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Fitzpatrick MJ, Krizan J, Hsiang JC, Shen N, Kerschensteiner D. A pupillary contrast response in mice and humans: Neural mechanisms and visual functions. Neuron 2024:S0896-6273(24)00273-3. [PMID: 38697114 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024]
Abstract
In the pupillary light response (PLR), increases in ambient light constrict the pupil to dampen increases in retinal illuminance. Here, we report that the pupillary reflex arc implements a second input-output transformation; it senses temporal contrast to enhance spatial contrast in the retinal image and increase visual acuity. The pupillary contrast response (PCoR) is driven by rod photoreceptors via type 6 bipolar cells and M1 ganglion cells. Temporal contrast is transformed into sustained pupil constriction by the M1's conversion of excitatory input into spike output. Computational modeling explains how the PCoR shapes retinal images. Pupil constriction improves acuity in gaze stabilization and predation in mice. Humans exhibit a PCoR with similar tuning properties to mice, which interacts with eye movements to optimize the statistics of the visual input for retinal encoding. Thus, we uncover a conserved component of active vision, its cell-type-specific pathway, computational mechanisms, and optical and behavioral significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Fitzpatrick
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Jenna Krizan
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Jen-Chun Hsiang
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Ning Shen
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Daniel Kerschensteiner
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
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2
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Orlowska‐Feuer P, Bano‐Otalora B, Rodgers J, Martial FP, Storchi R, Lucas RJ. The mouse suprachiasmatic nucleus encodes irradiance via a diverse population of neurons monotonically tuned to different ranges of intensity. J Physiol 2023; 601:4737-4749. [PMID: 37777993 PMCID: PMC10953322 DOI: 10.1113/jp285000] [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: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Many neurons of the mammalian master circadian oscillator in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) respond to light pulses with irradiance-dependent changes in firing. Here, we set out to better understand this irradiance coding ability by considering how the SCN tracks more continuous changes in irradiance at both population and single unit level. To this end, we recorded extracellular activity in the SCN of anaesthetised mice presented with up + down irradiance staircase stimuli covering moonlight to daylight conditions and incorporating epochs with steady light or superimposed higher frequency modulations (temporal white noise (WN) and frequency/contrast chirps). Single unit activity was extracted by spike sorting. The population response of SCN units to this stimulus was a progressive increase in firing rate at higher irradiances. This relationship was symmetrical for up vs. down phases of the ramp in the presence of white noise or chirps but exhibited hysteresis for steady light, with firing systematically higher during increasing irradiance. Single units also showed a monotonic relationship between firing and irradiance but exhibited diversity not only in response polarity (increases vs. decreases in firing), but also in the sensitivity (EC50 ) and slope of fitted functions. These data show that individual SCN neurons exhibit monotonic relationships between irradiance and firing rate but differ in the irradiance range over which they respond. This property may help the SCN to encode the large differences in irradiance found in nature using neurons with a constrained range of firing rates. KEY POINTS: Daily changes in environmental light (irradiance) entrain the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) circadian clock. The mouse SCN shows graded increases in neurophysiological activity with light pulses of increasing irradiance. We show that this monotonic relationship between firing rate and irradiance is retained at population and single unit level when probed with more naturalistic staircase increases and decreases in irradiance. The irradiance response is more reliable in the presence of ongoing higher temporal frequency modulations in light intensity than under steady light. Single units varied in sensitivity allowing the population to cover a wide range of irradiances. Irradiance coding in the SCN has characteristics of a sparse code with individual neurons tracking different portions of the natural irradiance range. This property may address the challenge of encoding a 109 -fold day:night difference in irradiance within the constrained range of firing rates available to individual neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrycja Orlowska‐Feuer
- Division of Neuroscience, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and HealthUniversity of ManchesterOxford RoadManchesterUK
| | - Beatriz Bano‐Otalora
- Centre for Biological Timing, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and HealthUniversity of ManchesterOxford RoadManchesterUK
| | - Jessica Rodgers
- Division of Neuroscience, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and HealthUniversity of ManchesterOxford RoadManchesterUK
| | - Franck P. Martial
- Division of Neuroscience, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and HealthUniversity of ManchesterOxford RoadManchesterUK
| | - Riccardo Storchi
- Division of Neuroscience, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and HealthUniversity of ManchesterOxford RoadManchesterUK
| | - Robert James Lucas
- Division of Neuroscience, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and HealthUniversity of ManchesterOxford RoadManchesterUK
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3
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Abstract
