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JHC exPRESS: First Published December 22, 2006. doi:10.1369/jhc.6A7116.2006
Copyright © Histochemical Society, Inc.

A more recent version of this article appeared on May 1, 2007.
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Expression of Alpha 7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors by Bipolar, Amacrine, and Ganglion Cells of the Rabbit Retina

Nina A. Dmitrieva 1, Christianne E. Strang 1 and Kent T. Keyser 1*

1 Department of Vision Sciences and the Vision Science Research Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: ktkeyser{at}uab.edu.

Submitted on October 13, 2006
Accepted on 12 December 2006


  Abstract
Cholinergic agents affect the light responses of many ganglion cells in the mammalian retina by activating nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). While retinal neurons that express {beta}2 subunit-containing nAChRs have been characterized in the rabbit retina (Keyser et al., 2000), the expression patterns of other nAChR subtypes remains unclear. Therefore, we evaluated the expression of {alpha}7 nAChRs in retinal neurons by means of single, double, and triple label immunohistochemistry. Our data demonstrate that in the rabbit retina, several types of bipolar cells, amacrine cells, and cells in the ganglion cell layer express {alpha}7 nAChRs. At least three different populations of cone bipolar cells exhibited {alpha}7 labeling, while glycine-immunoreactive amacrine cells comprised the majority of {alpha}7-positive amacrine cells. Some GABAergic amacrine cells also displayed {alpha}7 immunoreactivity. {alpha}7 labeling was never detected in rod bipolar cells or rod amacrine cells (AII amacrine cells). Our data suggest that activation of {alpha}7 nAChRs by acetylcholine (ACh) or choline may affect glutamate release from several types of cone bipolar cells, modulating ganglion cell responses. ACh-induced excitation of inhibitory amacrine cells might cause either inhibition or disinhibition of other amacrine and ganglion cell circuits. Finally, ACh may act on {alpha}7 nAChRs expressed by ganglion cells themselves.

Key Words: cholinergic cells, immunohistochemistry, glycinergic cells, GABA, kinesin, synaptophysin, PSD-95, {alpha}-Bungarotxin


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