Nonlinear interactions in a dendritic tree: localization, timing, and role in information processing.

In a passive dendritic tree, inhibitory synaptic inputs activating ionic conductances with an equilibrium potential near the resting potential can effectively veto excitatory inputs. Analog interactions of this type can be very powerful if the inputs are appropriately timed and occur at certain locations. We examine with computer simulations the precise conditions required for strong and specific interactions in the case of a delta-like ganglion cell of the cat retina. We find some critical conditions to be that (i) the peak inhibitory conductance changes must be sufficiently large (i.e., approximately equal to 50 nS or more), (ii) inhibition must be on the direct path from the location of excitation to the soma, and (iii) the time course of excitation and inhibition must substantially overlap. Analog AND-NOT operations realized by satisfying these conditions may underlie direction selectivity in ganglion cells.

[1]  S. W. Kuffler,et al.  Excitation at the Crayfish Neuromuscular Junction with Decreased Membrane Conductance , 1960, Nature.

[2]  H. Barlow,et al.  The mechanism of directionally selective units in rabbit's retina. , 1965, The Journal of physiology.

[3]  H. Gerschenfeld,et al.  Ionic mechanisms and receptor properties underlying the responses of molluscan neurones to 5‐hydroxytryptamine , 1974, The Journal of physiology.

[4]  B. Boycott,et al.  The morphological types of ganglion cells of the domestic cat's retina , 1974, The Journal of physiology.

[5]  J. Cowan,et al.  Transient potentials in dendritic systems of arbitrary geometry. , 1974, Biophysical journal.

[6]  W. Crill,et al.  Influence of dendritic location and membrane properties on the effectiveness of synapses on cat motoneurones , 1974, The Journal of physiology.

[7]  J. Barrett,et al.  Motoneuron dendrites: role in synaptic integration. , 1975, Federation proceedings.

[8]  N. Daw,et al.  Directionally sensitive ganglion cells in the rabbit retina: specificity for stimulus direction, size, and speed. , 1975, Journal of neurophysiology.

[9]  F. F. Weight,et al.  Synaptic transmission: long-lasting potentiation by a postsynaptic mechanism. , 1976, Science.

[10]  F S Werblin,et al.  Regenerative amacrine cell depolarization and formation of on‐off ganglion cell response. , 1977, The Journal of physiology.

[11]  V. Torre,et al.  The responses of amacrine cells to light and intracellularly applied currents. , 1978, The Journal of physiology.

[12]  D. Baylor,et al.  Synaptic drive and impulse generation in ganglion cells of turtle retina. , 1979, The Journal of physiology.

[13]  P. Marchiafava.  The responses of retinal ganglion cells to stationary and moving visual stimuli , 1979, Vision Research.

[14]  P. Marchiafava,et al.  Intracellular analysis and structural correlates of the organization of inputs to ganglion cells in the retina of the turtle , 1980, Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B. Biological Sciences.

[15]  C. Prosser.  F.O. Schmitt F.G. , 1980, Neuroscience.

[16]  Werner Reichardt,et al.  Theoretical approaches in neurobiology , 1981 .

[17]  T. Poggio,et al.  Retinal ganglion cells: a functional interpretation of dendritic morphology. , 1982, Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences.

[18]  L. Kempe.  Handbook of Physiology. Section I. The Nervous System , 1982 .

[19]  M. Ariel,et al.  Pharmacological analysis of directionally sensitive rabbit retinal ganglion cells , 1982, The Journal of physiology.