Melanopsin is a light-activated G protein coupled receptor that is expressed widely across phylogeny. In mammals, melanopsin is found in intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs), which are especially important for "non-image" visual functions that include the regulation of circadian rhythms, sleep, and mood. Photochemical and electrophysiological experiments have provided evidence that melanopsin has at least two stable conformations and is thus multistable, unlike the monostable photopigments of the classic rod and cone photoreceptors. Estimates of melanopsin's properties vary, challenging efforts to understand how the molecule influences vision. This article seeks to reconcile disparate views of melanopsin and offer a practical guide to melanopsin's complexities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan J. Emanuel
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center and Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Boston, MA, USA
- Present address: Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Michael Tri H. Do
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center and Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Boston, MA, USA
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4
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Mouland JW, Watson AJ, Martial FP, Lucas RJ, Brown TM. Colour and melanopsin mediated responses in the murine retina. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1114634. [PMID: 36993934 PMCID: PMC10040579 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1114634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) integrate melanopsin and rod/cone-mediated inputs to signal to the brain. Whilst originally identified as a cell type specialised for encoding ambient illumination, several lines of evidence indicate a strong association between colour discrimination and ipRGC-driven responses. Thus, cone-mediated colour opponent responses have been widely found across ipRGC target regions in the mouse brain and influence a key ipRGC-dependent function, circadian photoentrainment. Although ipRGCs exhibiting spectrally opponent responses have also been identified, the prevalence of such properties have not been systematically evaluated across the mouse retina or yet been found in ipRGC subtypes known to influence the circadian system. Indeed, there is still uncertainty around the overall prevalence of cone-dependent colour opponency across the mouse retina, given the strong retinal gradient in S and M-cone opsin (co)-expression and overlapping spectral sensitivities of most mouse opsins.Methods: To address this, we use photoreceptor isolating stimuli in multielectrode recordings from human red cone opsin knock-in mouse (Opn1mwR) retinas to systematically survey cone mediated responses and the occurrence of colour opponency across ganglion cell layer (GCL) neurons and identify ipRGCs based on spectral comparisons and/or the persistence of light responses under synaptic blockade.Results: Despite detecting robust cone-mediated responses across the retina, we find cone opponency is rare, especially outside of the central retina (overall ~3% of GCL neurons). In keeping with previous suggestions we also see some evidence of rod-cone opponency (albeit even more rare under our experimental conditions), but find no evidence for any enrichment of cone (or rod) opponent responses among functionally identified ipRGCs.Conclusion: In summary, these data suggest the widespread appearance of cone-opponency across the mouse early visual system and ipRGC-related responses may be an emergent feature of central visual processing mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua W. Mouland
- Centre for Biological Timing, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Gastroenterology, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Joshua W. Mouland
| | - Alex J. Watson
- Centre for Biological Timing, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Gastroenterology, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Franck P. Martial
- Centre for Biological Timing, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Robert J. Lucas
- Centre for Biological Timing, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Timothy M. Brown
- Centre for Biological Timing, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Gastroenterology, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
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5
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Liu A, Milner ES, Peng YR, Blume HA, Brown MC, Bryman GS, Emanuel AJ, Morquette P, Viet NM, Sanes JR, Gamlin PD, Do MTH. Encoding of environmental illumination by primate melanopsin neurons. Science 2023; 379:376-381. [PMID: 36701440 PMCID: PMC10445534 DOI: 10.1126/science.ade2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Light regulates physiology, mood, and behavior through signals sent to the brain by intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs). How primate ipRGCs sense light is unclear, as they are rare and challenging to target for electrophysiological recording. We developed a method of acute identification within the live, ex vivo retina. Using it, we found that ipRGCs of the macaque monkey are highly specialized to encode irradiance (the overall intensity of illumination) by blurring spatial, temporal, and chromatic features of the visual scene. We describe mechanisms at the molecular, cellular, and population scales that support irradiance encoding across orders-of-magnitude changes in light intensity. These mechanisms are conserved quantitatively across the ~70 million years of evolution that separate macaques from mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Liu
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center and Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Elliott S. Milner
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center and Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Present address: Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behavior, University College London, 25 Howland Street, London, W1T 4JG, UK
| | - Yi-Rong Peng
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Present address: Department of Ophthalmology, Stein Eye Institute, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Hannah A. Blume
