1
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Tworig JM, Morrie RD, Bistrong K, Somaiya RD, Hsu S, Liang J, Cornejo KG, Feller MB. Differential Expression Analysis Identifies Candidate Synaptogenic Molecules for Wiring Direction-Selective Circuits in the Retina. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e1461232024. [PMID: 38514178 PMCID: PMC11063823 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1461-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
An organizational feature of neural circuits is the specificity of synaptic connections. A striking example is the direction-selective (DS) circuit of the retina. There are multiple subtypes of DS retinal ganglion cells (DSGCs) that prefer motion along one of four preferred directions. This computation is mediated by selective wiring of a single inhibitory interneuron, the starburst amacrine cell (SAC), with each DSGC subtype preferentially receiving input from a subset of SAC processes. We hypothesize that the molecular basis of this wiring is mediated in part by unique expression profiles of DSGC subtypes. To test this, we first performed paired recordings from isolated mouse retinas of both sexes to determine that postnatal day 10 (P10) represents the age at which asymmetric synapses form. Second, we performed RNA sequencing and differential expression analysis on isolated P10 ON-OFF DSGCs tuned for either nasal or ventral motion and identified candidates which may promote direction-specific wiring. We then used a conditional knock-out strategy to test the role of one candidate, the secreted synaptic organizer cerebellin-4 (Cbln4), in the development of DS tuning. Using two-photon calcium imaging, we observed a small deficit in directional tuning among ventral-preferring DSGCs lacking Cbln4, though whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings did not identify a significant change in inhibitory inputs. This suggests that Cbln4 does not function primarily via a cell-autonomous mechanism to instruct wiring of DS circuits. Nevertheless, our transcriptomic analysis identified unique candidate factors for gaining insights into the molecular mechanisms that instruct wiring specificity in the DS circuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua M Tworig
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720
| | - Ryan D Morrie
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720
| | - Karina Bistrong
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720
| | - Rachana D Somaiya
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720
| | - Shaw Hsu
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720
| | - Jocelyn Liang
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720
| | - Karen G Cornejo
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720
| | - Marla B Feller
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720
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2
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Chander PR, Hanson L, Chundekkad P, Awatramani GB. Neural Circuits Underlying Multifeature Extraction in the Retina. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0910232023. [PMID: 37957014 PMCID: PMC10919202 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0910-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Classic ON-OFF direction-selective ganglion cells (DSGCs) that encode the four cardinal directions were recently shown to also be orientation-selective. To clarify the mechanisms underlying orientation selectivity, we employed a variety of electrophysiological, optogenetic, and gene knock-out strategies to test the relative contributions of glutamate, GABA, and acetylcholine (ACh) input that are known to drive DSGCs, in male and female mouse retinas. Extracellular spike recordings revealed that DSGCs respond preferentially to either vertical or horizontal bars, those that are perpendicular to their preferred-null motion axes. By contrast, the glutamate input to all four DSGC types measured using whole-cell patch-clamp techniques was found to be tuned along the vertical axis. Tuned glutamatergic excitation was heavily reliant on type 5A bipolar cells, which appear to be electrically coupled via connexin 36 containing gap junctions to the vertically oriented processes of wide-field amacrine cells. Vertically tuned inputs are transformed by the GABAergic/cholinergic "starburst" amacrine cells (SACs), which are critical components of the direction-selective circuit, into distinct patterns of inhibition and excitation. Feed-forward SAC inhibition appears to "veto" preferred orientation glutamate excitation in dorsal/ventral (but not nasal/temporal) coding DSGCs "flipping" their orientation tuning by 90° and accounts for the apparent mismatch between glutamate input tuning and the DSGC's spiking response. Together, these results reveal how two distinct synaptic motifs interact to generate complex feature selectivity, shedding light on the intricate circuitry that underlies visual processing in the retina.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura Hanson
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia V8W 4A4, Canada
| | - Pavitra Chundekkad
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia V8W 4A4, Canada
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3
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Hsiang JC, Shen N, Soto F, Kerschensteiner D. Distributed feature representations of natural stimuli across parallel retinal pathways. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1920. [PMID: 38429280 PMCID: PMC10907388 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46348-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024] Open
Abstract
How sensory systems extract salient features from natural environments and organize them across neural pathways is unclear. Combining single-cell and population two-photon calcium imaging in mice, we discover that retinal ON bipolar cells (second-order neurons of the visual system) are divided into two blocks of four types. The two blocks distribute temporal and spatial information encoding, respectively. ON bipolar cell axons co-stratify within each block, but separate laminarly between them (upper block: diverse temporal, uniform spatial tuning; lower block: diverse spatial, uniform temporal tuning). ON bipolar cells extract temporal and spatial features similarly from artificial and naturalistic stimuli. In addition, they differ in sensitivity to coherent motion in naturalistic movies. Motion information is distributed across ON bipolar cells in the upper and the lower blocks, multiplexed with temporal and spatial contrast, independent features of natural scenes. Comparing the responses of different boutons within the same arbor, we find that axons of all ON bipolar cell types function as computational units. Thus, our results provide insights into the visual feature extraction from naturalistic stimuli and reveal how structural and functional organization cooperate to generate parallel ON pathways for temporal and spatial information in the mammalian retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jen-Chun Hsiang
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Ning Shen
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Florentina Soto
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Daniel Kerschensteiner
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
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4
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Wolterhoff N, Hiesinger PR. Synaptic promiscuity in brain development. Curr Biol 2024; 34:R102-R116. [PMID: 38320473 PMCID: PMC10849093 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.12.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
Precise synaptic connectivity is a prerequisite for the function of neural circuits, yet individual neurons, taken out of their developmental context, readily form unspecific synapses. How does the genome encode brain wiring in light of this apparent contradiction? Synaptic specificity is the outcome of a long series of developmental processes and mechanisms before, during and after synapse formation. How much promiscuity is permissible or necessary at the moment of synaptic partner choice depends on the extent to which prior development restricts available partners or subsequent development corrects initially made synapses. Synaptic promiscuity at the moment of choice can thereby play important roles in the development of precise connectivity, but also facilitate developmental flexibility and robustness. In this review, we assess the experimental evidence for the prevalence and roles of promiscuous synapse formation during brain development. Many well-established experimental approaches are based on developmental genetic perturbation and an assessment of synaptic connectivity only in the adult; this can make it difficult to pinpoint when a given defect or mechanism occurred. In many cases, such studies reveal mechanisms that restrict partner availability already prior to synapse formation. Subsequently, at the moment of choice, factors including synaptic competency, interaction dynamics and molecular recognition further restrict synaptic partners. The discussion of the development of synaptic specificity through the lens of synaptic promiscuity suggests an algorithmic process based on neurons capable of promiscuous synapse formation that are continuously prevented from making the wrong choices, with no single mechanism or developmental time point sufficient to explain the outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neele Wolterhoff
- Division of Neurobiology, Free University Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - P Robin Hiesinger
- Division of Neurobiology, Free University Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany.
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5
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Li Y, Yu S, Jia X, Qiu X, He J. Defining morphologically and genetically distinct GABAergic/cholinergic amacrine cell subtypes in the vertebrate retina. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002506. [PMID: 38363811 PMCID: PMC10914270 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024] Open
Abstract
In mammals, retinal direction selectivity originates from GABAergic/cholinergic amacrine cells (ACs) specifically expressing the sox2 gene. However, the cellular diversity of GABAergic/cholinergic ACs of other vertebrate species remains largely unexplored. Here, we identified 2 morphologically and genetically distinct GABAergic/cholinergic AC types in zebrafish, a previously undescribed bhlhe22+ type and a mammalian counterpart sox2+ type. Notably, while sole sox2 disruption removed sox2+ type, the codisruption of bhlhe22 and bhlhe23 was required to remove bhlhe22+ type. Also, both types significantly differed in dendritic arbors, lamination, and soma position. Furthermore, in vivo two-photon calcium imaging and the behavior assay suggested the direction selectivity of both AC types. Nevertheless, the 2 types showed preferential responses to moving bars of different sizes. Thus, our findings provide new cellular diversity and functional characteristics of GABAergic/cholinergic ACs in the vertebrate retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Li
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shuguang Yu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xinling Jia
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoying Qiu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie He
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
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6
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Park SJ, Lei W, Pisano J, Orpia A, Minehart J, Pottackal J, Hanke-Gogokhia C, Zapadka TE, Clarkson-Paredes C, Popratiloff A, Ross SE, Singer JH, Demb JB. Molecular identification of wide-field amacrine cells in mouse retina that encode stimulus orientation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.28.573580. [PMID: 38234775 PMCID: PMC10793454 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.28.573580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Visual information processing is sculpted by a diverse group of inhibitory interneurons in the retina called amacrine cells. Yet, for most of the >60 amacrine cell types, molecular identities and specialized functional attributes remain elusive. Here, we developed an intersectional genetic strategy to target a group of wide-field amacrine cells (WACs) in mouse retina that co-express the transcription factor Bhlhe22 and the Kappa Opioid Receptor (KOR; B/K WACs). B/K WACs feature straight, unbranched dendrites spanning over 0.5 mm (∼15° visual angle) and produce non-spiking responses to either light increments or decrements. Two-photon dendritic population imaging reveals Ca 2+ signals tuned to the physical orientations of B/K WAC dendrites, signifying a robust structure-function alignment. B/K WACs establish divergent connections with multiple retinal neurons, including unexpected connections with non-orientation-tuned ganglion cells and bipolar cells. Our work sets the stage for future comprehensive investigations of the most enigmatic group of retinal neurons: WACs.
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7
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Spead O, Moreland T, Weaver CJ, Costa ID, Hegarty B, Kramer KL, Poulain FE. Teneurin trans-axonal signaling prunes topographically missorted axons. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112192. [PMID: 36857189 PMCID: PMC10131173 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Building precise neural circuits necessitates the elimination of axonal projections that have inaccurately formed during development. Although axonal pruning is a selective process, how it is initiated and controlled in vivo remains unclear. Here, we show that trans-axonal signaling mediated by the cell surface molecules Glypican-3, Teneurin-3, and Latrophilin-3 prunes misrouted retinal axons in the visual system. Retinotopic neuron transplantations revealed that pioneer ventral axons that elongate first along the optic tract instruct the pruning of dorsal axons that missort in that region. Glypican-3 and Teneurin-3 are both selectively expressed by ventral retinal ganglion cells and cooperate for correcting missorted dorsal axons. The adhesion G-protein-coupled receptor Latrophilin-3 signals along dorsal axons to initiate the elimination of topographic sorting errors. Altogether, our findings show an essential function for Glypican-3, Teneurin-3, and Latrophilin-3 in topographic tract organization and demonstrate that axonal pruning can be initiated by signaling among axons themselves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Spead
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Trevor Moreland
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Cory J Weaver
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Irene Dalla Costa
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Brianna Hegarty
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | | | - Fabienne E Poulain
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA.
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8
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Natural scene sampling reveals reliable coarse-scale orientation tuning in human V1. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6469. [PMID: 36309512 PMCID: PMC9617970 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34134-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Orientation selectivity in primate visual cortex is organized into cortical columns. Since cortical columns are at a finer spatial scale than the sampling resolution of standard BOLD fMRI measurements, analysis approaches have been proposed to peer past these spatial resolution limitations. It was recently found that these methods are predominantly sensitive to stimulus vignetting - a form of selectivity arising from an interaction of the oriented stimulus with the aperture edge. Beyond vignetting, it is not clear whether orientation-selective neural responses are detectable in BOLD measurements. Here, we leverage a dataset of visual cortical responses measured using high-field 7T fMRI. Fitting these responses using image-computable models, we compensate for vignetting and nonetheless find reliable tuning for orientation. Results further reveal a coarse-scale map of orientation preference that may constitute the neural basis for known perceptual anisotropies. These findings settle a long-standing debate in human neuroscience, and provide insights into functional organization principles of visual cortex.
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9
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Wienbar S, Schwartz GW. Differences in spike generation instead of synaptic inputs determine the feature selectivity of two retinal cell types. Neuron 2022; 110:2110-2123.e4. [PMID: 35508174 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are the spiking projection neurons of the eye that encode different features of the visual environment. The circuits providing synaptic input to different RGC types to drive feature selectivity have been studied extensively, but there has been less research aimed at understanding the intrinsic properties and how they impact feature selectivity. We introduce an RGC type in the mouse, the Bursty Suppressed-by-Contrast (bSbC) RGC, and compared it to the OFF sustained alpha (OFFsA). Differences in their contrast response functions arose from differences not in synaptic inputs but in their intrinsic properties. Spike generation was the key intrinsic property behind this functional difference; the bSbC RGC undergoes depolarization block while the OFFsA RGC maintains a high spike rate. Our results demonstrate that differences in intrinsic properties allow these two RGC types to detect and relay distinct features of an identical visual stimulus to the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia Wienbar
- Department of Ophthalmology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Gregory William Schwartz
- Department of Ophthalmology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Department of Neurobiology, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
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10
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Moreland T, Poulain FE. To Stick or Not to Stick: The Multiple Roles of Cell Adhesion Molecules in Neural Circuit Assembly. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:889155. [PMID: 35573298 PMCID: PMC9096351 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.889155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Precise wiring of neural circuits is essential for brain connectivity and function. During development, axons respond to diverse cues present in the extracellular matrix or at the surface of other cells to navigate to specific targets, where they establish precise connections with post-synaptic partners. Cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) represent a large group of structurally diverse proteins well known to mediate adhesion for neural circuit assembly. Through their adhesive properties, CAMs act as major regulators of axon navigation, fasciculation, and synapse formation. While the adhesive functions of CAMs have been known for decades, more recent studies have unraveled essential, non-adhesive functions as well. CAMs notably act as guidance cues and modulate guidance signaling pathways for axon pathfinding, initiate contact-mediated repulsion for spatial organization of axonal arbors, and refine neuronal projections during circuit maturation. In this review, we summarize the classical adhesive functions of CAMs in axonal development and further discuss the increasing number of other non-adhesive functions CAMs play in neural circuit assembly.
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11
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Li Z, Du Y, Xiao Y, Yin L. Predicting Grating Orientations With Cross-Frequency Coupling and Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator in V1 and V4 of Rhesus Monkeys. Front Comput Neurosci 2021; 14:605104. [PMID: 33584234 PMCID: PMC7874040 DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2020.605104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Orientation selectivity, as an emergent property of neurons in the visual cortex, is of critical importance in the processing of visual information. Characterizing the orientation selectivity based on neuronal firing activities or local field potentials (LFPs) is a hot topic of current research. In this paper, we used cross-frequency coupling and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) to predict the grating orientations in V1 and V4 of two rhesus monkeys. The experimental data were recorded by utilizing two chronically implanted multi-electrode arrays, which were placed, respectively, in V1 and V4 of two rhesus monkeys performing a selective visual attention task. The phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) and amplitude-amplitude coupling (AAC) were employed to characterize the cross-frequency coupling of LFPs under sinusoidal grating stimuli with different orientations. Then, a LASSO logistic regression model was constructed to predict the grating orientation based on the strength of PAC and AAC. Moreover, the cross-validation method was used to evaluate the performance of the model. It was found that the average accuracy of the prediction based on the combination of PAC and AAC was 73.9%, which was higher than the predicting accuracy with PAC or AAC separately. In conclusion, a LASSO logistic regression model was introduced in this study, which can predict the grating orientations with relatively high accuracy by using PAC and AAC together. Our results suggest that the principle behind the LASSO model is probably an alternative direction to explore the mechanism for generating orientation selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaohui Li
- School of Information Science and Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, China.,Hebei Key Laboratory of Information Transmission and Signal Processing, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, China
| | - Yue Du
- School of Information Science and Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, China
| | - Youben Xiao
- School of Information Science and Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, China
| | - Liyong Yin
- Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao, China
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12
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Ahn J, Yoo Y, Goo YS. Spike-triggered Clustering for Retinal Ganglion Cell Classification. Exp Neurobiol 2020; 29:433-452. [PMID: 33321473 PMCID: PMC7788309 DOI: 10.5607/en20029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), the retina's output neurons, encode visual information through spiking. The RGC receptive field (RF) represents the basic unit of visual information processing in the retina. RFs are commonly estimated using the spike-triggered average (STA), which is the average of the stimulus patterns to which a given RGC is sensitive. Whereas STA, based on the concept of the average, is simple and intuitive, it leaves more complex structures in the RFs undetected. Alternatively, spike-triggered covariance (STC) analysis provides information on second-order RF statistics. However, STC is computationally cumbersome and difficult to interpret. Thus, the objective of this study was to propose and validate a new computational method, called spike-triggered clustering (STCL), specific for multimodal RFs. Specifically, RFs were fit with a Gaussian mixture model, which provides the means and covariances of multiple RF clusters. The proposed method recovered bipolar stimulus patterns in the RFs of ON-OFF cells, while the STA identified only ON and OFF RGCs, and the remaining RGCs were labeled as unknown types. In contrast, our new STCL analysis distinguished ON-OFF RGCs from the ON, OFF, and unknown RGC types classified by STA. Thus, the proposed method enables us to include ON-OFF RGCs prior to retinal information analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jungryul Ahn
- Department of Physiology, Chungbuk National University School of Medicine, Cheongju 28644, Korea
| | - Yongseok Yoo
- Department of Electronics Engineering, Incheon National University, Incheon 22012, Korea
| | - Yong Sook Goo
- Department of Physiology, Chungbuk National University School of Medicine, Cheongju 28644, Korea
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13
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Robles E, Fields NP, Baier H. The zebrafish visual system transmits dimming information via multiple segregated pathways. J Comp Neurol 2020; 529:539-552. [PMID: 32484919 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Revised: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Vertebrate retinas contain circuits specialized to encode light level decrements. This information is transmitted to the brain by dimming-sensitive OFF retinal ganglion cells (OFF-RGCs) that respond to light decrements with increased firing. It is known that OFF-RGCs with distinct photosensitivity profiles form parallel visual channels to the vertebrate brain, yet how these channels are processed by first- and higher order brain areas has not been well characterized in any species. To address this question in the larval zebrafish visual system, we examined the visual response properties of a genetically identified population of tectal neurons with a defined axonal projection to a second-order visual area: id2b:gal4-positive torus longitudinalis projection neurons (TLPNs). TLPNs responded consistently to whole-field dimming stimuli and exhibited the strongest responses when dimming was preceded by low light levels. Functional characterization of OFF-RGC terminals in tectum revealed responses that varied in their photosensitivities: (a) low-sensitivity OFF-RGCs that selectively respond to large light decrements, (b) high-sensitivity OFF-RGCs that selectively encode small decrements, and (c) broad sensitivity OFF-RGCs that respond to a wide range of light decrements. Diverse photosensitivity profiles were also observed using pan-neuronal calcium imaging to identify dimming-responsive neurons in both tectum and torus longitudinalis. Together, these data support a model in which parallel OFF channels generated in the retina remain segregated across three stages of visual processing. Segregated OFF channels with different sensitivities may allow specific aspects of dimming-evoked behaviors to be modulated by ambient light levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estuardo Robles
- Department of Biological Sciences and Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Nicholas P Fields
- Department of Biological Sciences and Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Herwig Baier
- Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany
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14
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Abstract
Binocular vision depends on retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axon projection either to the same side or to the opposite side of the brain. In this article, we review the molecular mechanisms for decussation of RGC axons, with a focus on axon guidance signaling at the optic chiasm and ipsi- and contralateral axon organization in the optic tract prior to and during targeting. The spatial and temporal features of RGC neurogenesis that give rise to ipsilateral and contralateral identity are described. The albino visual system is highlighted as an apt comparative model for understanding RGC decussation, as albinos have a reduced ipsilateral projection and altered RGC neurogenesis associated with perturbed melanogenesis in the retinal pigment epithelium. Understanding the steps for RGC specification into ipsi- and contralateral subtypes will facilitate differentiation of stem cells into RGCs with proper navigational abilities for effective axon regeneration and correct targeting of higher-order visual centers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol Mason
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; .,Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.,Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA;
| | - Nefeli Slavi
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA;
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15
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Blok J, Black DA, Petersen J, Sawatari A, Leamey CA. Environmental Enrichment Rescues Visually-Mediated Behavior in Ten-m3 Knockout Mice During an Early Critical Period. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:22. [PMID: 32158383 PMCID: PMC7052109 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental enrichment (EE) has been shown to promote neural plasticity. Its capacity to induce functional repair in models which exhibit profound sensory deficits due to aberrant axonal guidance has not been well-characterized. Ten-m3 knockout (KO) mice exhibit a highly-stereotyped miswiring of ipsilateral retinogeniculate axons and associated profound deficits in binocularly-mediated visual behavior. We determined whether, and when, EE can drive functional recovery by analyzing Ten-m3 KO and wildtype (WT) mice that were enriched for 6 weeks from adulthood, weaning or birth in comparison to standard-housed controls. EE initiated from birth, but not later, rescued the response of Ten-m3 KOs to the "looming" stimulus (expanding disc in dorsal visual field), suggesting improved visual function. EE can thus induce recovery of visual behavior, but only during an early developmentally-restricted time-window.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Blok
- Department of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Dylan A Black
- Department of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Justin Petersen
- Department of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Atomu Sawatari
- Department of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Catherine A Leamey
- Department of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
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16
