Biochemical and biophysical studies of isolated horizontal cells from the teleost retina

Neurons in the vertebrate retina are interconnected by a complex network of chemical and electrical synapses which make it difficult to study the intrinsic biochemical and biophysical properties of individual cells. During the past decade, enzymatic methods have been developed for dissociating adult retinas into viable and readily identifiable single cells. Using this preparation, we and other investigators have studied the physiological and biochemical properties of several classes of isolated retinal cells. In particular, we have shown that a type of retinal interneuron, the GABA-ergic horizontal cell of teleost retinas, may be an excellent model system for examining the intrinsic membrane properties as well as the cellular mechanisms regulating GABA uptake, synthesis and release from an identified CNS neuron.