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center and Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Michael C. Brown
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center and Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Gregory S. Bryman
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center and Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Present address: Merck & Co., Inc., 320 Bent St, Cambridge, MA 02141, USA
| | - Alan J. Emanuel
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center and Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Present address: Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Philippe Morquette
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center and Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Nguyen-Minh Viet
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center and Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Joshua R. Sanes
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Paul D. Gamlin
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Michael Tri H. Do
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center and Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Boston, MA 02115, USA
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6
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Gao F, Ma J, Yu YQ, Gao XF, Bai Y, Sun Y, Liu J, Liu X, Barry DM, Wilhelm S, Piccinni-Ash T, Wang N, Liu D, Ross RA, Hao Y, Huang X, Jia JJ, Yang Q, Zheng H, van Nispen J, Chen J, Li H, Zhang J, Li YQ, Chen ZF. A non-canonical retina-ipRGCs-SCN-PVT visual pathway for mediating contagious itch behavior. Cell Rep 2022; 41:111444. [PMID: 36198265 PMCID: PMC9595067 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Contagious itch behavior informs conspecifics of adverse environment and is crucial for the survival of social animals. Gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) and its receptor (GRPR) in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus mediates contagious itch behavior in mice. Here, we show that intrinsically photosensitive retina ganglion cells (ipRGCs) convey visual itch information, independently of melanopsin, from the retina to GRP neurons via PACAP-PAC1R signaling. Moreover, GRPR neurons relay itch information to the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT). Surprisingly, neither the visual cortex nor superior colliculus is involved in contagious itch. In vivo calcium imaging and extracellular recordings reveal contagious itch-specific neural dynamics of GRPR neurons. Thus, we propose that the retina-ipRGC-SCN-PVT pathway constitutes a previously unknown visual pathway that probably evolved for motion vision that encodes salient environmental cues and enables animals to imitate behaviors of conspecifics as an anticipatory mechanism to cope with adverse conditions. It has been shown that GRP-GRPR neuropeptide signaling in the SCN is important for contagious itch behavior in mice. Gao et al. find that SCN-projecting ipRGCs are sufficient to relay itch information from the retina to the SCN by releasing neuropeptide PACAP to activate the GRP-GRPR pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Gao
- Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Departments of Anesthesiology, Medicine, Psychiatry and Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Jun Ma
- Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Departments of Anesthesiology, Medicine, Psychiatry and Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Yao-Qing Yu
- Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Departments of Anesthesiology, Medicine, Psychiatry and Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Institute for Biomedical Sciences of Pain, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710038, P. R. China
| | - Xiao-Fei Gao
- Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Departments of Anesthesiology, Medicine, Psychiatry and Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Present address: Translational Research Institute of Brain and Brain-like Intelligence, Shanghai Fourth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200434, P. R. China
| | - Yang Bai
- Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology & K.K. Leung Brain Research Centre, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, P. R. China,Present address: Department of Neurosurgery, General Hospital of Northern Theater Command, Shenyang 110016, P. R. China
| | - Yi Sun
- Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology & K.K. Leung Brain Research Centre, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, P. R. China,Present address: Binzhou Medical University, Yantai 264003, P. R. China
| | - Juan Liu
- Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Departments of Anesthesiology, Medicine, Psychiatry and Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Xianyu Liu
- Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Departments of Anesthesiology, Medicine, Psychiatry and Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Devin M. Barry
- Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Departments of Anesthesiology, Medicine, Psychiatry and Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Steven Wilhelm
- Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Departments of Anesthesiology, Medicine, Psychiatry and Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Tyler Piccinni-Ash
- Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Departments of Anesthesiology, Medicine, Psychiatry and Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Na Wang
- Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Departments of Anesthesiology, Medicine, Psychiatry and Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Present address: Shandong Provincial Hospital for Skin Diseases & Shandong Provincial Institute of Dermatology and Venereology, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, P. R. China
| | - Dongyang Liu
- Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Departments of Anesthesiology, Medicine, Psychiatry and Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Department of Pain Management, the State Key Clinical Specialty in Pain Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510260, P.R. China
| | - Rachel A. Ross
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychiatry and Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine Rose F. Kennedy Center, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Yan Hao
- Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Departments of Anesthesiology, Medicine, Psychiatry and Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Present address: Department of Pediatrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, HuaZhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, P. R. China
| | - Xu Huang
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science and Institute for Medical and Engineering Innovation, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, P.R. China
| | - Jin-Jing Jia
- Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Departments of Anesthesiology, Medicine, Psychiatry and Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Present address: College of Life Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang 464000, P. R. China
| | - Qianyi Yang
- Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Departments of Anesthesiology, Medicine, Psychiatry and Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Hao Zheng
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science and Institute for Medical and Engineering Innovation, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, P.R. China
| | - Johan van Nispen
- Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Departments of Anesthesiology, Medicine, Psychiatry and Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Present address: Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63104, USA
| | - Jun Chen
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences of Pain, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710038, P. R. China
| | - Hui Li
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology & K.K. Leung Brain Research Centre, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, P. R. China
| | - Jiayi Zhang
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science and Institute for Medical and Engineering Innovation, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, P.R. China
| | - Yun-Qing Li
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology & K.K. Leung Brain Research Centre, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, P. R. China
| | - Zhou-Feng Chen
- Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Departments of Anesthesiology, Medicine, Psychiatry and Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Lead contact,Correspondence:
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7
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Beyond irradiance: Visual signals influencing mammalian circadian function. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2022; 273:145-169. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2022.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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8
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Slow vision: Measuring melanopsin-mediated light effects in animal models. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2022; 273:117-143. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2022.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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9
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Evangelisti S, La Morgia C, Testa C, Manners DN, Brizi L, Bianchini C, Carbonelli M, Barboni P, Sadun AA, Tonon C, Carelli V, Vandewalle G, Lodi R. Brain functional MRI responses to blue light stimulation in Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy. Biochem Pharmacol 2021; 191:114488. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2021.114488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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10
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Neumann A, Breher K, Wahl S. Effects of screen-based retinal light stimulation measured with a novel contrast sensitivity test. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0254877. [PMID: 34324537 PMCID: PMC8320929 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Myopia is increasing worldwide hence it exists a pressing demand to find effective myopia control strategies. Previous studies have shown that light, spectral composition, spatial frequencies, and contrasts play a critical role in refractive development. The effects of light on multiple retinal processes include growth regulation, but also visual performance and perception. Changes in subjective visual performance can be examined by contrast sensitivity (CS). This study was conducted to investigate whether retinal light stimulation of different wavelength ranges is able to elicit changes in CS and, therefore, may be used for myopia control purposes. In total, 30 right eyes were stimulated with the light of different wavelength ranges, including dominant wavelengths of ∼480 nm, ∼530 nm, ∼630 nm and polychromatic light via a commercial liquid crystal display (LCD) screen. Stimulation was performed screen full-field and on the optic nerve head only. CS was measured before any stimulation and after each stimulation condition using a novel and time-efficient CS test. Post-stimulation CS changes were analyzed by ANOVA regarding the influencing factors spatial frequency, stimulation wavelength and stimulation location. A priorly conducted verification study on a subset of five participants compared the newly developed CS test to a validated CS test. The novel CS test exhibited good reliability of 0.94 logCS and repeatability of 0.13 logCS with a duration of 92 sec ± 17 sec. No clinically critical change between pre- and post-stimulation CS was detected (all p>0.05). However, the results showed that post-stimulation CS differed significantly at 18 cpd after stimulation with polychromatic light from short-wavelength light (p<0.0001). Location of illumination (screen full-field vs. optic nerve head) or any interactions with other factors did not reveal significant influences (all p>0.05). To summarize, a novel CS test measures the relationship between retinal light stimulation and CS. However, using retinal illumination via LCD screens to increase CS is inconclusive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia Neumann
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Katharina Breher
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Carl Zeiss Vision International GmbH, Aalen, Germany
| | - Siegfried Wahl
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Carl Zeiss Vision International GmbH, Aalen, Germany
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11
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Lee S, Chen M, Shi Y, Zhou ZJ. Selective glycinergic input from vGluT3 amacrine cells confers a suppressed-by-contrast trigger feature in a subtype of M1 ipRGCs in the mouse retina. J Physiol 2021; 599:5047-5060. [PMID: 34292589 DOI: 10.1113/jp281717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS M1 intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) are known to encode absolute light intensity (irradiance) for non-image-forming visual functions (subconscious vision), such as circadian photoentrainment and the pupillary light reflex. It remains unclear how M1 cells respond to relative light intensity (contrast) and patterned visual signals. The present study identified a special form of contrast sensitivity (suppressed-by-contrast) in M1 cells, suggesting a role of patterned visual signals in regulating non-image-forming vision and a potential role of M1 ipRGCs in encoding image-forming visual cues. The study also uncovered a synaptic mechanism and a retinal circuit mediated by vesicular glutamate transporter 3 (vGluT3) amacrine cells that underlie the suppressed-by-contrast response of M1 cells. M1 ipRGC subtypes (M1a and M1b) were revealed that are distinguishable based on synaptic connectivity with vGluT3 amacrine cells, receptive field properties, intrinsic photo sensitivity and membrane excitability, and morphological features, suggesting a division of visual tasks among discrete M1 subpopulations. ABSTRACT The M1 type ipRGC (intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cell) is known to encode ambient light signals for non-image-forming visual functions such as circadian photo-entrainment and the pupillary light reflex. Here, we report that a subpopulation of M1 cells (M1a) in the mouse retina possess the suppressed-by-contrast (sbc) trigger feature that is a receptive field property previously found only in ganglion cells mediating image-forming vision. Using optogenetics and the dual patch clamp technique, we found that vesicular glutamate transporter 3 (vGluT3) (vGluT3) amacrine cells make glycinergic, but not glutamatergic, synapses specifically onto M1a cells. The spatiotemporal and pharmacological properties of visually evoked responses of M1a cells closely matched the receptive field characteristics of vGluT3 cells, suggesting a major role of the vGluT3 amacrine cell input in shaping the sbc trigger feature of M1a cells. We found that the other subpopulation of M1 cells (M1b), which did not receive a direct vGluT3 cell input, lacked the sbc trigger feature, being distinctively different from M1a cells in intrinsic photo responses, membrane excitability, receptive-field characteristics and morphological features. Together, the results reveal a retinal circuit that uses the sbc trigger feature to regulate irradiance coding and potentially send image-forming cues to non-image-forming visual centres in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seunghoon Lee
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Minggang Chen
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Yuelin Shi
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Z Jimmy Zhou
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.,Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
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12
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Abstract
Every aspect of vision, from the opsin proteins to the eyes and the ways that they serve animal behavior, is incredibly diverse. It is only with an evolutionary perspective that this diversity can be understood and fully appreciated. In this review, I describe and explain the diversity at each level and try to convey an understanding of how the origin of the first opsin some 800 million years ago could initiate the avalanche that produced the astonishing diversity of eyes and vision that we see today. Despite the diversity, many types of photoreceptors, eyes, and visual roles have evolved multiple times independently in different animals, revealing a pattern of eye evolution strictly guided by functional constraints and driven by the evolution of gradually more demanding behaviors. I conclude the review by introducing a novel distinction between active and passive vision that points to uncharted territories in vision research. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Vision Science, Volume 7 is September 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan-E Nilsson
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, Lund University, 22362 Lund, Sweden;
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13