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Ahn J, Rueckauer B, Yoo Y, Goo YS. New Features of Receptive Fields in Mouse Retina through Spike-triggered Covariance. Exp Neurobiol 2020; 29:38-49. [PMID: 32122107 PMCID: PMC7075653 DOI: 10.5607/en.2020.29.1.38] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2019] [Revised: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) encode various spatiotemporal features of visual information into spiking patterns. The receptive field (RF) of each RGC is usually calculated by spike-triggered average (STA), which is fast and easy to understand, but limited to simple and unimodal RFs. As an alternative, spike-triggered covariance (STC) has been proposed to characterize more complex patterns in RFs. This study compares STA and STC for the characterization of RFs and demonstrates that STC has an advantage over STA for identifying novel spatiotemporal features of RFs in mouse RGCs. We first classified mouse RGCs into ON, OFF, and ON/OFF cells according to their response to full-field light stimulus, and then investigated the spatiotemporal patterns of RFs with random checkerboard stimulation, using both STA and STC analysis. We propose five sub-types (T1–T5) in the STC of mouse RGCs together with their physiological implications. In particular, the relatively slow biphasic pattern (T1) could be related to excitatory inputs from bipolar cells. The transient biphasic pattern (T2) allows one to characterize complex patterns in RFs of ON/OFF cells. The other patterns (T3–T5), which are contrasting, alternating, and monophasic patterns, could be related to inhibitory inputs from amacrine cells. Thus, combining STA and STC and considering the proposed sub-types unveil novel characteristics of RFs in the mouse retina and offer a more holistic understanding of the neural coding mechanisms of mouse RGCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jungryul Ahn
- Department of Physiology, Chungbuk National University School of Medicine, Cheongju 28644, Korea
| | - Bodo Rueckauer
- Institute of Neuroinformatics, ETH Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Yongseok Yoo
- Department of Electronics Engineering, Incheon National University, Incheon 22012, Korea
| | - Yong Sook Goo
- Department of Physiology, Chungbuk National University School of Medicine, Cheongju 28644, Korea
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17
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Del Toro D, Carrasquero-Ordaz MA, Chu A, Ruff T, Shahin M, Jackson VA, Chavent M, Berbeira-Santana M, Seyit-Bremer G, Brignani S, Kaufmann R, Lowe E, Klein R, Seiradake E. Structural Basis of Teneurin-Latrophilin Interaction in Repulsive Guidance of Migrating Neurons. Cell 2020; 180:323-339.e19. [PMID: 31928845 PMCID: PMC6978801 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2019] [Revised: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Teneurins are ancient metazoan cell adhesion receptors that control brain development and neuronal wiring in higher animals. The extracellular C terminus binds the adhesion GPCR Latrophilin, forming a trans-cellular complex with synaptogenic functions. However, Teneurins, Latrophilins, and FLRT proteins are also expressed during murine cortical cell migration at earlier developmental stages. Here, we present crystal structures of Teneurin-Latrophilin complexes that reveal how the lectin and olfactomedin domains of Latrophilin bind across a spiraling beta-barrel domain of Teneurin, the YD shell. We couple structure-based protein engineering to biophysical analysis, cell migration assays, and in utero electroporation experiments to probe the importance of the interaction in cortical neuron migration. We show that binding of Latrophilins to Teneurins and FLRTs directs the migration of neurons using a contact repulsion-dependent mechanism. The effect is observed with cell bodies and small neurites rather than their processes. The results exemplify how a structure-encoded synaptogenic protein complex is also used for repulsive cell guidance. Crystal structures reveal binding site for Latrophilin on the Teneurin YD shell A ternary Latrophilin-Teneurin-FLRT complex forms in vitro and in vivo Latrophilin controls cortical migration by binding to Teneurins and FLRTs Latrophilin elicits repulsion of cortical cell bodies/small neurites but not axons
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Del Toro
- Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Am Klopferspitz 18, Martinsried 82152, Germany; Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Neurosciences, IDIBAPS, CIBERNED, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Amy Chu
- Department of Biochemistry, Oxford University, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Tobias Ruff
- Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Am Klopferspitz 18, Martinsried 82152, Germany
| | - Meriam Shahin
- Department of Biochemistry, Oxford University, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Verity A Jackson
- Department of Biochemistry, Oxford University, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | | | | | - Goenuel Seyit-Bremer
- Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Am Klopferspitz 18, Martinsried 82152, Germany
| | - Sara Brignani
- Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Am Klopferspitz 18, Martinsried 82152, Germany
| | - Rainer Kaufmann
- Center for Structural Systems Biology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg 22607, Germany; Department of Physics, University of Hamburg, Hamburg 20355, Germany
| | - Edward Lowe
- Department of Biochemistry, Oxford University, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Rüdiger Klein
- Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Am Klopferspitz 18, Martinsried 82152, Germany.
| | - Elena Seiradake
- Department of Biochemistry, Oxford University, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK.
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18
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Peng YR, James RE, Yan W, Kay JN, Kolodkin AL, Sanes JR. Binary Fate Choice between Closely Related Interneuronal Types Is Determined by a Fezf1-Dependent Postmitotic Transcriptional Switch. Neuron 2019; 105:464-474.e6. [PMID: 31812516 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Revised: 10/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Many neuronal types occur as pairs that are similar in most respects but differ in a key feature. In some pairs of retinal neurons, called paramorphic, one member responds to increases and the other to decreases in luminance (ON and OFF responses). Here, we focused on one such pair, starburst amacrine cells (SACs), to explore how closely related neuronal types diversify. We find that ON and OFF SACs are transcriptionally distinct prior to their segregation, dendritic outgrowth, and synapse formation. The transcriptional repressor Fezf1 is selectively expressed by postmitotic ON SACs and promotes the ON fate and gene expression program while repressing the OFF fate and program. The atypical Rho GTPase Rnd3 is selectively expressed by OFF SACs and regulates their migration but is repressed by Fezf1 in ON SACs, enabling differential positioning of the two types. These results define a transcriptional program that controls diversification of a paramorphic pair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Rong Peng
- Center for Brain Science and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Rebecca E James
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Wenjun Yan
- Center for Brain Science and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Jeremy N Kay
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Alex L Kolodkin
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Joshua R Sanes
- Center for Brain Science and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
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19
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Baden T, Euler T, Berens P. Understanding the retinal basis of vision across species. Nat Rev Neurosci 2019; 21:5-20. [PMID: 31780820 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-019-0242-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The vertebrate retina first evolved some 500 million years ago in ancestral marine chordates. Since then, the eyes of different species have been tuned to best support their unique visuoecological lifestyles. Visual specializations in eye designs, large-scale inhomogeneities across the retinal surface and local circuit motifs mean that all species' retinas are unique. Computational theories, such as the efficient coding hypothesis, have come a long way towards an explanation of the basic features of retinal organization and function; however, they cannot explain the full extent of retinal diversity within and across species. To build a truly general understanding of vertebrate vision and the retina's computational purpose, it is therefore important to more quantitatively relate different species' retinal functions to their specific natural environments and behavioural requirements. Ultimately, the goal of such efforts should be to build up to a more general theory of vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Baden
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK. .,Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Thomas Euler
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Philipp Berens
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Institute for Bioinformatics and Medical Informatics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Bernstein Centre for Computational Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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20
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Environmental Enrichment Partially Repairs Subcortical Mapping Errors in Ten-m3 Knock-Out Mice during an Early Critical Period. eNeuro 2019; 6:ENEURO.0478-18.2019. [PMID: 31767573 PMCID: PMC6901682 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0478-18.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2018] [Revised: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental enrichment (EE) has been shown to improve neural function via the regulation of cortical plasticity. Its capacity to induce functional and/or anatomical repair of miswired circuits is unknown. Ten-m3 knock-out (KO) mice exhibit a highly stereotyped and profound miswiring of ipsilateral retinogeniculate axons and associated deficits in binocularly-mediated visual behavior. We determined whether, and when, EE can drive the repair of subcortical wiring deficits by analyzing Ten-m3 KO and wild-type (WT) mice that were enriched for six weeks from adulthood, weaning or birth in comparison to standard-housed (SE) controls. Six weeks of EE initiated from birth, but not later, induced a significant reduction in the area occupied by ipsilateral retinogeniculate terminals in KOs. No EE-induced correction of mistargeted axons was observed at postnatal day (P)7, indicating that this intervention impacts pruning rather than initial targeting of axons. This reduction was most prominent in the ventrolateral region of the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN), suggesting a preferential pruning of the most profoundly mistargeted axons. EE can thus partially repair a specific, subcortical axonal wiring deficit, but only during an early, developmentally-restricted time window.
