Distribution of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors on processes of isolated retinal cells.

Binding of propylbenzilylcholine mustard, a muscarinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist, to isolated retinal cells was examined with light microscopic autoradiography. Dissociation of the adult tiger salamander retina yielded identifiable rod, cone, horizontal, bipolar, amacrine/ganglion, and Müller cells. Preservation of fine structure was assessed with conventional electron microscopy. For all cell types, the plasmalemma was intact and free of adhering debris; in addition, presynaptic ribbon complexes were present in photoreceptor and bipolar axon terminals indicating that synaptic structures were retained. Specific binding to cell bodies and processes was analyzed separately by using morphometric and statistical techniques. The highest grain densities occurred on processes of amacrine/ganglion cells and axons and 2 degrees and 3 degrees dendrites of bipolar neurons. Bipolar cells, however, seemed to be a heterogeneous population because there was great variation in the density of binding sites on both their axons and distal dendrites. Intermediate levels of binding were found on bipolar 1 degree dendrites and horizontal cells. No specific binding was detected on Müller cells and most parts of photoreceptors. Comparisons between cells showed that grain densities were similar for bipolar axons and amacrine/ganglion cell processes but bipolar dendrites were richer in binding sites than horizontal cell dendrites. Thus, muscarinic receptors in the salamander retina are located on amacrine/ganglion, bipolar, and horizontal cells and primarily confined to the processes which compose the two synaptic layers. In the inner plexiform layer, muscarinic receptors reside on processes from all three inner retinal neurons: in the outer synaptic layer, receptors are only on second-order cells and are more numerous along bipolar than horizontal cell dendrites.