Presence of light-responding neurons in the reaggregate cultures of rat retinae.
Since histological studies on retinal reaggregates have given evidence of lamination similar to that in the intact retina, the presence of retinal function, i.e. light response, in vitro has been expected as well. Therefore, neurons in the outermost layers of reaggregates, mostly consisting of amacrine cells, were studied with cell-attached recording. About one fifth of the neurons in that layer showed spontaneous discharges. Interestingly, the frequency of spontaneous discharges of some neurons increased with light stimulation but decreased to the basal level under dark conditions. They were reproducible and lasted more than 10 min in the best case. These results suggest that functional connections between photoreceptors which are exclusively present in the central region and amacrine cells in the outermost layer might be reconstituted in reaggregate cultures.
Akagawa
K
K
Department of Neurochemistry, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Aichi, Japan.
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004594:Electrophysiology; D008027:Light; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D051381:Rats; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal