Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Ganglion cells of chicken retina possess nicotinic rather than muscarinic acetylcholine receptors

  • Original Articles
  • Published:
Neurochemical Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Chicken retinas were exposed to intravitreal kainic acid to destroy amacrine and bipolar cells at low concentrations, and horizontal cells at high concentrations in addition. Ganglion cells were destroyed by intravitreal injections of colchicine. Low doses of kainic acid reduced the number of binding sites for both [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate (muscarinic acetylcholine receptors) and N-[propionyl 3H]α-bungarotoxin (nicotinic acetylcholine receptors), with little additional loss at higher doses. In contrast, colchicine reduced the number of binding sites for N-[propionyl-3H]α-bungarotoxin, but had little or no effect on the number of binding sites for [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate. These results are consistent with the idea that, in chicken retina, cholinergic amacrine cells make contact with ganglion cell dendrites at sites which possess mainly nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, while both types of receptor are involved in interactions between amacrine cells and perhaps bipolar cells.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Neal, M. J. 1976. Acetylcholine as a retinal transmitter substance. Pages 127–143,in Bonting S. L. (ed.), Transmitters in the Visual Process, Pergamon Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Lindeman, V. F. 1947. The cholinesterase and acetylcholine content of the chick retina, with especial references to functional activity as indicated by the pupillary constricta reflex. Am. J. Physiol. 148:40–44.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Hebb, C. O. 1955. Choline acetylase in mammalian and avian sensory systems. Q. J. Exp. Physiol. Cogn. Med. Sci. 40:176–178.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Chen, S.-C., Greenfield, P., andBoell, E. J. 1956. Localization of acetylcholinesterase in chick retina during histogenesis. J. Comp. Neurol. 106:433–461.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Nichols, C. W., andKoelle, G. B. 1968. Comparison of the localization of acetylcholinesterase and non-specific cholinesterase activities in mammalian and avian retinas. J. Comp. Neurol. 133:1–16.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Neal, M. J., andGilroy, J. 1975. High affinity choline transport in the isolated rat retina. Brain Research 93:548–551.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Baughman, R. W., andBader, C. R. 1977. Biochemical characterization and cellular localization in the cholinergic system in the chicken retina. Brain Research 138:469–485.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Masland, R. H., andMills, J. W. 1979. Autoradiographic identification of acetylcholine in the rabbit retina. J. Cell Biol. 83:159–178.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Masland, R. H., andLivingstone, C. J. 1976. Effect of stimulation with light on synthesis and release of acetylcholine by an isolated mammalian retina. J. Neurophysiol. 39:1210–1219.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Massey, S. C., andNeal, M. J. 1979. The light evoked release of acetylcholine from the rabbit retinain vivo, and its inhibition by γ-aminobutyric acid. J. Neurochem. 32:1327–1329.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Vogel, Z., andNirenberg, M. 1976. Localization of acetylcholine receptors during synaptogenesis in retina. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 73:1806–1810.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Wang, G. K., andSchmidt, J. 1976. Receptors for α-bungarotoxin in the developing visual system of the chick. Brain Res. 114:524–529.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Yazulla, S., andSchmidt, J. 1977. Two types of receptors for α-bungarotoxin in the synaptic layers of the pigeon retina. Brain Res. 138:45–57.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Müller, W. E. 1977. Muscarinic cholinergic receptor binding in bovine retina. Neuroscience Letters 5:345–349.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Sugiyama, H., Daniels, M. P., andNirenberg, M. 1977. Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors of the developing retina. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 74:5524–5528.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Hruska, R. E., White, R., Azari, J., andYamamura, H. I. 1978. Muscarinic cholinergic receptors in mammalian retina. Brain Research 148:493–498.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Moreno-Yanes, J. A. andMahler, H. R. 1979. Subcellular distribution of [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate binding activity in vertebrate retina and its relationship to other cholinergic markers. J. Neurochem. 33:505–516.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Ross, C. D., Cohen, A. I., andMcDougal, D. B. 1975. Choline acetyltransferase and acetylcholine esterase activities in normal and biologically fractional mouse retinas. Invest. Ophthalmol. 14:756–761.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Ross, C. D., andMcDougal, D. B. 1976. The distribution of choline acetyltransferase activity in vertebrate retina. J. Neurochem. 26:521–526.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Masland, R. H., andMills, J. W. 1980. Choline accumulation by photoreceptor cells of the rabbit retina. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 77:1671–1675.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Vogel, Z., Maloney, G. J., Ling, A., andDaniels, M. P. 1977. Identification of synaptic acetylcholine receptor sites in retina with peroxidase-labeled α-bungarotoxin. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 74:3268–3272.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Pourcho, R. G. 1979. Localization of cholinergic synapses in mammalian retina with peroxidase-conjugated α-bungarotoxin. Vision Res. 19:287–292.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Emrlich, D., andMorgan, I. G. 1980. Kainic acid lesions chick retina displaced amacrine cells. Neuroscience Letters 17:43–48.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Morgan, I. G., andIngham, C. A. 1981. Kainic acid affects both plexiform layers of chicken retinas. Neuroscience Letters 21:275–280.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Morgan, I. G., Güldner, F. H., andIngham, C. A. (1981) Dose-dependent effects of intraocular kainic acid on specific cell types in chicken retina. Neuroscience, in preparation.

