IMMUNOCYTOCHEMICAL STUDY OF NR1 SUBUNITOF NMDA RECEPTOR IN FROG RETINA

摘要

NMDA receptors are ionotropic glutamate receptors that are involved witha great number of different functions in the nervous system and in the retina inparticular. They are composed of NR1 and NR2 subunits. The NMDA recep-tors are well studied in mammalian retina. However, scanty information existsabout these receptors in the lower vertebrate retinas. That is why the aim ofthe present study was to investigate immunocytochemically the NR1 subunitof the NMDA receptors in frog retina. Three primary antibodies directed todifferent splice variants of the NR1 subunit were used. All antibodies causedwell expressed labelling in the retina. The labels had punctate character andwere located mainly in both plexiform layers: the inner (IPL) and the outer one(OPL). This means that the NR1 subunit of the NMDA receptor mediates theglutamatergic neurotransmission from the photoreceptors to the second orderretinal neurons, as well as from the bipolar cells to the third order retinal neu