Transport-Mediated Synapses in the Retina

Abstract

Most synapses rely on regulated exocytosis for determining the concentration of transmitter in the synaptic cleft. However, this mechanism may not be universal. Several synapses in the retina appear to use a synaptic machinery in which transmitter transporters play an essential role. Two types of transport-mediated synapses have been proposed. These synapses have been best observed in horizontal cells and cones of nonmammalian retinas. Horizontal cells use a transporter to mediate a bidirectional shuttle, whose balance point is set by ion concentrations and voltage. Nonmammalian cones combine exocytosis and the activity of a transporter. Because exocytosis is voltage independent over most of a cone's physiological voltage range, a voltage-dependent transporter determines the concentration of transmitter in the synaptic cleft. These two synapses may be models for transport-mediated synapses that operate in other parts of the brain.