014; 101:108-17. [PMID: 24959652 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2014.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2014] [Revised: 06/09/2014] [Accepted: 06/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The Function of the retina and effects of drugs on it can be assessed by recording transretinal voltage across isolated retina that is perfused with physiological medium. However, building ex vivo ERG apparatus requires substantial amount of time, resources and expertise. Here we adapted a commercial in vivo ERG system for transretinal ERG recordings from rod and cone photoreceptors and compared rod and cone signaling between ex vivo and in vivo environments. We found that the rod and cone a- and b-waves recorded with the transretinal ERG adapter and a standard in vivo ERG system are comparable to those obtained from live anesthetized animals. However, ex vivo responses are somewhat slower and their oscillatory potentials are suppressed as compared to those recorded in vivo. We found that rod amplification constant (A) was comparable between ex vivo and in vivo conditions, ∼10-30s(-2) depending on the choice of response normalization. We estimate that the A in cones is between 3 and 6s(-2) in ex vivo conditions and by assuming equal A in vivo we arrive to light funnelling factor of 3 for cones in the mouse retina. The ex vivo ERG adapter provides a simple and affordable alternative to designing a custom-built transretinal recordings setup for the study of photoreceptors. Our results provide a roadmap to the rigorous quantitative analysis of rod and cone responses made possible with such a system.
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50
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Grimes WN, Schwartz GW, Rieke F. The synaptic and circuit mechanisms underlying a change in spatial encoding in the retina. Neuron 2014; 82:460-73. [PMID: 24742466 PMCID: PMC4038266 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2014.02.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/14/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Components of neural circuits are often repurposed so that the same biological hardware can be used for distinct computations. This flexibility in circuit operation is required to account for the changes in sensory computations that accompany changes in input signals. Yet we know little about how such changes in circuit operation are implemented. Here we show that a single retinal ganglion cell performs a different computation in dim light--averaging contrast within its receptive field--than in brighter light, when the cell becomes sensitive to fine spatial detail. This computational change depends on interactions between two parallel circuits that control the ganglion cell's excitatory synaptic inputs. Specifically, steady-state interactions through dendro-axonal gap junctions control rectification of the synapses providing excitatory input to the ganglion cell. These findings provide a clear example of how a simple synaptic mechanism can repurpose a neural circuit to perform diverse computations.
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Affiliation(s)
- William N Grimes
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Gregory W Schwartz
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Fred Rieke
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
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