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Gamma-aminobutyric acid and GABAA receptors are involved in directional selectivity of pretectal neurons in pigeons

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Abstract

The present study describes the effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and its antagonists, bicuculline and 2-hydroxysaclofen, on visual responses of neurons in the pigeon nucleus lentiformis mesencephali (nLM). The results indicate that GABA significantly reduces both spontaneous activity and visual responsiveness, and GABAA antagonist bicuculline but not GABAB antagonist 2-hydroxysaclofen enhances visual responses of nLM cells examined. Furthermore, inhibition produced by motion in the null-direction of pretectal neurons is diminished by bicuculline but not by 2-hydroxysaclofen. It is therefore concluded that the null-direction inhibition of directional cells in the pigeon nLM is predominantly mediated by GABA and GABAA receptors. This inhibition may at least in part underlie directional asymmetry of optokinetic responses.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory for Visual Information Processing, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China

    Quan Xiao, Yuxi Fu, Jing Hu, Hongfeng Gao & Shurong Wang

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  1. Quan Xiao
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  2. Yuxi Fu
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  3. Jing Hu
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  4. Hongfeng Gao
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  5. Shurong Wang
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Correspondence to Shurong Wang.

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Xiao, Q., Fu, Y., Hu, J. et al. Gamma-aminobutyric acid and GABAA receptors are involved in directional selectivity of pretectal neurons in pigeons. Sci. China Ser. C.-Life Sci. 43, 280–286 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02879287

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02879287

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