Evidence for only depolarizing rod bipolar cells in the primate retina.

The mammalian rod bipolar, for which only one class has been identified, has been described as being hyperpolarizing by some investigators and depolarizing by others. We now report the effects of 2-amino-4-phosphonobutyrate (APB), a potent blocker of depolarizing bipolar cells, on visual behavior in the dark-adapted monkey. While in mesopic and photopic conditions only the monkeys' ability to detect incremental stimuli is impaired, under scotopic conditions all light mediated response in the monkey is eliminated. Assuming APB is acting on rod bipolars in the same fashion as it does on cone bipolars, we conclude that the primate rod bipolars all depolarize to light and that the ON and OFF channels are formed by the amacrine cell network.