Ionic mechanisms of two types of on-center bipolar cells in the carp retina. II. The responses to annular illumination.

On-center bipolar cells in the dark-adapted carp retina were divided into four types (A, B, C, and D) on the basis of response wave forms, spectral response properties, and electrical membrane properties. Type A and B cells responded to a spot of light with a transient depolarization followed by a plateau, whereas the response of type C and D cells were approximately rectangular in shape. The center and surround responses of type A cells had maximum spectral response of approximately 525 nm in the lower mesopic range; the polarity of both responses was reversed at positive membrane potentials as the membrane was depolarized by extrinsic current. The center and surround responses of type D cells had a maximum spectral response of approximately 625 nm in the mesopic or photopic range; the polarity of both responses was reversed at membrane potentials that were more negative than those at the dark level. The results suggest that the center and surround responses mediated by rods are generated by changes in sodium conductance, but in opposite ways; whereas those mediated by red cones are generated by changes in potassium and/or chloride conductances. In type B and C cells, which probably receive inputs from both rods and/or green cones as well as red cones, the center responses were composed of the two ionic mechanisms described above. The surround responses of many type B and C cells were dominated by only one ionic mechanism with a negative reversal potential, but in some type B cells the surround responses were resulted from two ionic mechanisms similar to those of the center responses.