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21
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Ecke GA, Bruijns SA, Hölscher J, Mikulasch FA, Witschel T, Arrenberg AB, Mallot HA. Sparse coding predicts optic flow specificities of zebrafish pretectal neurons. Neural Comput Appl 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00521-019-04500-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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22
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Abstract
Visual stimuli can evoke complex behavioral responses, but the underlying streams of neural activity in mammalian brains are difficult to follow because of their size. Here, I review the visual system of zebrafish larvae, highlighting where recent experimental evidence has localized the functional steps of visuomotor transformations to specific brain areas. The retina of a larva encodes behaviorally relevant visual information in neural activity distributed across feature-selective ganglion cells such that signals representing distinct stimulus properties arrive in different areas or layers of the brain. Motor centers in the hindbrain encode motor variables that are precisely tuned to behavioral needs within a given stimulus setting. Owing to rapid technological progress, larval zebrafish provide unique opportunities for obtaining a comprehensive understanding of the intermediate processing steps occurring between visual and motor centers, revealing how visuomotor transformations are implemented in a vertebrate brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johann H. Bollmann
- Developmental Biology, Institute of Biology I, Faculty of Biology, and Bernstein Center Freiburg, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
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23
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Tessarin GWL, Michalec OM, Torres-da-Silva KR, Da Silva AV, Cruz-Rizzolo RJ, Gonçalves A, Gasparini DC, Horta-Júnior JAC, Ervolino E, Bittencourt JC, Lovejoy DA, Casatti CA. A Putative Role of Teneurin-2 and Its Related Proteins in Astrocytes. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:655. [PMID: 31316338 PMCID: PMC6609321 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2018] [Accepted: 06/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Teneurins are type II transmembrane proteins comprised of four phylogenetically conserved homologs (Ten-1-4) that are highly expressed during neurogenesis. An additional bioactive peptide named teneurin C-terminal-associated peptide (TCAP-1-4) is present at the carboxyl terminal of teneurins. The possible correlation between the Ten/TCAP system and brain injuries has not been explored yet. Thus, this study examined the expression of these proteins in the cerebral cortex after mechanical brain injury. Adult rats were subjected to cerebral cortex injury by needle-insertion lesion and sacrificed at various time points. This was followed by analysis of the lesion area by immunohistochemistry and conventional RT-PCR techniques. Control animals (no brain injury) showed only discrete Ten-2-like immunoreactive pyramidal neurons in the cerebral cortex. In contrast, Ten-2 immunoreactivity was significantly up-regulated in the reactive astrocytes in all brain-injured groups (p < 0.0001) when compared to the control group. Interestingly, reactive astrocytes also showed intense immunoreactivity to LPHN-1, an endogenous receptor for the Ten-2 splice variant named Lasso. Semi-quantitative analysis of Ten-2 and TCAP-2 expression revealed significant increases of both at 48 h, 3 days and 5 days (p < 0.0001) after brain injury compared to the remaining groups. Immortalized cerebellar astrocytes were also evaluated for Ten/TCAP expression and intracellular calcium signaling by fluorescence microscopy after TCAP-1 treatment. Immortalized astrocytes expressed additional Ten/TCAP homologs and exhibited significant increases in intracellular calcium concentrations after TCAP-1 treatment. This study is the first to demonstrate that Ten-2/TCAP-2 and LPHN-1 are upregulated in reactive astrocytes after a mechanical brain injury. Immortalized cerebellar astrocytes expressed Ten/TCAP homologs and TCAP-1 treatment stimulated intracellular calcium signaling. These findings disclose a new functional role of the Ten/TCAP system in astrocytes during tissue repair of the CNS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gestter W L Tessarin
- Department of Basic Sciences, School of Dentistry of Araçatuba, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araçatuba, Brazil.,Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biosciences of Botucatu, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, Brazil
| | - Ola M Michalec
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Kelly R Torres-da-Silva
- Department of Basic Sciences, School of Dentistry of Araçatuba, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araçatuba, Brazil.,Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biosciences of Botucatu, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, Brazil
| | - André V Da Silva
- Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biosciences of Botucatu, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, Brazil.,School of Medicine, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Três Lagoas, Brazil
| | - Roelf J Cruz-Rizzolo
- Department of Basic Sciences, School of Dentistry of Araçatuba, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araçatuba, Brazil
| | - Alaide Gonçalves
- Department of Basic Sciences, School of Dentistry of Araçatuba, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araçatuba, Brazil
| | - Daniele C Gasparini
- Department of Basic Sciences, School of Dentistry of Araçatuba, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araçatuba, Brazil
| | - José A C Horta-Júnior
- Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biosciences of Botucatu, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, Brazil
| | - Edilson Ervolino
- Department of Basic Sciences, School of Dentistry of Araçatuba, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araçatuba, Brazil
| | - Jackson C Bittencourt
- Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, São Paulo University (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - David A Lovejoy
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Cláudio A Casatti
- Department of Basic Sciences, School of Dentistry of Araçatuba, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araçatuba, Brazil.,Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biosciences of Botucatu, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, Brazil
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24
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Leamey CA, Sawatari A. Teneurins: Mediators of Complex Neural Circuit Assembly in Mammals. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:580. [PMID: 31231187 PMCID: PMC6560073 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The teneurins (Ten-m/Odz) are a family of evolutionarily ancient transmembrane molecules whose complex and multi-faceted roles in the generation of mammalian neural circuits are only beginning to be appreciated. In mammals there are four family members (Ten-m1-4). Initial expression studies in vertebrates revealed intriguing expression patterns in interconnected populations of neurons. These observations, together with biochemical and over-expression studies, led to the hypothesis that homophilic interactions between teneurins on afferent and target cells may help to guide the assembly of neural circuits. This review will focus on insights gained on teneurin function in vivo in mammals using mouse knockout models. These studies provide support for the hypothesis that homophilic interactions between teneurin molecules can guide the formation of neural connections with largely consistent results obtained in hippocampal and striatal circuits. Mapping changes obtained in the mouse visual pathway, however, suggest additional roles for these glycoproteins in the formation and specification of circuits which subserve binocular vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine A Leamey
- Discipline of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Atomu Sawatari
- Discipline of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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25
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Johnston J, Seibel SH, Darnet LSA, Renninger S, Orger M, Lagnado L. A Retinal Circuit Generating a Dynamic Predictive Code for Oriented Features. Neuron 2019; 102:1211-1222.e3. [PMID: 31054873 PMCID: PMC6591004 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Revised: 02/15/2019] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Sensory systems must reduce the transmission of redundant information to function efficiently. One strategy is to continuously adjust the sensitivity of neurons to suppress responses to common features of the input while enhancing responses to new ones. Here we image the excitatory synaptic inputs and outputs of retinal ganglion cells to understand how such dynamic predictive coding is implemented in the analysis of spatial patterns. Synapses of bipolar cells become tuned to orientation through presynaptic inhibition, generating lateral antagonism in the orientation domain. Individual ganglion cells receive excitatory synapses tuned to different orientations, but feedforward inhibition generates a high-pass filter that only transmits the initial activation of these inputs, removing redundancy. These results demonstrate how a dynamic predictive code can be implemented by circuit motifs common to many parts of the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie Johnston
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Sofie-Helene Seibel
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QG, UK
| | | | | | - Michael Orger
- Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon 1400-038, Portugal
| | - Leon Lagnado
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QG, UK.
