title: Retinal precursor cells express functional ionotropic glutamate and GABA receptors.
abstract: R28 retinal progenitor cells offer the potential to replace damaged neurons; however, their ability to differentiate into the appropriate phenotype may depend on whether they express glutamatergic and GABAergic receptors. Whole-cell recordings and immunocytochemistry were used to identify glutamatergic and GABAergic receptors on proliferating R28 cells. R28 cells lacked voltage-gated channels; however, they produced inward currents when non-NMDA, NMDA, GABAa and GABAb receptor agonists were perfused onto the cells. R28 cells were immunoreactive to GluR1, 2 and 3, NMDA and GABAa receptors consistent with electrophysiological results. These results indicate that R28 progenitor cells express glutamatergic and GABAergic receptors capable of influencing their fate and function when grafted into retina or elsewhere in the nervous system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Physiology and Biophysics, SUNY University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14214, USA.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Gail M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Seigel
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Salvi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D015640:Ion Channel Gating / Q000502:physiology; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000378:metabolism*; D018080:Receptors, GABA-B / Q000378:metabolism*; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000378:metabolism*; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D018080:Receptors, GABA-B; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid