Abstract
Kainic (KA) and quisqualic (QA) acids have a potent depolarizing action on a variety of neurones of the central nervous system1–4, including retinal horizontal cells5,6. We now report the novel finding that at low concentrations (1–3 µM), these ‘excitatory’ amino acids hyperpolarize horizontal cells of the fish retina. We show that the hyperpolarizing effects of both KA and QA are reversed by the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) antagonist bicuculline7,8, whereas a second GABA antagonist, picrotoxin9, reverses the effects of KA, but not of QA. Neither GABA antagonist influences horizontal cell depolarization by 50 µM KA or 50 µM QA, thus the excitatory (depolarizing) and inhibitory (hyperpolarizing) effects of the amino acids involve independent mechanisms. We provide evidence that the hyperpolarizing effects are not mediated by the dopaminergic pathways associated with retinal horizontal cells10.
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Hankins, M., Ruddock, K. Hyperpolarization of fish retinal horizontal cells by kainate and quisqualate. Nature 308, 360–362 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1038/308360a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/308360a0
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