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Interpretation of the mouse electroretinogram

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Abstract

The mouse electroretinogram (ERG) consists of a complex set of signals or “waves” generated by multiple types of retinal cell. The origins of these waves are reviewed briefly for the C57BL/6J mouse. The differences in the properties of these waves are described for 34 strains of mice and 11 F1 hybrid mice, as is the way that inter-strain genetic polymorphisms can be exploited in order to help pin-point the genes responsible for ERG differences. There are certain technical difficulties, some subtle, that can arise in recording the ERG and these are classified and illustrated in order to facilitate their diagnosis. Forward genetic screens are described, along with abnormal mice that have been generated in a large screen. Several means are suggested for determining if a mouse having an abnormal ERG is a mutant.

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Abbreviations

ERG:

Electroretinogram

OP:

Oscillatory potential

RPE:

Retinal pigment epithelium

STR:

Scotopic threshold response

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Acknowledgement

The faculty and students at the Jackson Laboratory Workshops on Mouse Vision in 2004 and 2006 contributed to the framework for this paper. This work was supported by U01-MH61915 from the NIH.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurobiology and Physiology and Center for Functional Genomics, Northwestern University, 2205 Tech Drive, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA

    Lawrence H. Pinto, Brandon Invergo, Kazuhiro Shimomura & Joseph S. Takahashi

  2. Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA

    Joseph S. Takahashi

  3. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Technological Institute, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL, USA

    John B. Troy

Authors
  1. Lawrence H. Pinto
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  2. Brandon Invergo
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  3. Kazuhiro Shimomura
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  4. Joseph S. Takahashi
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  5. John B. Troy
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Correspondence to Lawrence H. Pinto.

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Pinto, L.H., Invergo, B., Shimomura, K. et al. Interpretation of the mouse electroretinogram. Doc Ophthalmol 115, 127–136 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10633-007-9064-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10633-007-9064-y

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