Differential expression of K+ currents in mammalian retinal bipolar cells

Whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings were performed to investigate voltage-dependent K+ currents in acutely isolated retinal cone bipolar cells (CBCs) from the rat. The physiological and pharmacological properties of the currents were compared with those in rod bipolar cells (RBCs). The K+ currents were found to be much larger in CBC than in RBCs. In addition, the currents in CBCs were activated and inactivated at more negative potentials. Based on the apparent inactivation property of the currents, CBCs were found to fall into two groups of cells that differed in the inactivation kinetics of IK(V) but did not correlate to the ON- and OFF-type. The IK(V) for the group of CBCs showing faster inactivation, as well as for all RBCs, contained two components with decay time constants around 0.1 and 1 s. The IK(V) for the group of CBCs showing slower inactivation only contained the slower component. Furthermore, three components of IK(V) were observed based on tetraethylammonium (TEA) sensitivity: high-sensitive, low-sensitive, and resistant component. The IK(V) for a portion of CBCs showing faster inactivation, as well as for all RBCs, contained all three components. The IK(V) for the remaining CBCs, including all of those CBCs showing slower inactivation, only contained the latter two components. This study reveals a differential expression of K+ currents in rat retinal bipolar cells, suggesting that K+ channels may play an important role in bipolar cell processing in mammalian retinas.