Multiple GABA Receptor Subtypes Mediate Inhibition of Calcium Influx at Rat Retinal Bipolar Cell Terminals
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The Journal of Neuroscience, April 1995, 75(4): 2668-2679 Multiple GABA Receptor Subtypes Mediate Inhibition of Calcium Influx at Rat Retinal Bipolar Cell Terminals Zhuo-Hua Pan’ and Stuart A. Lipton* 1Department of Neurology, Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115 and *Department of Neurology, Children’s Hospital, Beth Israel Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115 Inhibitory effects of GABA on K+-evoked Ca2+ influx into sensitiveto GABA (Tachibanaand Kaneko, 1987; Karschin and rat retinal bipolar cell terminals were studied using calcium Wbsle, 1990; Suzuki et al., 1990; Yeh et al., 1990; Heidelberger imaging methods. Application of high K+ evokes a sus- and Matthews, 1991). It is speculatedthat the input of GA- tained, reversible increase in [Ca2+li at bipolar cell termi- BAergic amacrinecells to bipolar cell terminalscreates negative nals, which occurs mainly via dihydropyridine-sensitive (L- feedback to generate transient responsesin the inner retina type) Ca2+ channels. There are at least two GABA receptor (Tachibanaand Kaneko, 1987; Maguire et al., 1989). subtypes coexisting at bipolar cell terminals: a convention- Recently, a novel bicuculline/baclofen-insensitiveGABA re- al GABA, receptor and a bicuculline/baclofen-insensitive ceptor has been reported on tectal neuronesof the frog (Nistri GABA receptor. Activation of either GABA receptor inhib- and Sivilotti, 1985; Sivilotti and Nistri, 1989) and retinal neu- ited the K+-evoked Ca*+ response. However, these two rons in several species(Feigenspan et al., 1993; Qian and Dowl- GABA receptor subtypes have distinct properties. GABA, ing, 1993; Dong et al., 1994; Lukasiewicz et al., 1994; Matthews receptors suppress the Ca*+ response only at relatively et al., 1994; Zhang and Slaughter, 1994). The newly cloned GA- high concentrations of agonist, and with fas’ kinetics and BAp subunits and GABAp-like responsesencoded by bovine a narrow dynamic range. In contrast, the bicucullinelbaclo- retinal mRNA, expressedin Xenopus oocytes, display similar fen-insensitive GABA receptors produce inhibition on the properties (Cutting et al., 1991; Polenzani et al., 1991; Shimada Caz+ response at a much lower concentration of agonist, et al., 1992; Kusamaet al., 1993b). This novel GABA receptor and with slow onset and a wider dynamic range. The phar- is commonly referred to as the GABA, receptor (Johnston, macologic profile of the bicucullinelbaclofen-insensitive 1986; Shimadaet al., 1992). Although a similar GABA receptor GABA receptor at bipolar cell terminals is most similar to has been found in several species,the GABA, receptor of rat the GABA, receptor reported by Feigenspan et al. (1993). bipolar cells has been reported to be insensitive to picrotoxin Unlike the GABA, receptors described in other species, it (Feigenspanet al., 1993). The implication of this discrepancy is is extremely insensitive to picrotoxin. Therefore, it may be not clear, since the pharmacologic properties and molecular appropriate to refer to this receptor as a picrotoxin-insen- identities of the putative GABA, receptor are still not fully un- sitive GABA, receptor. 3-Aminopropyl(methyl)phosphinic derstood. acid (3-APMPA) and 3-aminopropylphosphonic (3-APA), Very few studieshave examined selective antagonistsfor this two phosphate analogs of GABA, selectively antagonize newly describedGABA receptor or family of receptors.Several the picrotoxin-insensitive GABA, receptors but not the GA- phosphateanalogs of GABA, which are the GABA, receptor BA, receptors in this system. These results imply a func- agonistsor antagonists(Slaughter and Pan, 1992), and imidaz- tional role for multiple GABA receptors in regulating syn- ole-4-acetic acid (14AA), a GABA analog with an extended con- aptic transmission at bipolar cell terminals. formation (Kusamaet al., 1993; Qian and Dowling, 1994), have [Key words: GABA, GABA receptors, calcium, 3-amino- been reported to display antagonistproperties to the bicuculline/ propyl(methyl)phosphinic acid, synaptic transmission, bi- baclofen-insensitiveGABA receptorsexpressed in Xenopus oo- polar cells, retina, rat] cytes (Kusamaet al., 1993a; Woodward et al., 1993). 