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26
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Cheung A, Trevers KE, Reyes-Corral M, Antinucci P, Hindges R. Expression and Roles of Teneurins in Zebrafish. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:158. [PMID: 30914911 PMCID: PMC6423166 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2018] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The teneurins, also known as Ten-m/Odz, are highly conserved type II transmembrane glycoproteins widely expressed throughout the nervous system. Functioning as dimers, these large cell-surface adhesion proteins play a key role in regulating neurodevelopmental processes such as axon targeting, synaptogenesis and neuronal wiring. Synaptic specificity is driven by molecular interactions, which can occur either in a trans-homophilic manner between teneurins or through a trans-heterophilic interaction across the synaptic cleft between teneurins and other cell-adhesion molecules, such as latrophilins. The significance of teneurins interactions during development is reflected in the widespread expression pattern of the four existing paralogs across interconnected regions of the nervous system, which we demonstrate here via in situ hybridization and the generation of transgenic BAC reporter lines in zebrafish. Focusing on the visual system, we will also highlight the recent developments that have been made in furthering our understanding of teneurin interactions and their functionality, including the instructive role of teneurin-3 in specifying the functional wiring of distinct amacrine and retinal ganglion cells in the vertebrate visual system underlying a particular functionality. Based on the distinct expression pattern of all teneurins in different retinal cells, it is conceivable that the combination of different teneurins is crucial for the generation of discrete visual circuits. Finally, mutations in all four human teneurin genes have been linked to several types of neurodevelopmental disorders. The opportunity therefore arises that findings about the roles of zebrafish teneurins or their orthologs in other species shed light on the molecular mechanisms in the etiology of such human disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Cheung
- Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.,MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Katherine E Trevers
- Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.,MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Marta Reyes-Corral
- Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Paride Antinucci
- Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Robert Hindges
- Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.,MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
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27
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Reid RM, Freij KW, Maples JC, Biga PR. Teneurins and Teneurin C-Terminal Associated Peptide (TCAP) in Metabolism: What's Known in Fish? Front Neurosci 2019; 13:177. [PMID: 30890915 PMCID: PMC6411802 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2018] [Accepted: 02/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Teneurins have well established roles in function and maintenance of the central nervous systems of vertebrates. In addition, teneurin c-terminal associated peptide (TCAP), a bioactive peptide found on the c-terminal portion of teneurins, has been shown to regulate glucose metabolism. Although, the majority of research conducted on the actions of teneurins and TCAPs has strictly focused on neurological systems in rodents, TCAP was first identified in rainbow trout after screening trout hypothalamic cDNA. This suggests a conserved functional role of TCAP across vertebrates, however, the current depth of literature on teneurins and TCAPs in fish is limited. In addition, the overall function of TCAP in regulating metabolism is unclear. This review will highlight work that has been conducted specifically in fish species in relation to the teneurin system and metabolism in order to identify areas of research that are needed for future work.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Peggy R. Biga
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
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28
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Tucker RP. Teneurins: Domain Architecture, Evolutionary Origins, and Patterns of Expression. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:938. [PMID: 30618567 PMCID: PMC6297184 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Disruption of teneurin expression results in abnormal neural networks, but just how teneurins support the development of the central nervous system remains an area of active research. This review summarizes some of what we know about the functions of the various domains of teneurins, the possible evolution of teneurins from a bacterial toxin, and the intriguing patterns of teneurin expression. Teneurins are a family of type-2 transmembrane proteins. The N-terminal intracellular domain can be processed and localized to the nucleus, but the significance of this nuclear localization is unknown. The extracellular domain of teneurins is largely composed of tyrosine-aspartic acid repeats that fold into a hollow barrel, and the C-terminal domains of teneurins are stuffed, and least partly, into the barrel. A 6-bladed beta-propeller is found at the other end of the barrel. The same arrangement-6-bladed beta-propeller, tyrosine-aspartic acid repeat barrel, and the C-terminal domain inside the barrel-is seen in toxic proteins from bacteria, and there is evidence that teneurins may have evolved from a gene encoding a prokaryotic toxin via horizontal gene transfer into an ancestral choanoflagellate. Patterns of teneurin expression are often, but not always, complementary. In the central nervous system, where teneurins are best studied, interconnected populations of neurons often express the same teneurin. For example, in the chicken embryo neurons forming the tectofugal pathway express teneurin-1, whereas neurons forming the thalamofugal pathway express teneurin-2. In Drosophila melanogaster, Caenorhabditis elegans, zebrafish and mice, misexpression or knocking out teneurin expression leads to abnormal connections in the neural networks that normally express the relevant teneurin. Teneurins are also expressed in non-neuronal tissue during development, and in at least some regions the patterns of non-neuronal expression are also complementary. The function of teneurins outside the nervous system remains unclear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard P. Tucker
- Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, United States
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Stephen J, Nampoothiri S, Kuppa S, Yesodharan D, Radhakrishnan N, Gahl WA, Malicdan MCV. Novel truncating mutation in TENM3 in siblings with motor developmental delay, ocular coloboma, oval cornea, without microphthalmia. Am J Med Genet A 2018; 176:2930-2933. [PMID: 30513139 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.40658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Revised: 09/17/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joshi Stephen
- Section of Human Biochemical Genetics, Medical Genetics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Sheela Nampoothiri
- Department of Pediatric Genetics, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Center, Cochin, Kerala, India
| | - Srikar Kuppa
- NIH Undiagnosed Diseases Program, NHGRI, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Dhanya Yesodharan
- Department of Pediatric Genetics, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Center, Cochin, Kerala, India
| | - Natasha Radhakrishnan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Center, Cochin, Kerala, India
| | - William A Gahl
- Section of Human Biochemical Genetics, Medical Genetics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.,NIH Undiagnosed Diseases Program, NHGRI, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.,Office of the Clinical Director, NHGRI, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - May Christine V Malicdan
- Section of Human Biochemical Genetics, Medical Genetics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.,NIH Undiagnosed Diseases Program, NHGRI, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.,Office of the Clinical Director, NHGRI, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
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Wienbar S, Schwartz GW. The dynamic receptive fields of retinal ganglion cells. Prog Retin Eye Res 2018; 67:102-117. [PMID: 29944919 PMCID: PMC6235744 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2018.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2018] [Revised: 06/15/2018] [Accepted: 06/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) were one of the first classes of sensory neurons to be described in terms of a receptive field (RF). Over the last six decades, our understanding of the diversity of RGC types and the nuances of their response properties has grown exponentially. We will review the current understanding of RGC RFs mostly from studies in mammals, but including work from other vertebrates as well. We will argue for a new paradigm that embraces the fluidity of RGC RFs with an eye toward the neuroethology of vision. Specifically, we will focus on (1) different methods for measuring RGC RFs, (2) RF models, (3) feature selectivity and the distinction between fluid and stable RF properties, and (4) ideas about the future of understanding RGC RFs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia Wienbar
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, United States.
| | - Gregory W Schwartz
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, United States.
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Berns DS, DeNardo LA, Pederick DT, Luo L. Teneurin-3 controls topographic circuit assembly in the hippocampus. Nature 2018; 554:328-333. [PMID: 29414938 PMCID: PMC7282895 DOI: 10.1038/nature25463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Brain functions rely on specific patterns of connectivity. Teneurins are evolutionarily conserved transmembrane proteins that instruct synaptic partner matching in Drosophila and are required for vertebrate visual system development. The roles of vertebrate teneurins in connectivity beyond the visual system remain largely unknown and their mechanisms of action have not been demonstrated. Here we show that mouse teneurin-3 is expressed in multiple topographically interconnected areas of the hippocampal region, including proximal CA1, distal subiculum, and medial entorhinal cortex. Viral-genetic analyses reveal that teneurin-3 is required in both CA1 and subicular neurons for the precise targeting of proximal CA1 axons to distal subiculum. Furthermore, teneurin-3 promotes homophilic adhesion in vitro in a splicing isoform-dependent manner. These findings demonstrate striking genetic heterogeneity across multiple hippocampal areas and suggest that teneurin-3 may orchestrate the assembly of a complex distributed circuit in the mammalian brain via matching expression and homophilic attraction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic S Berns
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | - Laura A DeNardo
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | - Daniel T Pederick
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | - Liqun Luo
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
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Antinucci P, Hindges R. Orientation-Selective Retinal Circuits in Vertebrates. Front Neural Circuits 2018; 12:11. [PMID: 29467629 PMCID: PMC5808299 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2018.00011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual information is already processed in the retina before it is transmitted to higher visual centers in the brain. This includes the extraction of salient features from visual scenes, such as motion directionality or contrast, through neurons belonging to distinct neural circuits. Some retinal neurons are tuned to the orientation of elongated visual stimuli. Such ‘orientation-selective’ neurons are present in the retinae of most, if not all, vertebrate species analyzed to date, with species-specific differences in frequency and degree of tuning. In some cases, orientation-selective neurons have very stereotyped functional and morphological properties suggesting that they represent distinct cell types. In this review, we describe the retinal cell types underlying orientation selectivity found in various vertebrate species, and highlight their commonalities and differences. In addition, we discuss recent studies that revealed the cellular, synaptic and circuit mechanisms at the basis of retinal orientation selectivity. Finally, we outline the significance of these findings in shaping our current understanding of how this fundamental neural computation is implemented in the visual systems of vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paride Antinucci
- Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Robert Hindges
- Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.,MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
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Glendining KA, Liu SC, Nguyen M, Dharmaratne N, Nagarajah R, Iglesias MA, Sawatari A, Leamey CA. Downstream mediators of Ten-m3 signalling in the developing visual pathway. BMC Neurosci 2017; 18:78. [PMID: 29207951 PMCID: PMC5718065 DOI: 10.1186/s12868-017-0397-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2017] [Accepted: 11/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The formation of visuotopically-aligned projections in the brain is required for the generation of functional binocular circuits. The mechanisms which underlie this process are unknown. Ten-m3 is expressed in a broad high-ventral to low-dorsal gradient across the retina and in topographically-corresponding gradients in primary visual centres. Deletion of Ten-m3 causes profound disruption of binocular visual alignment and function. Surprisingly, one of the most apparent neuroanatomical changes—dramatic mismapping of ipsilateral, but not contralateral, retinal axons along the representation of the nasotemporal retinal axis—does not correlate well with Ten-m3’s expression pattern, raising questions regarding mechanism. The aim of this study was to further our understanding of the molecular interactions which enable the formation of functional binocular visual circuits. Methods Anterograde tracing, gene expression studies and protein pull-down experiments were performed. Statistical significance was tested using a Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, pairwise-fixed random reallocation tests and univariate ANOVAs. Results We show that the ipsilateral retinal axons in Ten-m3 knockout mice are mismapped as a consequence of early axonal guidance defects. The aberrant invasion of the ventral-most region of the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus by ipsilateral retinal axons in Ten-m3 knockouts suggested changes in the expression of other axonal guidance molecules, particularly members of the EphA–ephrinA family. We identified a consistent down-regulation of EphA7, but none of the other EphA–ephrinA genes tested, as well as an up-regulation of ipsilateral-determinants Zic2 and EphB1 in visual structures. We also found that Zic2 binds specifically to the intracellular domain of Ten-m3 in vitro. Conclusion Our findings suggest that Zic2, EphB1 and EphA7 molecules may work as effectors of Ten-m3 signalling, acting together to enable the wiring of functional binocular visual circuits. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12868-017-0397-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly A Glendining
- Discipline of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute, F13, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Sam C Liu
- Discipline of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute, F13, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Marvin Nguyen
- Discipline of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute, F13, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Nuwan Dharmaratne
- Discipline of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute, F13, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Rajini Nagarajah
- Discipline of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute, F13, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Miguel A Iglesias
- Discipline of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute, F13, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Atomu Sawatari
- Discipline of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute, F13, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Catherine A Leamey
- Discipline of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute, F13, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
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Xu GZ, Cui LJ, Liu AL, Zhou W, Gong X, Zhong YM, Yang XL, Weng SJ. Transgene is specifically and functionally expressed in retinal inhibitory interneurons in the VGAT-ChR2-EYFP mouse. Neuroscience 2017; 363:107-119. [PMID: 28918256 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2017] [Revised: 08/25/2017] [Accepted: 09/01/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Ectopic transgene expression in the retina has been reported in various transgenic mice, indicating the importance of characterizing retinal phenotypes. We examined transgene expression in the VGAT-ChR2-EYFP mouse retina by fluorescent immunohistochemistry and electrophysiology, with special emphasis on enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (EYFP) localization in retinal neuronal subtypes identified by specific markers. Strong EYFP signals were detected in both the inner and outer plexiform layers. In addition, the ChR2-EYFP fusion protein was also expressed in somata of the great majority of inhibitory interneurons, including horizontal cells and GABAergic and glycinergic amacrine cells. However, a small population of amacrine cells residing in the ganglion cell layer were not labeled by EYFP, and a part of them were cholinergic ones. In contrast, no EYFP signal was detected in the somata of retinal excitatory neurons: photoreceptors, bipolar and ganglion cells, as well as Müller glial cells. When glutamatergic transmission was blocked, bright blue light stimulation elicited inward photocurrents from amacrine cells, as well as post-synaptic inhibitory currents from ganglion cells, suggesting a functional ChR2 expression. The VGAT-ChR2-EYFP mouse therefore could be a useful animal model for dissecting retinal microcircuits when targeted labeling and/or optogenetic manipulation of retinal inhibitory neurons are required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guo-Zhong Xu
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; School of Life Science and Technology, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun, China
| | - Ling-Jie Cui
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ai-Lin Liu
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Zhou
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xue Gong
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yong-Mei Zhong
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiong-Li Yang
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shi-Jun Weng
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
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Xin X, Clark D, Ang KC, van Rossum DB, Copper J, Xiao X, La Riviere PJ, Cheng KC. Synchrotron microCT imaging of soft tissue in juvenile zebrafish reveals retinotectal projections. PROCEEDINGS OF SPIE--THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR OPTICAL ENGINEERING 2017; 10060. [PMID: 32733117 DOI: 10.1117/12.2267477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Biomedical research and clinical diagnosis would benefit greatly from full volume determinations of anatomical phenotype. Comprehensive tools for morphological phenotyping are central for the emerging field of phenomics, which requires high-throughput, systematic, accurate, and reproducible data collection from organisms affected by genetic, disease, or environmental variables. Theoretically, complete anatomical phenotyping requires the assessment of every cell type in the whole organism, but this ideal is presently untenable due to the lack of an unbiased 3D imaging method that allows histopathological assessment of any cell type despite optical opacity. Histopathology, the current clinical standard for diagnostic phenotyping, involves the microscopic study of tissue sections to assess qualitative aspects of tissue architecture, disease mechanisms, and physiological state. However, quantitative features of tissue architecture such as cellular composition and cell counting in tissue volumes can only be approximated due to characteristics of tissue sectioning, including incomplete sampling and the constraints of 2D imaging of 5 micron thick tissue slabs. We have used a small, vertebrate organism, the zebrafish, to test the potential of microCT for systematic macroscopic and microscopic morphological phenotyping. While cell resolution is routinely achieved using methods such as light sheet fluorescence microscopy and optical tomography, these methods do not provide the pancellular perspective characteristic of histology, and are constrained by the limited penetration of visible light through pigmented and opaque specimens, as characterizes zebrafish juveniles. Here, we provide an example of neuroanatomy that can be studied by microCT of stained soft tissue at 1.43 micron isotropic voxel resolution. We conclude that synchrotron microCT is a form of 3D imaging that may potentially be adopted towards more reproducible, large-scale, morphological phenotyping of optically opaque tissues. Further development of soft tissue microCT, visualization and quantitative tools will enhance its utility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuying Xin
- Department of Pathology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.,Jake Gittlen Laboratories for Cancer Research, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.,Penn State Consortium for Interdisciplinary Image Informatics and Visualization, USA
| | - Darin Clark
- Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Khai Chung Ang
- Department of Pathology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.,Jake Gittlen Laboratories for Cancer Research, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.,Penn State Consortium for Interdisciplinary Image Informatics and Visualization, USA
| | - Damian B van Rossum
- Department of Pathology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.,Jake Gittlen Laboratories for Cancer Research, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.,Penn State Consortium for Interdisciplinary Image Informatics and Visualization, USA
| | - Jean Copper
- Department of Pathology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.,Jake Gittlen Laboratories for Cancer Research, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.,Penn State Consortium for Interdisciplinary Image Informatics and Visualization, USA
| | - Xianghui Xiao
- Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory Argonne, IL 60439, USA
| | | | - Keith C Cheng
- Department of Pathology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.,Jake Gittlen Laboratories for Cancer Research, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.,Penn State Consortium for Interdisciplinary Image Informatics and Visualization, USA
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Abstract
The larval zebrafish (Danio rerio) is an excellent vertebrate model for in vivo imaging of biological phenomena at subcellular, cellular and systems levels. However, the optical accessibility of highly pigmented tissues, like the eyes, is limited even in this animal model. Typical strategies to improve the transparency of zebrafish larvae require the use of either highly toxic chemical compounds (e.g. 1-phenyl-2-thiourea, PTU) or pigmentation mutant strains (e.g. casper mutant). To date none of these strategies produce normally behaving larvae that are transparent in both the body and the eyes. Here we present crystal, an optically clear zebrafish mutant obtained by combining different viable mutations affecting skin pigmentation. Compared to the previously described combinatorial mutant casper, the crystal mutant lacks pigmentation also in the retinal pigment epithelium, therefore enabling optical access to the eyes. Unlike PTU-treated animals, crystal larvae are able to perform visually guided behaviours, such as the optomotor response, as efficiently as wild type larvae. To validate the in vivo application of crystal larvae, we performed whole-brain light-sheet imaging and two-photon calcium imaging of neural activity in the retina. In conclusion, this novel combinatorial pigmentation mutant represents an ideal vertebrate tool for completely unobstructed structural and functional in vivo investigations of biological processes, particularly when imaging tissues inside or between the eyes.
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Abstract
The larval zebrafish (Danio rerio) is an excellent vertebrate model for in vivo imaging of biological phenomena at subcellular, cellular and systems levels. However, the optical accessibility of highly pigmented tissues, like the eyes, is limited even in this animal model. Typical strategies to improve the transparency of zebrafish larvae require the use of either highly toxic chemical compounds (e.g. 1-phenyl-2-thiourea, PTU) or pigmentation mutant strains (e.g. casper mutant). To date none of these strategies produce normally behaving larvae that are transparent in both the body and the eyes. Here we present crystal, an optically clear zebrafish mutant obtained by combining different viable mutations affecting skin pigmentation. Compared to the previously described combinatorial mutant casper, the crystal mutant lacks pigmentation also in the retinal pigment epithelium, therefore enabling optical access to the eyes. Unlike PTU-treated animals, crystal larvae are able to perform visually guided behaviours, such as the optomotor response, as efficiently as wild type larvae. To validate the in vivo application of crystal larvae, we performed whole-brain light-sheet imaging and two-photon calcium imaging of neural activity in the retina. In conclusion, this novel combinatorial pigmentation mutant represents an ideal vertebrate tool for completely unobstructed structural and functional in vivo investigations of biological processes, particularly when imaging tissues inside or between the eyes.
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