Maturation of intrinsic membrane properties in rat retinal ganglion cells.
In view of the prominent role of voltage-activated conductances in both neuronal differentiation and signal transmission, the present study describes developmental alterations of ion channel properties during the functional maturation of rat RGCs, i.e., between embryonic day 15 when RGCs start to differentiate (E15) and postnatal day 35 (P35) when the retina is fully developed and the animals had already visual input for about 2 weeks. While the sodium system seems to reach maturity already at the end of the second postnatal week, significant alterations in the potassium system were found only from postnatal day 10 on. The functional implications of these alterations are discussed.
Department of Pathophysiology of Vision and Neuro-Ophthalmology, University Eye Hospital, Tübingen, Germany. elke.guenther@uni-tuebingen.de
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Guenther
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Schmid
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Reiff
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Zrenner
D000200:Action Potentials; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000502:physiology; D007473:Ion Channels; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D012964:Sodium / Q000378:metabolism
D007473:Ion Channels; D012964:Sodium; D011188:Potassium