14AA has also been reported to be an effective antagonistof the GABA, GABA is one of the major inhibitory neurotransmittersin the receptor in fish retinal horizontal cells (Qian and Dowling, CNS in general and in the retina in particular (Olsen and Venter, 1994). However, the properties of these compoundshave not 1986; Massey and Redburn, 1987; Tauck et al., 1988; Sivilotti been studied on the picrotoxin-insensitive type of GABA, re- and Nistri, 1991; Slaughter and Pan, 1992). There is abundant ceptors found in the rat retinal neurons. evidence that the terminals of retinal bipolar cells are highly Recent studies have shown that GABA can act at multiple subtypesof GABA receptorson bipolar cells. Both GABA, and Received Aug. 24, 1994; revised Oct. 13, 1994; accepted Oct. 24, 1994. GABA, receptors have been reported in retinal bipolar cells of We thank Dr. Malcolm M. Slaughter for helpful discussions and valuable comments on the manuscript. This work was supported in part by a Scholar goldfish, rat, tiger salamander,and white perch (Tachibanaand Award from the American Foundation for AIDS Research (to Z.-HI!) and by Kaneko, 1987; Feigenspanet al., 1993; Qian and Dowling, NIH Grant ROl EY05477 (to S.A.L.). 1993b; Lukasiewicz et al., 1994; Matthews et al., 1994). Pre- Correspondence should be addressed to Dr. Zhuo-Hua Pan at the above ad- dress. viously, a baclofen-sensitiveGABA, receptor has been reported Copyright 0 1995 Society for Neuroscience 0270-6474/95/152668-12$05.00/O in tiger salamanderbipolar cell terminals (Maguire et al., 1989). The Journal of Neuroscience, April 1995, 15(4) 2669 In goldhsh bipolar cell terminals, a baclofen-insensitive GA- saturate the fluorescence Ca 2+ indicator. Under our condition, 80 mM BA,-like receptor has also been reported (Heidelberger and Mat- K+ evoked an eouivalent or sometimes slightly smaller fluorescence signal than that eboked by 60 mM K+. However, 40 mM K’ evoked a thews, 1991; Matthews et al., 1994). The common effect of all consistentlv smaller fluorescence signal than 60 mM K+ (85% 2 3%. of these GABA receptors is, in one way or another, to regulate mean 2 SEM, n = 7). In order to-assure that the CaZ+ indicator was the Ca*+ response of the terminal. Although the inhibitory effect not saturated by [Ca*+],, 40 mM K+ was therefore used to evoke Ca2+ of GABA on Ca2+ influx into giant goldfish bipolar terminals responses throughout this work. Pharmacological agents were mixed with high K+ saline and applied by pneumatic (“puffer”) pipettes has been directly visualized with calcium imaging methods (Hei- placed about 3040 pm away from the bipolar cell terminals, unless delberger and Matthews, 1991; Matthews et al., 1994), a detailed otherwise specified. picture of the interaction of multiple GABA receptor subtypes Fluorescence measurement. Fluorescence measurements were per- in regulating Ca*+ responses at bipolar cell terminals, especially formed at room temperature on a confocal laser-scanning microscope in mammalian species, is not clear. Furthermore, the functional (NORAN, WI) coupled to an imaging system (Universal Imaging, PA). The video scan module (Odyssey) was mounted on an upright Nikon significance of the coexistence of GABA receptor subtypes at microscope fitted with a 40X, 0.75 NA water-immersion objective. Op- bipolar cell terminals remains unknown. tical excitation was accomplished using the 488 nm line of an argon In this study, by using calcium imaging, we demonstrated the laser. The emitted fluorescence passed through a 5 15 nm primary barrier colocalization of multiple GABA receptor subtypes at rat bipolar filter before it reached the photomultiplier tube. The laser intensity was minimized to prevent dye bleaching during the course of the experi- cell terminals. Particularly, we further characterized the phar- ments. During measurements, the fluorescence images were acquired in macologic properties of the GABA, receptor and the dynamic real-time mode (30 frames/set), and the fluorescence data at a defined course of inhibition resulting from multiple GABA receptor sub- bipolar cell terminal were stored and later exported to a SIGMAPLOT types at rat bipolar cell terminals. Previous studies have mainly graphics program. In some cases, the real-time video images were di- focused on the responses recorded from the bipolar cell soma. rectly recorded onto an optical memory disc recorder (OMDR, Pana- sonic) for later analysis. An advantage here is that the responses of synaptic terminals Data analysis. Since fluo-3 is a single-wavelength chromophore, the could be directly visualized. fluorescence is a function of the [Ca*+], as well as the dye concentration. A preliminary report of part of this work has appeared (Pan However, for a fixed region, the change of fluorescence directly reflects and Lipton, 1994b). the change of [Ca*+],. Therefore, data are not calibrated to absolute values of ]Ca2+],, but are displayed as a ratio of fluorescence change. Materials and Methods For the purpo&of clarity, we will use the term “calcium” instead of “fluorescence” throughout the uauer. A total of 826 biuolar cell ter- Bipolar cell isolation. Bipolar cells were dissociated from 3-4 week minals were studied h this report. Each result