Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Modulatory Role of Taurine in Retinal Ganglion Cells

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Taurine 8

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 775))

Abstract

Taurine (2-aminoethylsuphonic acid) is present in nearly all animal tissues, and is the most abundant free amino acid in muscle, heart, CNS, and retina. Although it is known to be a major cytoprotectant and essential for normal retinal development, its role in retinal neurotransmission and modulation is not well understood. We investigated the response of taurine in retinal ganglion cells, and its effect on synaptic transmission between ganglion cells and their presynaptic neurons. We find that taurine-elicited currents in ganglion cells could be fully blocked by both strychnine and SR95531, glycine and GABAA receptor antagonists, respectively. This suggests that taurine-activated receptors might share the antagonists with GABA and glycine receptors. The effect of taurine at micromolar concentrations can effectively suppress spontaneous vesicle release from the presynaptic neurons, but had limited effects on light-evoked synaptic signals in ganglion cells. We also describe a metabotropic effect of taurine in the suppression of light-evoked response in ganglion cells. Clearly, taurine acts in multiple ways to modulate synaptic signals in retinal output neurons, ganglion cells.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 219.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Abbreviations

OPL:

Outer plexiform layer

IPL:

Inner plexiform layer

ONL:

Outer nuclear layer

INL:

Inner nuclear layer

GCL:

Ganglion cell layer

CNS:

Central nervous system

References

  • Altshuler DM, Lo Turco JJ, Rush J, Cepko C (1993) Taurine promotes the differentiation of a vertebrate retinal cell type in vitro. Development 119:1317–1328

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bulley S, Shen W (2010) Reciprocal regulation between taurine and glutamate response via Ca2+ dependent pathways in retinal third-order neurons. J Biomed Sci 17(Suppl 1):5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kalloniatis M, Marc RE, Murry RF (1996) Amino acid signatures in the primate retina. J Neurosci 16:6807–6829

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kennedy AJ, Voaden MJ (1976) Studies on the uptake and release of radioactive taurine by the frog retina. J Neurochem 27:131–137

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kontro P, Oja SS (1990) Interactions of taurine with GABAB binding sites in mouse brain. Neuropharmacology 29:243–247

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lake N, Marshall J, Voaden MJ (1978) High affinity uptake sites for taurine in the retina. Exp Eye Res 27(6):713–718

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lombardini JB (1991) Taurine: retinal function. Brain Res 16:151–169

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lukasiewicz PD, Werblin FS (1990) The spatial distribution of excitatory and inhibitory inputs to ganglion cell dendrites in the tiger salamander retina. J Neurosci 10(1):210–221

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Marc RE, Murry RF, Basinger SF (1995) Pattern recognition of amino acid signatures in retinal neurons. J Neurosci 15(7 Pt 2):5106–5129

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Militante JD, Lombardini JB (2002) Taurine: evidence of physiological function in the retina. Nutr Neurosci 5(2):75–90

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Omura Y, Inagaki M (2000) Immunocytochemical localization of taurine in the fish retina under light and dark adaptations. Amino Acids 19(3–4):593–604

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Orr HT, Al C, Lowry OH (1976) The distribution of taurine in the vertebrate retina. J Neurochem 26(3):609–611

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pow DV, Crook DK (1994) Rapid postmortem changes in the cellular localization of amino acid transmitters in the retina as assessed by immunocytochemistry. Brain Res 653(1–2):199–209

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pow DV, Sullivan R, Reye P, Hermanussen S (1994) Localization of taurine transporters, and H taurine accumulation in the rat retina, pituitary and brain. Glia 37:153–168

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rentería RC, Johnson JDR, Copenhagen DR (2004) Need rods? Get glycine receptors and taurine. Neuron 41:839–841

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Smith SS, Li J (1991) GABAB receptor stimulation by baclofen and taurine enhances excitatory amino acid induced phosphatidylinositol turnover in neonatal rat cerebellum. Neurosci Lett 132:59–64

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Young TL, Cepko CL (2004) A role for ligand-gated ion channels in rod photoreceptor development. Neuron 41:867–879

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by research grants to WS from NSF (1021646) and NIH (EY14161).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Science, Charles E Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL, 33431, USA

    Zheng Jiang, Simon Bulley, Joseph Guzzone & Wen Shen

  2. Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA

    Harris Ripps

  3. Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, USA

    Harris Ripps

Authors
  1. Zheng Jiang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Simon Bulley
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Joseph Guzzone
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Harris Ripps
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Wen Shen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wen Shen .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. City University of New York, Center for Developmental Neuroscience, College of Staten Island, 2800 Victory Blvd, Staten Island, 10314, New York, USA

    Abdeslem El Idrissi

  2. City University of New York, Department of Biology, College of Staten Island, Victory Blvd 2800, Staten Island, 10314, New York, USA

    William J. L'Amoreaux

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this paper

Cite this paper

Jiang, Z., Bulley, S., Guzzone, J., Ripps, H., Shen, W. (2013). The Modulatory Role of Taurine in Retinal Ganglion Cells. In: El Idrissi, A., L'Amoreaux, W. (eds) Taurine 8. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 775. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6130-2_5

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation