The name is absent

Contents

Abstract ii

Acknowledgments iii

Listoflllustrations vii

List of Tables viii

1 Introduction 1

1.1 Motivation..................................... . 1

1.2 Background ...................................... 5

1.2.1 Ih and HCN Channels . .......................... 6

1.2.2 ElectricalCouplingintheRetina ..................... 9

2 Materials and Methods 11

2.1 Materials............ 11

2.2 Solutions........................................ 12

2.3 Recordings...................................... 13

2.4 Immunohistochemistry and Western Blot..................... 16

2.5 Data analysis...................................... 18

2.6 Numerical Methods.................................. 21

3 Properties and Function of HCN Channels in Photoreceptors 22

3.1 Introduction....... 22

3.2 MolecularandBiophysicalProperties........... 24

3.2.1 Whole-cell currents . ............................ 24

3.2.2 Distribution and Molecular Identification................ 27

3.2.3 HcNlsinglechannelconductance.................... 30

3.3 FunctionofHcNchannelsinphotoreceptors.................. 34

3.3.1 SimulatedHcNcurrentduringrodlightresponse........... 34

3.3.2 HCN contribution to photoreceptor membrane frequency response 37

3.3.3 Equivalent circuit........... 39