Journal of Computational Neuroscience

, Volume 31, Issue 3, pp 547–561 | Cite as

Modelling intrinsic electrophysiological properties of ON and OFF retinal ganglion cells

  • Tatiana Kameneva
  • Hamish Meffin
  • Anthony N. Burkitt
Article
First Online:
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Revised:
Accepted:

Abstract

ON and OFF retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) display differences in their intrinsic electrophysiology: OFF cells maintain spontaneous activity in the absence of any input, exhibit subthreshold membrane potential oscillations, rebound excitation and burst firing; ON cells require excitatory input to drive their activity and display none of the aforementioned phenomena. The goal of this study was to identify and characterize ionic currents that explain these intrinsic electrophysiological differences between ON and OFF RGCs. A mathematical model of the electrophysiological properties of ON and OFF RGCs was constructed and validated using published patch-clamp data from isolated intact mouse retina. The model incorporates three ionic currents hypothesized to play a role in generating behaviors that are different between ON and OFF RGCs. These currents are persistent Na + , I NaP, hyperpolarization-activated, I h, and low voltage activated Ca2 + , I T, currents. Using computer simulations of Hodgkin-Huxley type neuron with a single compartment model we found two distinct sets of I NaP, I h, I T conductances that correspond to ON and OFF RGCs populations. Simulations indicated that special properties of I T explain the differences in intrinsic electrophysiology between ON and OFF RGCs examined here. The modelling shows that the maximum conductance of I T is higher in OFF than in ON cells, in agreement with recent experimental data.

Keywords

Retinal ganglion cells Modelling Electrophysiology Ionic currents 
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Notes

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank David Grayden for stimulating discussions that were of invaluable help in carrying out this work and Michael Eager for his help with NEURON software. This research was supported by the Australian Research Council (ARC) through its Special Research Initiative (SRI) in Bionic Vision Science and Technology grant to Bionic Vision Australia (BVA). The Bionic Ear Institute acknowledges the support it receives from the Victorian Government through its Operational Infrastructure Support Program.

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2011

Authors and Affiliations

  • Tatiana Kameneva
    • 1
  • Hamish Meffin
    • 1
    • 2
  • Anthony N. Burkitt
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
  1. 1.Department of Electrical EngineeringThe University of MelbourneVICAustralia
  2. 2.NICTA Victoria Research LabThe University of MelbourneVICAustralia
  3. 3.The Bionic Ear InstituteVICAustralia

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