Action and localization of glycine and taurine in the cat retina.

The effects on retinal ganglion cells of iontophoretically applied glycine, taurine and strychnine were studied in the optically intact eye of the cat. Glycine and taurine suppressed the light-evoked discharge of all on-centre and off-centre brisk ganglion cells, regardless of the visual stimulus used. Strychnine blocked the action of externally applied glycine and taurine. The light-evoked response of all ganglion cells was raised by strychnine. The tonic discharge of the light response was suppressed or raised by the drugs more than the phasic response. A population of amacrine cells, which was heavily labelled by [3H]glycine, did not take up [3H]taurine. [3H]taurine was only weakly accumulated by inner nuclear layer neurones and was predominantly located in the outer retina.