  26. Morgan, I. G. 1981. Intraocular colchicine selectively destroys immature ganglion cells in chicken retina. Neuroscience Letters 24:255–260.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Yamamura, H. I., andSnyder, S. H. 1974. Muscarinic cholinergic binding in rat brain. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 71:1725–1729.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Patrick, J. 1979. Snake neurotoxins and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors on nerve. Pages 27–34,in Chubb, I. W. andGeffen L. B. (eds.), Neurotoxins: Fundamental and Clinical Advances Adelaide University Union Press, Adelaide,

    Google Scholar 

  29. Speth, R. C., Chen, F. J., Lindstrom, J. M., Kubayashi, R. M., andYamamura, H. I. 1977. Nicotinic cholinergic receptors in rat brain identified by (125I) Naja Naja siamensis α-toxin binding. Brain Research 131:350–355.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Brecha, N., Francis, A., andSchechter, N. 1979. Rapid loss of nicotinic-cholinergic receptor binding activity in the deafferented avian optic lobe. Brain Res. 167: 273–280.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Schwartz, M., Axelrod, D., Feldman, E. L., andAgranoff, B. W. 1980. Histological localization of binding sites of α-bungarotoxin and of antibodies specific to acetylcholine receptor in goldfish optic nerve and tectum. Brain Res. 194:171–180.

    Google Scholar 

  32. Masland, R. H. 1980. Acetylcholine in the retina. Neurochem. Intl. 1:501–518.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Masland, R. H., andAmes, A., III. 1976. Responses to acetylcholine of ganglion cells in an isolated mammalian retina. J. Neurophysiol. 39:1220–1235.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Negishi, K., Kato, S., Teranishi, T., andLaufer, M. 1978. An electrophysiological study of the cholinergic system in the carp retina. Brain Research 148:85–93.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Straschill, M., andPerwein, J. 1973. The effect of iontopherically applied acetylcholine upon the cat's retinal ganglion cells. Pflugers Arch. 339:289–296.

    Google Scholar 

  36. Neal, M. J., andMassey, S. C. 1980. The release of acetylcholine and amino acids from the rabbit retinain vivo. Neurochem. Intl. 1:191–208.

    Google Scholar 

  37. Brown, J. H., andRietow, M. G. 1980. Muscarinic potentiation of dopamine stimulated cyclic AMP accumulation in rat retina. Abstracts, Soc. Neurosci. 6:534.

    Google Scholar 

  38. Dowling, J. E., andEhinger, B. 1978. Synaptic contacts of dopaminergic neurons in the rabbit retina. J. Comp. Neurol. 180:203–220.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Behavioural Biology Research School of Biological Sciences, Australian National University, PO Box 475, 2601, Canberra City, ACT, Australia

    I. G. Morgan & P. G. Mundy

Authors
  1. I. G. Morgan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. P. G. Mundy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Morgan, I.G., Mundy, P.G. Ganglion cells of chicken retina possess nicotinic rather than muscarinic acetylcholine receptors. Neurochem Res 7, 267–274 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00965639

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00965639

Keywords

Search

Navigation