Modification of the Xenopus electroretinogram by actions of glycine in the proximal retina

The electroretinogram (ERG) was recorded from the Xenopus retina, to examine the effects of glycine and strychnine on these responses and to determine the origins of these changes. Glycine at concentrations between 0.1 and 10 mM reduced the b- and d-waves of the ERG in a dose-dependent manner, while strychnine increased their amplitude. 2-Amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid (APB) reduced the b-wave and blocked the effect of glycine, but not strychnine, on the d-wave. When the d-wave had first been blocked by kynurenic acid (KYN) or reduced by (+/-)cis-2,3-piperidine dicarboxylic acid (PDA) the b-wave was enhanced by glycine, but not by strychnine. N-methyl-DL-aspartate (NMDLA), which alters responses in the proximal retina only, blocked the effects of glycine and strychnine on the ERG. This suggests that the glycinergic effects on the ERG are at least partly mediated by processes in the proximal retina. The results further support the suggestion that inhibitory neurotransmitters in the proximal retina may modulate both the b- and d-waves of the Xenopus ERG.