We studied the pharmacology of the GABA receptors on bipolar cell terminals in the retinal slice preparation. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings were made from the somas of bipolar cells and GABA was puffed near their terminals, after synaptic transmission was blocked. GABA puffs evoked a large chloride current that was reduced by picrotoxin, but in many cells this current was insensitive to blo...

The timing of neurotransmitter release from neurons can be modulated by many presynaptic mechanisms. The retina uses synaptic ribbons to mediate slow graded glutamate release from bipolar cells that carry photoreceptor inputs. However, many inhibitory amacrine cells, which modulate bipolar cell output, spike and do not have ribbons for graded release. Despite this, slow glutamate release from b...

The spinal network coordinating locomotion is comprised of a core of glutamate and glycine interneurons. This network is modulated by several transmitter systems including spinal GABA interneurons. The purpose of this study is to explore the contribution of GABAergic neurons to the regulation of locomotor burst frequency in the lamprey model. Using gabazine, a competitive GABAA antagonist more ...

and a, b, y, e, π, d and  GABAA receptors are key elements in the tonic and synaptic inhibitory signalling in the CNS (Cutting et al. 1991; MacDonald & Olsen, 1994; Wang et al. 1994). Unlike GABAC receptors, GABAA receptors are reversibly blocked by bicuculline and modulated by barbiturates and benzodiazepines (Polenzani et al. 1991; Shimada et al. 1992). GABAA receptors are widely distributed...