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Stinchcombe AR, Hu C, Walch OJ, Faught SD, Wong KY, Forger DB. M1-Type, but Not M4-Type, Melanopsin Ganglion Cells Are Physiologically Tuned to the Central Circadian Clock. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:652996. [PMID: 34025341 PMCID: PMC8134526 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.652996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Proper circadian photoentrainment is crucial for the survival of many organisms. In mammals, intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) can use the photopigment melanopsin to sense light independently from rod and cone photoreceptors and send this information to many brain nuclei such as the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the site of the central circadian pacemaker. Here, we measure ionic currents and develop mathematical models of the electrical activity of two types of ipRGCs: M1, which projects to the SCN, and M4, which does not. We illustrate how their ionic properties differ, mainly how ionic currents generate lower spike rates and depolarization block in M1 ipRGCs. Both M1 and M4 cells have large geometries and project to higher visual centers of the brain via the optic nerve. Using a partial differential equation model, we show how axons of M1 and M4 cells faithfully convey information from the soma to the synapse even when the signal at the soma is attenuated due to depolarization block. Finally, we consider an ionic model of circadian photoentrainment from ipRGCs synapsing on SCN neurons and show how the properties of M1 ipRGCs are tuned to create accurate transmission of visual signals from the retina to the central pacemaker, whereas M4 ipRGCs would not evoke nearly as efficient a postsynaptic response. This work shows how ipRGCs and SCN neurons' electrical activities are tuned to allow for accurate circadian photoentrainment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Caiping Hu
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Olivia J Walch
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Samuel D Faught
- Department of Mathematics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Kwoon Y Wong
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Daniel B Forger
- Department of Mathematics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,Michigan Institute for Data Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
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14
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Mouland JW, Martial FP, Lucas RJ, Brown TM. Modulations in irradiance directed at melanopsin, but not cone photoreceptors, reliably alter electrophysiological activity in the suprachiasmatic nucleus and circadian behaviour in mice. J Pineal Res 2021; 70:e12735. [PMID: 33793975 DOI: 10.1111/jpi.12735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells convey intrinsic, melanopsin-based, photoreceptive signals alongside those produced by rods and cones to the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) circadian clock. To date, experimental data suggest that melanopsin plays a more significant role in measuring ambient light intensity than cone photoreception. Such studies have overwhelmingly used diffuse light stimuli, whereas light intensity in the world around us varies across space and time. Here, we investigated the extent to which melanopsin or cone signals support circadian irradiance measurements in the presence of naturalistic spatiotemporal variations in light intensity. To address this, we first presented high- and low-contrast movies to anaesthetised mice whilst recording extracellular electrophysiological activity from the SCN. Using a mouse line with altered cone sensitivity (Opn1mwR mice) and multispectral light sources we then selectively varied irradiance of the movies for specific photoreceptor classes. We found that steps in melanopic irradiance largely account for the light induced-changes in SCN activity over a range of starting light intensities and in the presence of spatiotemporal modulation. By contrast, cone-directed changes in irradiance only influenced SCN activity when spatiotemporal contrast was low. Consistent with these findings, under housing conditions where we could independently adjust irradiance for melanopsin versus cones, the period lengthening effects of constant light on circadian rhythms in behaviour were reliably determined by melanopic irradiance, regardless of irradiance for cones. These data add to the growing evidence that modulating effective irradiance for melanopsin is an effective strategy for controlling the circadian impact of light.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josh W Mouland
- Centre for Biological Timing, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Gastroenterology, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Franck P Martial
- Centre for Biological Timing, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Robert J Lucas
- Centre for Biological Timing, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Timothy M Brown
- Centre for Biological Timing, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Gastroenterology, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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15
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Tam SKE, Bannerman DM, Peirson SN. Mechanisms mediating the effects of light on sleep and alertness: current challenges. CURRENT OPINION IN PHYSIOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cophys.2020.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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16
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Melanopsin and the Intrinsically Photosensitive Retinal Ganglion Cells: Biophysics to Behavior. Neuron 2020; 104:205-226. [PMID: 31647894 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2019] [Revised: 06/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The mammalian visual system encodes information over a remarkable breadth of spatiotemporal scales and light intensities. This performance originates with its complement of photoreceptors: the classic rods and cones, as well as the intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs). IpRGCs capture light with a G-protein-coupled receptor called melanopsin, depolarize like photoreceptors of invertebrates such as Drosophila, discharge electrical spikes, and innervate dozens of brain areas to influence physiology, behavior, perception, and mood. Several visual responses rely on melanopsin to be sustained and maximal. Some require ipRGCs to occur at all. IpRGCs fulfill their roles using mechanisms that include an unusual conformation of the melanopsin protein, an extraordinarily slow phototransduction cascade, divisions of labor even among cells of a morphological type, and unorthodox configurations of circuitry. The study of ipRGCs has yielded insight into general topics that include photoreceptor evolution, cellular diversity, and the steps from biophysical mechanisms to behavior.
