The origin of spontaneous activity in developing networks of the vertebrate nervous system

Current Opinion in Neurobiology

Volumn 9, Issue 1, 1999, Pages 94-104

  O'Donovan, Michael J ^a  

^a NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND STROKE   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY; HIPPOCAMPUS; HUMAN; LATERAL GENICULATE NUCLEUS; NERVE CELL NETWORK; NERVE EXCITABILITY; NERVOUS SYSTEM; NONHUMAN; PRIORITY JOURNAL; RETINA; REVIEW; SPINAL CORD; SYNAPSE; VERTEBRATE; VISUAL NERVOUS SYSTEM;

EID: 0033009027     PISSN: 09594388     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/S0959-4388(99)80012-9     Document Type: Article

References (75)

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69. •]. The work described in this paper investigated this proposal directly - although in a different species - by recording the activity of both cell types in the retina of the neonatal rabbit. Simultaneous whole-cell recordings were obtained from morphologically identified, displaced starburst amacrine cells (in the ganglion cell layer) and from ganglion cells. These recordings showed that both cell classes were synaptically active, thereby providing direct experimental evidence for the participation of starburst amacrine cells in retinal waves. Significantly, however, the frequency of activation of starburst and ganglion cells was similar, in contrast to the model predictions that starburst amacrine cell activity should be more frequent. The presence of rhythmic synaptic inputs to starburst amacrine cells raises the possibility that some other cell type - possibly GABAergic amacrine cells - could be involved in wave generation. Unfortunately, the pharmacology and reversal potential of the synaptic drive to the starburst amacrine cells was not established, so the identity of their synaptic inputs remains unknown. This study also established that starburst cells do not generate action potentials during their rhythmic synaptic drive, indicating that that some other mechanism, perhaps graded release of transmitter, must be involved if these cells are responsible for retinal waves.
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