A novel type of GABA receptor is present on rod-driven (H4) horizontal cells of the white perch retina (Qian and Dowling, 1993a). These receptors have been tentatively termed GA-BAC receptors. In this study, the pharmacological properties of these receptors were further investigated by applying several conformationally restricted GABAA receptor agonists, GABAA antagonists, and a GABAB agonist to the H4 horizontal cells. GABA analogs locked in a partially folded conformation had a variety of effects. Isonipecotic acid had no effect on these receptors, whereas isoguvacine activated them but with low potency (EC50 = 137 microM). THIP (4,5,6,7-tetrahydroisoxazolo[5,4-c]pyridin-3-ol) acted as a competitive antagonist on these receptors with an inhibition constant of 82.5 microM. P4S (piperidine-4-sulfonic acid) activated the receptors at high concentrations (> 1 mM), but at lower concentrations it was a competitive antagonist with an inhibition constant of 80.9 microM. 14AA (imidazole-4-acetic acid), a GABA analog with an extended conformation, potently inhibited the GABA responses on H4 horizontal cells with an inhibition constant of 1.67 microM. Muscimol, which can assume both partially folded and extended conformations, acted as a mixed agonist-antagonist. The GABA responses on H4 horizontal cells were resistant to several competitive GABAA receptor antagonists including bicuculline, hydrastine, and SR-95531, but they were very sensitive to picrotoxin (IC50 = 237 nM). The inhibition by picrotoxin was both competitive and noncompetitive in nature. On the other hand, TBPS (tert-butyl-bicyclophosphorothionate), another GABAA receptor channel blocker, had minimal effects on these receptors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)