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17
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Xie Y, Tang Q, Chen G, Xie M, Yu S, Zhao J, Chen L. New Insights Into the Circadian Rhythm and Its Related Diseases. Front Physiol 2019; 10:682. [PMID: 31293431 PMCID: PMC6603140 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Circadian rhythms (CR) are a series of endogenous autonomous oscillators generated by the molecular circadian clock which acting on coordinating internal time with the external environment in a 24-h daily cycle. The circadian clock system is a major regulatory factor for nearly all physiological activities and its disorder has severe consequences on human health. CR disruption is a common issue in modern society, and researches about people with jet lag or shift works have revealed that CR disruption can cause cognitive impairment, psychiatric illness, metabolic syndrome, dysplasia, and cancer. In this review, we summarized the synchronizers and the synchronization methods used in experimental research, and introduced CR monitoring and detection methods. Moreover, we evaluated conventional CR databases, and analyzed experiments that characterized the underlying causes of CR disorder. Finally, we further discussed the latest developments in understanding of CR disruption, and how it may be relevant to health and disease. Briefly, this review aimed to synthesize previous studies to aid in future studies of CR and CR-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanling Xie
- Department of Stomatology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Qingming Tang
- Department of Stomatology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Guangjin Chen
- Department of Stomatology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Mengru Xie
- Department of Stomatology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Shaoling Yu
- Department of Stomatology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jiajia Zhao
- Department of Stomatology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Lili Chen
- Department of Stomatology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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18
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Light modulates oscillatory alpha activity in the occipital cortex of totally visually blind individuals with intact non-image-forming photoreception. Sci Rep 2018; 8:16968. [PMID: 30446699 PMCID: PMC6240048 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-35400-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2018] [Accepted: 09/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The discovery of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) marked a major shift in our understanding of how light information is processed by the mammalian brain. These ipRGCs influence multiple functions not directly related to image formation such as circadian resetting and entrainment, pupil constriction, enhancement of alertness, as well as the modulation of cognition. More recently, it was demonstrated that ipRGCs may also contribute to basic visual functions. The impact of ipRGCs on visual function, independently of image forming photoreceptors, remains difficult to isolate, however, particularly in humans. We previously showed that exposure to intense monochromatic blue light (465 nm) induced non-conscious light perception in a forced choice task in three rare totally visually blind individuals without detectable rod and cone function, but who retained non-image-forming responses to light, very likely via ipRGCs. The neural foundation of such light perception in the absence of conscious vision is unknown, however. In this study, we characterized the brain activity of these three participants using electroencephalography (EEG), and demonstrate that unconsciously perceived light triggers an early and reliable transient desynchronization (i.e. decreased power) of the alpha EEG rhythm (8–14 Hz) over the occipital cortex. These results provide compelling insight into how ipRGC may contribute to transient changes in ongoing brain activity. They suggest that occipital alpha rhythm synchrony, which is typically linked to the visual system, is modulated by ipRGCs photoreception; a process that may contribute to the non-conscious light perception in those blind individuals.
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19
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Stinchcombe AR, Mouland JW, Wong KY, Lucas RJ, Forger DB. Multiplexing Visual Signals in the Suprachiasmatic Nuclei. Cell Rep 2018; 21:1418-1425. [PMID: 29117548 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.10.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2016] [Revised: 06/24/2017] [Accepted: 10/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN), the site of the mammalian circadian (daily) pacemaker, contains thousands of interconnected neurons, some of which receive direct retinal input. Here, we study the fast (<1 s) responses of SCN neurons to visual stimuli with a large-scale mathematical model tracking the ionic currents and voltage of all SCN neurons. We reconstruct the SCN network connectivity and reject 99.99% of theoretically possible SCN networks by requiring that the model reproduces experimentally determined receptive fields of SCN neurons. The model shows how the SCN neuronal network can enhance circadian entrainment by sensitizing a population of neurons in the ventral SCN to irradiance. This SCN network also increases the spatial acuity of neurons and increases the accuracy of a simulated subconscious spatial visual task. We hypothesize that much of the fast electrical activity within the SCN is related to the processing of spatial information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam R Stinchcombe
- Department of Mathematics, University of Michigan, 2074 East Hall, 530 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1043, USA
| | - Joshua W Mouland
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Kwoon Y Wong
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA; Department of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA
| | - Robert J Lucas
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Daniel B Forger
- Department of Mathematics, University of Michigan, 2074 East Hall, 530 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1043, USA; Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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20
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Saito M, Miyamoto K, Uchiyama Y, Murakami I. Invisible light inside the natural blind spot alters brightness at a remote location. Sci Rep 2018; 8:7540. [PMID: 29765135 PMCID: PMC5954096 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-25920-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2018] [Accepted: 04/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The natural blind spot in the visual field has been known as a large oval region that cannot receive any optical input because it corresponds to the retinal optic disk containing no rod/cone-photoreceptors. Recently, stimulation inside the blind spot was found to enhance, but not trigger, the pupillary light reflex. However, it is unknown whether blind-spot stimulation also affects visual perception. We addressed this question using psychophysical brightness-matching experiments. We found that a test stimulus outside the blind spot was judged as darker when it was accompanied by a consciously unexperienced blue oval inside the blind spot; moreover, the pupillary light reflex was enhanced. These findings suggested that a photo-sensitive mechanism inside the optic disk, presumably involving the photopigment melanopsin, contributes to our image-forming vision and provides a ‘reference’ for calibrating the perceived brightness of visual objects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Saito
- Department of Psychology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Kentaro Miyamoto
- Department of Physiology, The University of Tokyo School of Medicine, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.,Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3UD, United Kingdom.,Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, 102-8472, Japan
| | - Yusuke Uchiyama
- Department of Psychology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Ikuya Murakami
- Department of Psychology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.
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21
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Myung J, Pauls SD. Encoding seasonal information in a two-oscillator model of the multi-oscillator circadian clock. Eur J Neurosci 2017; 48:2718-2727. [PMID: 28921823 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2017] [Revised: 09/01/2017] [Accepted: 09/11/2017] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is a collection of about 10 000 neurons, each of which functions as a circadian clock with slightly different periods and phases, that work in concert with form and maintain the master circadian clock for the organism. The diversity among neurons confers on the SCN the ability to robustly encode both the 24-h light pattern as well as the seasonal time. Cluster synchronization brings the different neurons into line and reduces the large population to essentially two oscillators, coordinated by a macroscopic network motif of asymmetric repulsive-attractive coupling. We recount the steps leading to this simplification and rigorously examine the two-oscillator case by seeking an analytical solution. Through these steps, we identify physiologically relevant parameters that shape the behaviour of the SCN network and delineate its ability to store past details of seasonal variation in photoperiod.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jihwan Myung
- Computational Neuroscience Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Lab 2 Level B, 1919-1 Tancha Onna-son, Kunigami, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan.,Graduate Institute of Humanities in Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.,TMU-Research Center of Brain and Consciousness, Shuang Ho Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Scott D Pauls
- Department of Mathematics, Dartmouth College, 6188 Kemeny Hall, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
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22
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The impact of temporal modulations in irradiance under light adapted conditions on the mouse suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN). Sci Rep 2017; 7:10582. [PMID: 28874778 PMCID: PMC5585163 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-11184-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Accepted: 08/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Electrophysiological responses of SCN neurons to light steps are well established, but responses to more natural modulations in irradiance have been much less studied. We address this deficit first by showing that variations in irradiance for human subjects are biased towards low temporal frequencies and small magnitudes. Using extracellular recordings we show that neurons in the mouse SCN are responsive to stimuli with these characteristics, tracking sinusoidal modulations in irradiance best at lower temporal frequencies and responding to abrupt changes in irradiance over a range of commonly encountered contrasts. The spectral sensitivity of these light adapted responses indicates that they are driven primarily by cones, but with melanopsin (and/or rods) contributing under more gradual changes. Higher frequency modulations in irradiance increased time averaged firing of SCN neurons (typically considered to encode background light intensity) modestly over that encountered during steady exposure, but did not have a detectable effect on the circadian phase resetting efficiency of light. Our findings highlight the SCN’s ability to encode naturalistic temporal modulations in irradiance, while revealing that the circadian system can effectively integrate such signals over time such that phase-resetting responses remain proportional to the mean light exposure.
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23
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Abstract
Two new studies show that neural systems receiving inputs from the melanopsin-containing retinal ganglion cells encode spatial information and therefore see the world in more detail than previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Spitschan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Geoffrey K Aguirre
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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