| First Author | Schubert T | Year | 2005 |
| Journal | J Comp Neurol | Volume | 490 |
| Issue | 1 | Pages | 29-39 |
| PubMed ID | 16041717 | Mgi Jnum | J:101027 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:3590393 | Doi | 10.1002/cne.20621 |
| Citation | Schubert T, et al. (2005) Connexin45 mediates gap junctional coupling of bistratified ganglion cells in the mouse retina. J Comp Neurol 490(1):29-39 |
| abstractText | Direction selectivity, a key feature of visual perception, originates in the retina and is transmitted by bistratified ganglion cells that, in the rabbit retina, exhibit a particular coupling pattern. We intracellularly labeled ganglion cells in different transgenic mouse lines, allowing a morphological classification of bistratified ganglion cells, an analysis of their coupling pattern, and the molecular identification of the connexins responsible for the coupling. Based on dendritic characteristics including co-fasciculation with the dendrites of cholinergic starburst amacrine cells, we were able to distinguish three types of bistratified ganglion cells. Two of these co-fasciculate with starburst amacrine cells and exhibit a specific homologous coupling pattern. Connexin45 (Cx45) appears to be the major component of the gap junctional channels because tracer coupling is absent in Cx45-deficient animals whereas it persists in Cx36-deficient animals. It is speculated that the transjunctional voltage dependence of Cx45 channels could support the transmission of direction selectivity. |
