title: Differential modulation of rod and cone calcium currents in tiger salamander retina by D2 dopamine receptors and cAMP.
abstract: Synaptic transmission from vertebrate photoreceptors involves activation of L-type calcium currents (ICa). Dopamine is an important circadian neuromodulator in the retina and photoreceptors possess D2 dopamine receptors. We examined modulation of ICa by dopamine and cAMP in retinal slices and isolated cells of larval tiger salamander. Results show that dopamine and a D2 agonist, quinpirole, enhanced ICa in rods and red-, blue- and UV-sensitive small single cones but inhibited ICa in red-sensitive large single cones. A D1 agonist, SKF-38393, was without effect. Quinpirole effects were blocked by pertussis toxin (PTx) pretreatment indicating involvement of PTx-sensitive G-proteins. Like dopamine, inhibition of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) by Rp-cAMPS enhanced ICa in rods and small single cones, but inhibited ICa in large single cones. In contrast, forskolin and Sp-cAMPS, which stimulate PKA, inhibited ICa in rods and small single cones but enhanced ICa in large single cones. Sp-cAMPS also occluded effects of quinpirole. These results suggest that D2 receptors modulate ICa via inhibition of cAMP. Differences among the responses of photoreceptors to cAMP are consistent with the possibility that small single cones and rods may possess different Ca2+ channel subtypes than large single cones. The results with dopamine and quinpirole showing inhibition of ICa in large single cones and enhancement of rod ICa were unexpected because previous studies have shown that dopamine suppresses rod inputs and enhances cone inputs into second-order neurons. The present results therefore indicate that the dopaminergic enhancement of cone inputs does not arise from modulation of photoreceptor ICa.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Department of Ophthalmology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985540 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5540, USA.
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Stella
authors.forename: W B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Thoreson
mesh_terms: D000557:Ambystoma / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism*; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D017949:Retinal Cone Photoreceptor Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D017948:Retinal Rod Photoreceptor Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins; D004298:Dopamine