Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Intracellular Responses to Light from Cat Pigment Epithelium: Origin of the Electroretinogram c-Wave

Abstract

NOELL1 first showed that the c-wave of the vertebrate-electroretinogram (ERG) probably originates in the pigment epithelium because the c-wave disappeared in the rabbit after selective poisoning of the pigment epithelium by sodium iodate. Brown and Wiesel showed that the c-wave of the cat's local ERG attained maximum amplitude when the electrode was immediately adjacent to the pigment epithelium2. They also obtained more direct evidence during brief intracellular recordings from pigment epithelial cells, which revealed larger potentials of similar time course but opposite polarity to the c-wave2. We have now obtained stable intracellular recordings which permit the slow light-evoked responses of pigment epithelial cells to be described in detail and identified positively as the origin of the c-wave.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Noell, W. K., Amer. J. Ophthalmol., 38, 78 (1954).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Brown, K. T., and Wiesel, T. N., J. Physiol., 158, 257 (1961).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Steinberg, R. H., Vision Res., 9, 317 (1969).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Steinberg, R. H., Vision Res., 9, 1319 (1969).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Brown, K. T., and Tasaki, K., J. Physiol., 158, 281 (1961).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Steinberg, R. H., and Schmidt, R., Vision Res. (in the press).

  7. Young, R. W., The Retina, 177 (University of California, Los Angeles and Berkeley, 1969).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Potter, D. D., Furshpan, E. J., and Lennox, E. S., Proc. US Nat. Acad. Sci., 55, 328 (1966).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Payton, B. W., Bennett, M. V. L., and Pappas, G. D., Science, 166, 1641 (1969).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Orkand, R. A., Nicholls, J. G., and Kuffler, S. W., J. Neurophysiol., 29, 788 (1966).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Steinberg, R. H., Vision Res., 9, 1331 (1969).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Meservey, A. B., and Chaffee, E. L., J. Opt. Soc. Amer., 15, 311 (1927).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. Arden, G. B., and Tansley, K., J. Physiol., 127, 592 (1955).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Crescitelli, F., Vision Res., 1, 139 (1961).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Tigges, J., Brooks, B. A., and Klee, M. R., Vision Res., 7, 553 (1967).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Granit, R., and Riddell, L. A., J. Physiol., 88, 436 (1937).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Granit, R., and Munsterhjelm, A., J. Physiol., 88, 436 (1937).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Dodt, E., Bibl. Ophthalmol., 48, 32 (1957).

    Google Scholar 

  19. Liebman, P. A., Rice, R., Carrol, S., Entine, G., and Laties, A., Invest. Ophthalmol., 6, 214 (1967).

    Google Scholar 

  20. Brown, K. T., and Crawford, J. M., Vision. Res., 7, 165 (1967).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Yamada, E., Tokuyasu, K., and Iwaki, S., J. Electron Microscopy, 6, 42 (1958).

    Google Scholar 

  22. Cohen, A. I., Exp. Eye Res., 1, 128 (1961).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Baraiti, jun., A., and Orzalesi, N., J. Ultrastruct. Res., 9, 484 (1963).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Kuffler, S. W., and Nicholls, J. G., Ergebn. Physiol., 57, 2 (1966).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Berman, E. R., and Bach, G., Biochem. J., 108, 75 (1968).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

STEINBERG, R., SCHMIDT, R. & BROWN, K. Intracellular Responses to Light from Cat Pigment Epithelium: Origin of the Electroretinogram c-Wave. Nature 227, 728–730 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1038/227728a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/227728a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing