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The organization of dopaminergic neurons in vertebrate retinas

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 June 2009

Paul Witkovsky  and
Michael Schütte
Paul Witkovsky
Affiliation:
Department of Ophthalmology, New York University Medical Center, New York Department of Physiology and Biophysics, New YorkUniversity Medical Center, New York
Michael Schütte
Affiliation:
Department of Ophthalmology, New York University Medical Center, New York
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Abstract

A survey of the shapes of dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the retinas of representative vertebrates reveals that they are divisible into three groups. In teleosts and Cebus monkey, DA cells are interplexiform (IPC) neurons with an ascending process that ramifies to create an extensive arbor in the outer plexiform layer (OPL). All other vertebrates studied, including several primate species, have either DA amacrine cells or IPCs with an ascending process that either does not branch within the OPL or does so to a very limited degree. DA neurons of non-teleosts exhibit a dense plexus of fine caliber fibers which extends in the distal most sublamina of the inner plexiform layer (IPL). Teleosts lack this plexus. In all vertebrates, DA cells are distributed more or less evenly and at a low density (10–60 cells/mm2) over the retinal surface. Dendritic fields of adjacent DA neurons overlap. Most of the membrane area of the DA cell is contained within the plexus of fine fibers, which we postulate to be the major source of dopamine release. Thus, dopamine release can be modeled as occurring uniformly from a thin sheet located either in the OPL (teleosts) or in the distal IPL (most other vertebrates) or both (Cebus monkey). Assuming that net lateral spread of dopamine is zero, the fall of dopamine concentration with distance at right angles to the sheet (i.e. in the scleral-vitreal axis) will be exponential. The factors that influence the rate of fall – diffusion in extracellular space, uptake, and transport – are not yet quantified for dopamine, hence the dopamine concentration around its target cells cannot yet be assessed. This point is important in relation to the thresholds for activation of D1 and D2 dopamine receptors that are found on a variety of retinal cells.

Keywords

RetinaDopamineTyrosine hydroxylase
Type
Research Articles
Information
Visual Neuroscience , Volume 7 , Issue 1-2 , August 1991 , pp. 113 - 124
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1991

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