Cellular Origin of Spontaneous Ganglion Cell Spike Activity in Animal Models of Retinitis Pigmentosa

Figure 2

Retinal circuit that may give rise to spontaneous ganglion cell spike activity. The membrane potential of the amacrine cell oscillates spontaneously due to resonance (see text) which drives oscillatory release of inhibitory transmitter on to the bipolar cell causing oscillations in bipolar voltage triggering pulsatile release of excitatory transmitter on to the ganglion cell, causing rhythmic spike discharge, and the amacrine cell with negative feedback to the bipolar. The reverberating input to the ganglion cell arises from the presence of a negative feedback loop that includes a resonant oscillator.