Deafferented Adult Rod Bipolar Cells Create New Synapses with Photoreceptors to Restore Vision.

ABSTRACT: Upon degeneration of photoreceptors in the adult retina, interneurons, including bipolar cells, exhibit a plastic response leading to their aberrant rewiring. Photoreceptor reintroduction has been suggested as a potential approach to sight restoration, but the ability of deafferented bipolar cells to establish functional synapses with photoreceptors is poorly understood. Here we use photocoagulation to selectively destroy photoreceptors in adult rabbits while preserving the inner retina. We find that rods and cones shift into the ablation zone over several weeks, reducing the blind spot at scotopic and photopic luminances. During recovery, rod and cone bipolar cells exhibit markedly different responses to deafferentation. Rod bipolar cells extend their dendrites to form new synapses with h

SUBMITTER: Beier C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5413192 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature