Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose: To determine the connections of short wavelength sensitive (S) cones with the diffuse bipolar type DB6 in macaque monkey retina. Methods: Vertical and horizontal cryostat sections of macaque retina were processed with antibodies to CD15 (to stain DB6 cells) and antibodies to the S–cone opsin (to identify S–cones). Immunoreactivity was visualised using immunoperoxidase or immunofluorescence. Some preparations were additionally processed with peanut agglutinin coupled to fluorescein to reveal medium and long wavelength sensitive (M/L) cones. The preparations were analysed using conventional and deconvolution light microscopy. Results: The majority of DB6 cells had one or two S–cones in their dendritic field and the majority of S–cones were located in the dendritic field of DB6 cells. On average , 79.5% of the S–cones, and 80.6% of the M/L cones contacted DB6 cells. The average number of dendritic terminals at cone pedicles did not differ between the cone types. However, the total number of DB6 dendritic terminals receiving input from M/L–cone pedicles was eight times higher than the total number of dendritic terminals at S–cone pedicles. Conclusion: The DB6 cells receive their major input from M/L–cones. The data predict that the DB6 cell carries a Yellow–On signal.
Keywords: retina: distal (photoreceptors, horizontal cells, bipolar cells) • microscopy: light/fluorescence/immunohistochemistry • color vision