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Science 21 April 1989:
Vol. 244. no. 4902, pp. 352 - 354
DOI: 10.1126/science.2711185
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Articles

Science, Vol 244, Issue 4902, 352-354
Copyright © 1989 by American Association for the Advancement of Science

articles

Modulation of rod-cone coupling by light

XL Yang and SM Wu

Cullen Eye Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030.

Although electrical coupling between rods and cones in the retina has been assumed to be static, it has now been shown that rod-cone coupling can be strengthened by light. Increment threshold measurements reveal that cone input to rods increases progressively as background light becomes brighter. Current injection into cones produces larger responses in adjacent rods in the presence of background light than in darkness. Weak coupling under dark-adapted conditions facilitates synaptic transmission of small rod signals, and strong coupling under light-adapted conditions enhances transmission of large cone signals.


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