title: The role of nAChR-mediated spontaneous retinal activity in visual system development.
abstract: In the developing vertebrate retina, nAChR synapses are among the first to appear. This early cholinergic circuitry plays a key role in generating "retinal waves," spontaneously generated waves of action potentials that sweep across the ganglion cell layer. These retinal waves exist for a short period of time during development when several circuits within the visual system are being established. Here I review the cholinergic circuitry of the developing retina and the role these early circuits play in the development of the retina itself and of retinal projections to the lateral geniculate nucleus of the thalamus.
authors.affiliation: Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, UCSD, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, California 92093-0357, USA.
authors.forename: Marla B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Feller
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000502:physiology*; D012160:Retina / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic