PHYSIOLOGY OF THE VERTEBRATE RETINA

这个竞争性的更新建议是研究电生理学和 自发节律性兴奋的药理学特性 正在发育的哺乳动物视网膜使用膜片钳记录直接从 视网膜上的星状无长突细胞和神经节细胞，我们现在可以， 第一次，进行细胞和电生理学研究， 视网膜神经节突触前水平自发性视网膜波 细胞我们也可以开始研究神经节和神经元之间的相互作用， 细胞和视网膜中间神经元。实验 这里提出的将在一种新的制剂中进行，其中贴剂- 箝位记录是同时从成对的识别 在整个安装的新生儿视网膜中的星爆和神经节细胞（Zhous， Journal of Neuroscience，1998）。这种实验方法允许 详细的电生理学和药理学和药理学 协调视网膜的协调表征 在细胞和突触水平上的活动以前无法达到。 我们 将集中在三个具体目标（1），以确定内在的 星状无长突细胞和神经节细胞的膜特性 在出生后发育期间，（2）确定生理和 自发节律活动的药理学特征 视网膜发育中的星状无长突细胞和神经节细胞， 了解星突细胞与神经节之间的相互作用 细胞在自发兴奋的节律性爆发过程中， 视网膜。这项研究的结果将帮助我们了解什么是和如何 神经递质系统影响胆碱能无长突细胞， 以及胆碱能系统如何反过来影响 自发视网膜波这些结果也将提供急需的 神经元相互作用模型的实验数据 视网膜发育，从而更好地理解视觉 健康和疾病中的视网膜发育和加工。

This competing renewal proposal is to study electrophysiological and pharmacological properties of the spontaneous rhythmic excitation in the developing mammalian retina. Using patch-clamp recording directly from starburst amacrine cells and ganglion cells in the retina, we can now, for the first time, conduct cellular and electrophysiological studies of the spontaneous retinal wave at a level presynaptic to retinal ganglion cells. We can also begin to investigate the interaction between ganglion cells and retinal interneurons during development. The experiments proposed here will be performed in a novel preparation, in which patch- clamp recording are made simultaneously from pairs of identified starburst and ganglion cells in the whole-mount neonatal retina (Zhous, Journal of Neuroscience, 1998). This experimental approach allows for detailed electrophysiological and pharmacological and pharmacological characterization of coordinated characterization of coordinated retinal activities at a cellular and synaptic level previously unattainable. We will focus on three specific aims (1) to determine the intrinsic membrane properties of starburst amacrine cells and ganglion cells during postnatal development, (2) to determine the physiological and pharmacological characteristics of spontaneous rhythmic activities in starburst amacrine cells and ganglion cells in the developing retina, and (3) to understand the interaction among starburst cells and ganglion cells during rhythmic bursts of spontaneous excitation in the developing retina. Results from this study will help us understand what and how neurotransmitter systems affect cholinergic amacrine cells in the developing retina and how the cholinergic system, in turn, influences spontaneous retinal waves. These results will also provide much needed experimental data for the model of neuronal interactions in the developing retina, thus allowing better understanding of visual development and retinal processing in health and diseases.