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Tomomi Ichinose



Laboratory Web Site

Ichinose Lab

Position Title



(313) 577-0836 (Office) (313) 577-0837 (Lab)


Dr. Ichinose’s research is focused on the function of the retinal neural network. Using patch clamp techniques together with morphological and molecular biological methods, we have examined the unique features of each bipolar cell type in the mouse retina. Bipolar cells are second-order neurons in the retina that receive synaptic inputs from photoreceptors and are thought to initiate visual feature-oriented, parallel processing pathways. We found that a subset of bipolar cells (types 2, 3, 5-2, XBC, 7) respond transiently to a step of light and exhibit high frequency tuning to a sinusoidal light stimuli, whereas other bipolar cells (types 1, 4, 5-1, 8) respond to a step of light in a sustained fashion and tune to low frequency stimuli (Figure). We found that voltage-gated channels shaped the distinct responses, including voltage-gated Na+ channels that were found in some transiently responding cells (Types 3a, 5-2, XBC). In addition, we found that dopamine 1 receptors (Drd1a) are expressed by a subset of bipolar cells in a type-dependent manner. These results suggest that distinct features of visual signaling are coded to separate types of bipolar cells, such as motion and color. Future directions that we plan to pursue include investigating temporal tuning by dopaminergic signaling in bipolar cells and bipolar cell-ganglion cell synaptic connections and signaling.

Dr. Ichinose teaches neuroanatomy for MD1 and PhD as a member of MD1_Neurosciences Faculty (MD1_5600_1607_001_701_67). She also teaches Retinal Neurophysiology and Central Visual Pathways for Biology of the Eye course (ANA 6050, 7055, Bio 6055, 7055).

Research Educator, Full time, MD, Neuroscience



Professional Appointments and Licensures


Kresge Eye Institute


PubMed Link


