The retinal pigment epithelium displays electrical excitability and lateral signal spreading.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The non-neuronal retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) functions in intimate association with retinal photoreceptors, performing a multitude of tasks critical for maintaining retinal homeostasis and collaborating with retinal glial cells to provide metabolic support and ionic buffering. Accordingly, the RPE has recently been shown to display dynamic properties mediated by an array of ion channels usually more characteristic of astrocytes and excitable cells. The recent discovery of canonical voltage-activated Na⁺ channels in the RPE and their importance for phagocytosis of photoreceptor outer segments raises a question about their electrogenic function. Here, we performed a detailed electrophysiological analysis related to the functioning of these channels in human

SUBMITTER: Ignatova I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10111697 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature