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Fu J, Pierzchlewicz PA, Willeke KF, Bashiri M, Muhammad T, Diamantaki M, Froudarakis E, Restivo K, Ponder K, Denfield GH, Sinz F, Tolias AS, Franke K. Heterogeneous orientation tuning in the primary visual cortex of mice diverges from Gabor-like receptive fields in primates. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114639. [PMID: 39167488 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114639] [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: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 06/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/31/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024] Open
Abstract
A key feature of neurons in the primary visual cortex (V1) of primates is their orientation selectivity. Recent studies using deep neural network models showed that the most exciting input (MEI) for mouse V1 neurons exhibit complex spatial structures that predict non-uniform orientation selectivity across the receptive field (RF), in contrast to the classical Gabor filter model. Using local patches of drifting gratings, we identified heterogeneous orientation tuning in mouse V1 that varied up to 90° across sub-regions of the RF. This heterogeneity correlated with deviations from optimal Gabor filters and was consistent across cortical layers and recording modalities (calcium vs. spikes). In contrast, model-synthesized MEIs for macaque V1 neurons were predominantly Gabor like, consistent with previous studies. These findings suggest that complex spatial feature selectivity emerges earlier in the visual pathway in mice than in primates. This may provide a faster, though less general, method of extracting task-relevant information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiakun Fu
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Paweł A Pierzchlewicz
- Institute for Bioinformatics and Medical Informatics, Tübingen University, Tübingen, Germany; Georg-August University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Konstantin F Willeke
- Institute for Bioinformatics and Medical Informatics, Tübingen University, Tübingen, Germany; Georg-August University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Mohammad Bashiri
- Institute for Bioinformatics and Medical Informatics, Tübingen University, Tübingen, Germany; Georg-August University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Taliah Muhammad
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Maria Diamantaki
- Institute of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, Foundation of Research & Technology - Hellas, Heraklion, Crete, Greece; School of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Emmanouil Froudarakis
- Institute of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, Foundation of Research & Technology - Hellas, Heraklion, Crete, Greece; School of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Kelli Restivo
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Kayla Ponder
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - George H Denfield
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Fabian Sinz
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Institute for Bioinformatics and Medical Informatics, Tübingen University, Tübingen, Germany; Georg-August University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Andreas S Tolias
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94303, USA; Stanford Bio-X, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Katrin Franke
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94303, USA; Stanford Bio-X, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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2
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Müllner FE, Roska B. Individual thalamic inhibitory interneurons are functionally specialized toward distinct visual features. Neuron 2024; 112:2765-2782.e9. [PMID: 38917805 PMCID: PMC11348917 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.06.001] [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: 05/27/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
Inhibitory interneurons in the dorsolateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) are situated at the first central synapse of the image-forming visual pathway, but little is known about their function. Given their anatomy, they are expected to be multiplexors, integrating many different retinal channels along their dendrites. Here, using targeted single-cell-initiated rabies tracing, we found that mouse dLGN interneurons exhibit a degree of retinal input specialization similar to thalamocortical neurons. Some are anatomically highly specialized, for example, toward motion-selective information. Two-photon calcium imaging performed in vivo revealed that interneurons are also functionally specialized. In mice lacking retinal horizontal direction selectivity, horizontal direction selectivity is reduced in interneurons, suggesting a causal link between input and functional specialization. Functional specialization is not only present at interneuron somata but also extends into their dendrites. Altogether, inhibitory interneurons globally display distinct visual features which reflect their retinal input specialization and are ideally suited to perform feature-selective inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiona E Müllner
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, 4031 Basel, Switzerland; Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, 4031 Basel, Switzerland; Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Botond Roska
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, 4031 Basel, Switzerland; Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, 4031 Basel, Switzerland.
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Matsumoto N, Barson D, Liang L, Crair MC. Hebbian instruction of axonal connectivity by endogenous correlated spontaneous activity. Science 2024; 385:eadh7814. [PMID: 39146415 DOI: 10.1126/science.adh7814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
Spontaneous activity refines neural connectivity prior to the onset of sensory experience, but it remains unclear how such activity instructs axonal connectivity with subcellular precision. We simultaneously measured spontaneous retinal waves and the activity of individual retinocollicular axons and tracked morphological changes in axonal arbors across hours in vivo in neonatal mice. We demonstrate that the correlation of an axon branch's activity with neighboring axons or postsynaptic neurons predicts whether the branch will be added, stabilized, or eliminated. Desynchronizing individual axons from their local networks, changing the pattern of correlated activity, or blocking N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors all significantly altered single-axon morphology. These observations provide the first direct evidence in vivo that endogenous patterns of correlated neuronal activity instruct fine-scale refinement of axonal processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoyuki Matsumoto
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Daniel Barson
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Liang Liang
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Michael C Crair
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Science, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
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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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Kiraly JK, Harris SC, Al-Khindi T, Dunn FA, Kolodkin AL. PyOKR: A Semi-Automated Method for Quantifying Optokinetic Reflex Tracking Ability. J Vis Exp 2024:10.3791/66779. [PMID: 38682904 PMCID: PMC11187712 DOI: 10.3791/66779] [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] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
The study of behavioral responses to visual stimuli is a key component of understanding visual system function. One notable response is the optokinetic reflex (OKR), a highly conserved innate behavior necessary for image stabilization on the retina. The OKR provides a robust readout of image tracking ability and has been extensively studied to understand visual system circuitry and function in animals from different genetic backgrounds. The OKR consists of two phases: a slow tracking phase as the eye follows a stimulus to the edge of the visual plane and a compensatory fast phase saccade that resets the position of the eye in the orbit. Previous methods of tracking gain quantification, although reliable, are labor intensive and can be subjective or arbitrarily derived. To obtain more rapid and reproducible quantification of eye tracking ability, we have developed a novel semi-automated analysis program, PyOKR, that allows for quantification of two-dimensional eye tracking motion in response to any directional stimulus, in addition to being adaptable to any type of video-oculography equipment. This method provides automated filtering, selection of slow tracking phases, modeling of vertical and horizontal eye vectors, quantification of eye movement gains relative to stimulus speed, and organization of resultant data into a usable spreadsheet for statistical and graphical comparisons. This quantitative and streamlined analysis pipeline, readily accessible via PyPI import, provides a fast and direct measurement of OKR responses, thereby facilitating the study of visual behavioral responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- James K Kiraly
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
| | - Scott C Harris
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Franciso
| | - Timour Al-Khindi
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
| | - Felice A Dunn
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Franciso
| | - Alex L Kolodkin
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine;
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Tu Z, Degg C, Bach M, McLean R, Sheth V, Thomas MG, Yang S, Gottlob I, Proudlock FA. ERG Responses in Albinism, Idiopathic Infantile Nystagmus, and Controls. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2024; 65:11. [PMID: 38573619 PMCID: PMC10996992 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.65.4.11] [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: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose Our primary aim was to compare adult full-field ERG (ffERG) responses in albinism, idiopathic infantile nystagmus (IIN), and controls. A secondary aim was to investigate the effect of within-subject changes in nystagmus eye movements on ffERG responses. Methods Dilated Ganzfeld flash ffERG responses were recorded using DTL electrodes under conditions of dark (standard and dim flash) and light adaptation in 68 participants with albinism, 43 with IIN, and 24 controls. For the primary aim, the effect of group and age on ffERG responses was investigated. For the secondary aim, null region characteristics were determined using eye movements recorded prior to ffERG recordings. ffERG responses were recorded near and away from the null regions of 18 participants also measuring the success rate of recordings. Results For the primary aim, age-adjusted photopic a- and b-wave amplitudes were consistently smaller in IIN compared with controls (P < 0.0001), with responses in both groups decreasing with age. In contrast, photopic a-wave amplitudes increased with age in albinism (P = 0.0035). For the secondary aim, more intense nystagmus significantly reduced the success rate of measurable responses. Within-subject changes in nystagmus intensity generated small, borderline significant differences in photopic b-wave peak times and a-and b-wave amplitudes under scotopic conditions with standard flash. Conclusions Age-adjusted photopic ffERG responses are significantly reduced in IIN adding to the growing body of evidence of retinal abnormalities in IIN. Differences between photopic responses in albinism and controls depend on age. Success at obtaining ffERG responses could be improved by recording responses at the null region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhanhan Tu
- University of Leicester Ulverscroft Eye Unit, School of Psychology and Vision Sciences, University of Leicester, Robert Kilpatrick Clinical Sciences Building, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher Degg
- Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Bach
- Eye Center, Freiburg University, Killianstraße 5, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Rebecca McLean
- University of Leicester Ulverscroft Eye Unit, School of Psychology and Vision Sciences, University of Leicester, Robert Kilpatrick Clinical Sciences Building, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Viral Sheth
- University of Leicester Ulverscroft Eye Unit, School of Psychology and Vision Sciences, University of Leicester, Robert Kilpatrick Clinical Sciences Building, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Mervyn G. Thomas
- University of Leicester Ulverscroft Eye Unit, School of Psychology and Vision Sciences, University of Leicester, Robert Kilpatrick Clinical Sciences Building, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Shangqing Yang
- Gonville and Caius College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Irene Gottlob
- University of Leicester Ulverscroft Eye Unit, School of Psychology and Vision Sciences, University of Leicester, Robert Kilpatrick Clinical Sciences Building, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, United Kingdom
- Cooper University Hospital, Camden, United States
| | - Frank A. Proudlock
- University of Leicester Ulverscroft Eye Unit, School of Psychology and Vision Sciences, University of Leicester, Robert Kilpatrick Clinical Sciences Building, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, United Kingdom
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Krizan J, Song X, Fitzpatrick MJ, Shen N, Soto F, Kerschensteiner D. Predation without direction selectivity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2317218121. [PMID: 38483997 PMCID: PMC10962952 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2317218121] [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: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Across the animal kingdom, visual predation relies on motion-sensing neurons in the superior colliculus (SC) and its orthologs. These neurons exhibit complex stimulus preferences, including direction selectivity, which is thought to be critical for tracking the unpredictable escape routes of prey. The source of direction selectivity in the SC is contested, and its contributions to predation have not been tested experimentally. Here, we use type-specific cell removal to show that narrow-field (NF) neurons in the mouse SC guide predation. In vivo recordings demonstrate that direction-selective responses of NF cells are independent of recently reported stimulus-edge effects. Monosynaptic retrograde tracing reveals that NF cells receive synaptic input from direction-selective ganglion cells. When we eliminate direction selectivity in the retina of adult mice, direction-selective responses in the SC, including in NF cells, are lost. However, eliminating retinal direction selectivity does not affect the hunting success or strategies of mice, even when direction selectivity is removed after mice have learned to hunt, and despite abolishing the gaze-stabilizing optokinetic reflex. Thus, our results identify the retinal source of direction selectivity in the SC. They show that NF cells in the SC guide predation, an essential spatial orienting task, independent of their direction selectivity, revealing behavioral multiplexing of complex neural feature preferences and highlighting the importance of feature-selective manipulations for neuroethology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna Krizan
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO63110
- Graduate program in Neuroscience, Roy and Diana Vagelos Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO63110
| | - Xiayingfang Song
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO63110
- Graduate program in Biomedical Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO63130
| | - Michael J. Fitzpatrick
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO63110
- Graduate program in Neuroscience, Roy and Diana Vagelos Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO63110
| | - Ning Shen
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO63110
| | - Florentina Soto
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO63110
| | - Daniel Kerschensteiner
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO63110
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO63110
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO63130
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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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Sheth V, McLean RJ, Tu Z, Ather S, Gottlob I, Proudlock FA. Visual Field Deficits in Albinism in Comparison to Idiopathic Infantile Nystagmus. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2024; 65:13. [PMID: 38319668 PMCID: PMC10854418 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.65.2.13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose This is the first systematic comparison of visual field (VF) deficits in people with albinism (PwA) and idiopathic infantile nystagmus (PwIIN) using static perimetry. We also compare best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and optical coherence tomography measures of the fovea, parafovea, and circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer in PwA. Methods VF testing was performed on 62 PwA and 36 PwIIN using a Humphrey Field Analyzer (SITA FAST 24-2). Mean detection thresholds for each eye were calculated, along with quadrants and central measures. Retinal layers were manually segmented in the macular region. Results Mean detection thresholds were significantly lower than normative values for PwA (-3.10 ± 1.67 dB, P << 0.0001) and PwIIN (-1.70 ± 1.54 dB, P < 0.0001). Mean detection thresholds were significantly lower in PwA compared to PwIIN (P < 0.0001) and significantly worse for left compared to right eyes in PwA (P = 0.0002) but not in PwIIN (P = 0.37). In PwA, the superior nasal VF was significantly worse than other quadrants (P < 0.05). PwIIN appeared to show a mild relative arcuate scotoma. In PwA, central detection thresholds were correlated with foveal changes in the inner and outer retina. VF was strongly correlated to BCVA in both groups. Conclusions Clear peripheral and central VF deficits exist in PwA and PwIIN, and static VF results need to be interpreted with caution clinically. Since PwA exhibit considerably lower detection thresholds compared to PwIIN, VF defects are unlikely to be due to nystagmus in PwA. In addition to horizontal VF asymmetry, PwA exhibit both vertical and interocular asymmetries, which needs further exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viral Sheth
- Health Sciences School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, Yorkshire, United Kingdom
- The University of Leicester Ulverscroft Eye Unit, Psychology and Vision Sciences, University of Leicester, Robert Kilpatrick Clinical Sciences Building, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Rebecca J. McLean
- The University of Leicester Ulverscroft Eye Unit, Psychology and Vision Sciences, University of Leicester, Robert Kilpatrick Clinical Sciences Building, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Zhanhan Tu
- The University of Leicester Ulverscroft Eye Unit, Psychology and Vision Sciences, University of Leicester, Robert Kilpatrick Clinical Sciences Building, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Sarim Ather
- Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Headley Way, Headington, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
| | - Irene Gottlob
- The University of Leicester Ulverscroft Eye Unit, Psychology and Vision Sciences, University of Leicester, Robert Kilpatrick Clinical Sciences Building, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, United Kingdom
- Department of Neurology, Cooper University Health Care, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, New Jersey, United States
| | - Frank A. Proudlock
- The University of Leicester Ulverscroft Eye Unit, Psychology and Vision Sciences, University of Leicester, Robert Kilpatrick Clinical Sciences Building, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, United Kingdom
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10
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Su Y, Zhang J, Gao J, Ding G, Jiang H, Liu Y, Li Y, Yang G. Truncated FRMD7 proteins in congenital Nystagmus: novel frameshift mutations and proteasomal pathway implications. BMC Med Genomics 2024; 17:36. [PMID: 38279119 PMCID: PMC10811807 DOI: 10.1186/s12920-024-01817-7] [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: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Idiopathic congenital nystagmus (ICN) manifests as involuntary and periodic eye movements. To identify the genetic defect associated with X-linked ICN, Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) was conducted in two affected families. We identified two frameshift mutations in FRMD7, c.1492dupT/p.(Y498Lfs*15) and c.1616delG/p.(R539Kfs*2). Plasmids harboring the mutated genes and qPCR analysis revealed mRNA stability, evading degradation via the NMD pathway, and corroborated truncated protein production via Western-blot analysis. Notably, both truncated proteins were degraded through the proteasomal (ubiquitination) pathway, suggesting potential therapeutic avenues targeting this pathway for similar mutations. Moreover, we conducted a comprehensive analysis, summarizing 140 mutations within the FRMD7 gene. Our findings highlight the FERM and FA structural domains as mutation-prone regions. Interestingly, exons 9 and 12 are the most mutated regions, but 90% (28/31) mutations in exon 9 are missense while 84% (21/25) mutations in exon 12 are frameshift. A predominant occurrence of shift code mutations was observed in exons 11 and 12, possibly associated with the localization of premature termination codons (PTCs), leading to the generation of deleterious truncated proteins. Additionally, our conjecture suggests that the loss of FRMD7 protein function might not solely drive pathology; rather, the emergence of aberrant protein function could be pivotal in nystagmus etiology. We propose a dependence of FRMD7 protein normal function primarily on its anterior domain. Future investigations are warranted to validate this hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqing Su
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Basic Medical Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- The First Clinical College of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Juntao Zhang
- Xiangyang Central Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang, 441021, China
| | - Jiahui Gao
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Basic Medical Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Guoqing Ding
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Basic Medical Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Heng Jiang
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Basic Medical Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Xiangyang Central Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang, 441021, China
| | - Yulei Li
- Xiangyang Central Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang, 441021, China.
- School of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang, 441053, China.
| | - Guohua Yang
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Basic Medical Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, 430071, China.
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11
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Gaynes JA, Budoff SA, Grybko MJ, Poleg-Polsky A. Heterogeneous presynaptic receptive fields contribute to directional tuning in starburst amacrine cells. eLife 2023; 12:RP90456. [PMID: 38149980 PMCID: PMC10752589 DOI: 10.7554/elife.90456] [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] [Indexed: 12/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The processing of visual information by retinal starburst amacrine cells (SACs) involves transforming excitatory input from bipolar cells (BCs) into directional calcium output. While previous studies have suggested that an asymmetry in the kinetic properties of BCs along the soma-dendritic axes of the postsynaptic cell could enhance directional tuning at the level of individual branches, it remains unclear whether biologically relevant presynaptic kinetics contribute to direction selectivity (DS) when visual stimulation engages the entire dendritic tree. To address this question, we built multicompartmental models of the bipolar-SAC circuit and trained them to boost directional tuning. We report that despite significant dendritic crosstalk and dissimilar directional preferences along the dendrites that occur during whole-cell stimulation, the rules that guide BC kinetics leading to optimal DS are similar to the single-dendrite condition. To correlate model predictions to empirical findings, we utilized two-photon glutamate imaging to study the dynamics of bipolar release onto ON- and OFF-starburst dendrites in the murine retina. We reveal diverse presynaptic dynamics in response to motion in both BC populations; algorithms trained on the experimental data suggested that the differences in the temporal release kinetics are likely to correspond to heterogeneous receptive field properties among the different BC types, including the spatial extent of the center and surround components. In addition, we demonstrate that circuit architecture composed of presynaptic units with experimentally recorded dynamics could enhance directional drive but not to levels that replicate empirical findings, suggesting other DS mechanisms are required to explain SAC function. Our study provides new insights into the complex mechanisms underlying DS in retinal processing and highlights the potential contribution of presynaptic kinetics to the computation of visual information by SACs.
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Affiliation(s)
- John A Gaynes
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado School of MedicineAuroraUnited States
| | - Samuel A Budoff
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado School of MedicineAuroraUnited States
| | - Michael J Grybko
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado School of MedicineAuroraUnited States
| | - Alon Poleg-Polsky
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado School of MedicineAuroraUnited States
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12
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Khabou H, Orendorff E, Trapani F, Rucli M, Desrosiers M, Yger P, Dalkara D, Marre O. Optogenetic targeting of AII amacrine cells restores retinal computations performed by the inner retina. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2023; 31:101107. [PMID: 37868206 PMCID: PMC10589896 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2023.09.003] [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: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Most inherited retinal dystrophies display progressive photoreceptor cell degeneration leading to severe visual impairment. Optogenetic reactivation of inner retinal neurons is a promising avenue to restore vision in retinas having lost their photoreceptors. Expression of optogenetic proteins in surviving ganglion cells, the retinal output, allows them to take on the lost photoreceptive function. Nonetheless, this creates an exclusively ON retina by expression of depolarizing optogenetic proteins in all classes of ganglion cells, whereas a normal retina extracts several features from the visual scene, with different ganglion cells detecting light increase (ON) and light decrease (OFF). Refinement of this therapeutic strategy should thus aim at restoring these computations. Here we used a vector that targets gene expression to a specific interneuron of the retina called the AII amacrine cell. AII amacrine cells simultaneously activate the ON pathway and inhibit the OFF pathway. We show that the optogenetic stimulation of AII amacrine cells allows restoration of both ON and OFF responses in the retina, but also mediates other types of retinal processing such as sustained and transient responses. Targeting amacrine cells with optogenetics is thus a promising avenue to restore better retinal function and visual perception in patients suffering from retinal degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanen Khabou
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 17 rue Moreau, 75012 Paris, France
| | - Elaine Orendorff
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 17 rue Moreau, 75012 Paris, France
| | - Francesco Trapani
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 17 rue Moreau, 75012 Paris, France
| | - Marco Rucli
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 17 rue Moreau, 75012 Paris, France
| | - Melissa Desrosiers
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 17 rue Moreau, 75012 Paris, France
| | - Pierre Yger
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 17 rue Moreau, 75012 Paris, France
| | - Deniz Dalkara
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 17 rue Moreau, 75012 Paris, France
| | - Olivier Marre
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 17 rue Moreau, 75012 Paris, France
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13
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Matsumoto A, Yonehara K. Emerging computational motifs: Lessons from the retina. Neurosci Res 2023; 196:11-22. [PMID: 37352934 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2023.06.003] [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: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
The retinal neuronal circuit is the first stage of visual processing in the central nervous system. The efforts of scientists over the last few decades indicate that the retina is not merely an array of photosensitive cells, but also a processor that performs various computations. Within a thickness of only ∼200 µm, the retina consists of diverse forms of neuronal circuits, each of which encodes different visual features. Since the discovery of direction-selective cells by Horace Barlow and Richard Hill, the mechanisms that generate direction selectivity in the retina have remained a fascinating research topic. This review provides an overview of recent advances in our understanding of direction-selectivity circuits. Beyond the conventional wisdom of direction selectivity, emerging findings indicate that the retina utilizes complicated and sophisticated mechanisms in which excitatory and inhibitory pathways are involved in the efficient encoding of motion information. As will become evident, the discovery of computational motifs in the retina facilitates an understanding of how sensory systems establish feature selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihiro Matsumoto
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - DANDRITE, Nordic-EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Department of Gene Function and Phenomics, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Japan; Department of Genetics, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Mishima, Japan.
| | - Keisuke Yonehara
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - DANDRITE, Nordic-EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Department of Gene Function and Phenomics, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Japan; Department of Genetics, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Mishima, Japan
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14
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Wang AYM, Kulkarni MM, McLaughlin AJ, Gayet J, Smith BE, Hauptschein M, McHugh CF, Yao YY, Puthussery T. An ON-type direction-selective ganglion cell in primate retina. Nature 2023; 623:381-386. [PMID: 37880369 PMCID: PMC10632142 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06659-4] [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: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
To maintain a stable and clear image of the world, our eyes reflexively follow the direction in which a visual scene is moving. Such gaze-stabilization mechanisms reduce image blur as we move in the environment. In non-primate mammals, this behaviour is initiated by retinal output neurons called ON-type direction-selective ganglion cells (ON-DSGCs), which detect the direction of image motion and transmit signals to brainstem nuclei that drive compensatory eye movements1. However, ON-DSGCs have not yet been identified in the retina of primates, raising the possibility that this reflex is mediated by cortical visual areas. Here we mined single-cell RNA transcriptomic data from primate retina to identify a candidate ON-DSGC. We then combined two-photon calcium imaging, molecular identification and morphological analysis to reveal a population of ON-DSGCs in the macaque retina. The morphology, molecular signature and GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid)-dependent mechanisms that underlie direction selectivity in primate ON-DSGCs are highly conserved with those in other mammals. We further identify a candidate ON-DSGC in human retina. The presence of ON-DSGCs in primates highlights the need to examine the contribution of subcortical retinal mechanisms to normal and aberrant gaze stabilization in the developing and mature visual system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Y M Wang
- Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Manoj M Kulkarni
- Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Amanda J McLaughlin
- Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Jacqueline Gayet
- Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Benjamin E Smith
- Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Vision Science Graduate Program, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Max Hauptschein
- Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Cyrus F McHugh
- Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Vision Science Graduate Program, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Yvette Y Yao
- Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Teresa Puthussery
- Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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15
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Gaynes JA, Budoff SA, Grybko MJ, Poleg-Polsky A. Heterogeneous presynaptic receptive fields contribute to directional tuning in starburst amacrine cells. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.02.551732. [PMID: 37577661 PMCID: PMC10418172 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.02.551732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
The processing of visual information by retinal starburst amacrine cells (SACs) involves transforming excitatory input from bipolar cells (BCs) into directional calcium output. While previous studies have suggested that an asymmetry in the kinetic properties of bipolar cells along the soma-dendritic axes of the postsynaptic cell could enhance directional tuning at the level of individual branches, it remains unclear whether biologically relevant presynaptic kinetics contribute to direction selectivity when visual stimulation engages the entire dendritic tree. To address this question, we built multicompartmental models of the bipolar-SAC circuit and trained them to boost directional tuning. We report that despite significant dendritic crosstalk and dissimilar directional preferences along the dendrites that occur during whole-cell stimulation, the rules that guide BC kinetics leading to optimal directional selectivity are similar to the single-dendrite condition. To correlate model predictions to empirical findings, we utilized two-photon glutamate imaging to study the dynamics of bipolar release onto ON- and OFF-starburst dendrites in the murine retina. We reveal diverse presynaptic dynamics in response to motion in both BC populations; algorithms trained on the experimental data suggested that the differences in the temporal release kinetics are likely to correspond to heterogeneous receptive field (RF) properties among the different BC types, including the spatial extent of the center and surround components. In addition, we demonstrate that circuit architecture composed of presynaptic units with experimentally recorded dynamics could enhance directional drive but not to levels that replicate empirical findings, suggesting other DS mechanisms are required to explain SAC function. Our study provides new insights into the complex mechanisms underlying direction selectivity in retinal processing and highlights the potential contribution of presynaptic kinetics to the computation of visual information by starburst amacrine cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- John A. Gaynes
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Samuel A. Budoff
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Michael J. Grybko
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Alon Poleg-Polsky
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
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16
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Mani A, Yang X, Zhao TA, Leyrer ML, Schreck D, Berson DM. A circuit suppressing retinal drive to the optokinetic system during fast image motion. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5142. [PMID: 37612305 PMCID: PMC10447436 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40527-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) assists stabilization of the retinal image during head rotation. OKN is driven by ON direction selective retinal ganglion cells (ON DSGCs), which encode both the direction and speed of global retinal slip. The synaptic circuits responsible for the direction selectivity of ON DSGCs are well understood, but those sculpting their slow-speed preference remain enigmatic. Here, we probe this mechanism in mouse retina through patch clamp recordings, functional imaging, genetic manipulation, and electron microscopic reconstructions. We confirm earlier evidence that feedforward glycinergic inhibition is the main suppressor of ON DSGC responses to fast motion, and reveal the source for this inhibition-the VGluT3 amacrine cell, a dual neurotransmitter, excitatory/inhibitory interneuron. Together, our results identify a role for VGluT3 cells in limiting the speed range of OKN. More broadly, they suggest VGluT3 cells shape the response of many retinal cell types to fast motion, suppressing it in some while enhancing it in others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Mani
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Xinzhu Yang
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Tiffany A Zhao
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Megan L Leyrer
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Daniel Schreck
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - David M Berson
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
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17
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Kiraly JK, Harris SC, Al-Khindi T, Dunn FA, Kolodkin A. A semi-automated method for quantifying optokinetic reflex tracking acuity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.03.551461. [PMID: 37577668 PMCID: PMC10418204 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.03.551461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
The study of murine behavioral responses to visual stimuli is a key component of understanding mammalian visual circuitry. One notable response is the optokinetic reflex (OKR), a highly conserved innate behavior necessary for image stabilization on the retina. The OKR provides a robust readout of image tracking ability and has been extensively studied to understand the logic of visual system circuitry and function in mice from different genetic backgrounds. The OKR consists of two phases: a slow tracking phase as the eye follows a stimulus to the edge of the visual plane, and a compensatory fast phase saccade that maintains the image within the visual field. Assessment of the OKR has previously relied on counting individual compensatory eye saccades to estimate tracking speed. To obtain a more direct quantification of tracking ability, we have developed a novel, semi-automated analysis program that allows for rapid and reproducible quantification of unidirectional tracking gains, in addition to being adaptable to any video-oculography equipment. Our analysis program allows for the selection of slow tracking phases, modeling of the vertical and horizontal eye vectors, quantification of eye movement relative to the stimulus, and organization of resultant data into a usable spreadsheet for statistical and graphical comparisons. This quantitative and streamlined analysis pipeline provides a faster and more direct measurement of OKR responses, thereby facilitating further study of visual behavior responses. SUMMARY We describe here a semi-automated quantitative analysis method that directly measures eye tracking resulting from murine visual system responses to two-dimensional image motion. A Python-based user interface and analysis algorithm allows for higher throughput and more quantitative measurements of eye tracking parameters than previous methods.
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18
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Montijn JS, Riguccini V, Levelt CN, Heimel JA. Impaired Direction Selectivity in the Nucleus of the Optic Tract of Albino Mice. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2023; 64:9. [PMID: 37548962 PMCID: PMC10411648 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.64.11.9] [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: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Human albinos have a low visual acuity. This is partially due to the presence of spontaneous erroneous eye movements called pendular nystagmus. This nystagmus is present in other albino vertebrates and has been hypothesized to be caused by aberrant wiring of retinal ganglion axons to the nucleus of the optic tract (NOT), a part of the accessory optic system involved in the optokinetic response to visual motion. The NOT in pigmented rodents is preferentially responsive to ipsiversive motion (i.e., motion in the contralateral visual field in the temporonasal direction). We compared the response to visual motion in the NOT of albino and pigmented mice to understand if motion coding and preference are impaired in the NOT of albino mice. Methods We recorded neuronal spiking activity with Neuropixels probes in the visual cortex and NOT in C57BL/6JRj mice (pigmented) and DBA/1JRj mice with oculocutaneous albinism (albino). Results We found that in pigmented mice, NOT is retinotopically organized, and neurons are direction tuned, whereas in albino mice, neuronal tuning is severely impaired. Neurons in the NOT of albino mice do not have a preference for ipsiversive movement. In contrast, neuronal tuning in visual cortex was preserved in albino mice and did not differ significantly from the tuning in pigmented mice. Conclusions We propose that excessive interhemispheric crossing of retinal projections in albinos may cause the disrupted left/right direction encoding we found in NOT. This, in turn, impairs the normal horizontal optokinetic reflex and leads to pendular albino nystagmus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorrit S. Montijn
- Department of Circuits, Structure & Function, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Valentina Riguccini
- Department of Molecular Visual Plasticity, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Christiaan N. Levelt
- Department of Molecular Visual Plasticity, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - J. Alexander Heimel
- Department of Circuits, Structure & Function, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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19
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Maruyama T, Ishii T, Kaneda M. Starburst amacrine cells form gap junctions in the early postnatal stage of the mouse retina. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1173579. [PMID: 37293630 PMCID: PMC10244514 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1173579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Although gap junctional coupling in the developing retina is important for the maturation of neuronal networks, its role in the development of individual neurons remains unclear. Therefore, we herein investigated whether gap junctional coupling by starburst amacrine cells (SACs), a key neuron for the formation of direction selectivity, occurs during the developmental stage in the mouse retina. Neurobiotin-injected SACs coupled with many neighboring cells before eye-opening. The majority of tracer-coupled cells were retinal ganglion cells, and tracer coupling was not detected between SACs. The number of tracer-coupled cells significantly decreased after eye-opening and mostly disappeared by postnatal day 28 (P28). Membrane capacitance (Cm), an indicator of the formation of electrical coupling with gap junctions, was larger in SACs before than after eye-opening. The application of meclofenamic acid, a gap junction blocker, reduced the Cm of SACs. Gap junctional coupling by SACs was regulated by dopamine D1 receptors before eye-opening. In contrast, the reduction in gap junctional coupling after eye-opening was not affected by visual experience. At the mRNA level, 4 subtypes of connexins (23, 36, 43, and 45) were detected in SACs before eye-opening. Connexin 43 expression levels significantly decreased after eye-opening. These results indicate that gap junctional coupling by SACs occurs during the developmental period and suggest that the elimination of gap junctions proceeds with the innate system.
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20
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Wu J, Kim YJ, Dacey DM, Troy JB, Smith RG. Two mechanisms for direction selectivity in a model of the primate starburst amacrine cell. Vis Neurosci 2023; 40:E003. [PMID: 37218623 PMCID: PMC10207453 DOI: 10.1017/s0952523823000019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
In a recent study, visual signals were recorded for the first time in starburst amacrine cells of the macaque retina, and, as for mouse and rabbit, a directional bias observed in calcium signals was recorded from near the dendritic tips. Stimulus motion from the soma toward the tip generated a larger calcium signal than motion from the tip toward the soma. Two mechanisms affecting the spatiotemporal summation of excitatory postsynaptic currents have been proposed to contribute to directional signaling at the dendritic tips of starbursts: (1) a "morphological" mechanism in which electrotonic propagation of excitatory synaptic currents along a dendrite sums bipolar cell inputs at the dendritic tip preferentially for stimulus motion in the centrifugal direction; (2) a "space-time" mechanism that relies on differences in the time-courses of proximal and distal bipolar cell inputs to favor centrifugal stimulus motion. To explore the contributions of these two mechanisms in the primate, we developed a realistic computational model based on connectomic reconstruction of a macaque starburst cell and the distribution of its synaptic inputs from sustained and transient bipolar cell types. Our model suggests that both mechanisms can initiate direction selectivity in starburst dendrites, but their contributions differ depending on the spatiotemporal properties of the stimulus. Specifically, the morphological mechanism dominates when small visual objects are moving at high velocities, and the space-time mechanism contributes most for large visual objects moving at low velocities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajia Wu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Yeon Jin Kim
- Department of Biological Structure, Washington National Primate Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Dennis M. Dacey
- Department of Biological Structure, Washington National Primate Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - John B. Troy
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Robert G. Smith
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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21
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Harris SC, Dunn FA. Asymmetric retinal direction tuning predicts optokinetic eye movements across stimulus conditions. eLife 2023; 12:e81780. [PMID: 36930180 PMCID: PMC10023158 DOI: 10.7554/elife.81780] [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: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Across species, the optokinetic reflex (OKR) stabilizes vision during self-motion. OKR occurs when ON direction-selective retinal ganglion cells (oDSGCs) detect slow, global image motion on the retina. How oDSGC activity is integrated centrally to generate behavior remains unknown. Here, we discover mechanisms that contribute to motion encoding in vertically tuned oDSGCs and leverage these findings to empirically define signal transformation between retinal output and vertical OKR behavior. We demonstrate that motion encoding in vertically tuned oDSGCs is contrast-sensitive and asymmetric for oDSGC types that prefer opposite directions. These phenomena arise from the interplay between spike threshold nonlinearities and differences in synaptic input weights, including shifts in the balance of excitation and inhibition. In behaving mice, these neurophysiological observations, along with a central subtraction of oDSGC outputs, accurately predict the trajectories of vertical OKR across stimulus conditions. Thus, asymmetric tuning across competing sensory channels can critically shape behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott C Harris
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Felice A Dunn
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
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22
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Liu F, Wang M, Liao M, Liu L, Jiang X. X-linked FRMD7 gene mutation in idiopathic congenital nystagmus and its role in eye movement: A case report and literature review. FRONTIERS IN OPHTHALMOLOGY 2023; 2:1080869. [PMID: 38983508 PMCID: PMC11182149 DOI: 10.3389/fopht.2022.1080869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
Background Idiopathic congenital nystagmus (ICN) is an inherited disorder characterized by uncontrollable binocular conjugating oscillation. X-linked idiopathic congenital nystagmus is one of the most prevalent types of ICN. Elucidation of the genetic mechanisms involved in ICN will enhance our understanding of its molecular etiology. Case presentation We report a girl with uncontrollable binocular oscillation and anomalous head posture, then presented a novel heterozygous missense variant (c.686G>T) within the mutation-rich region of the FERM domain containing 7 (FRMD7) gene in her family member. The girl received occlusion therapy and surgical operation which balanced her binocular vision and corrected the anomalous head posture. Conclusions This is the first report on a mutation (c.686G>T) caused the substitution of Arg (R) with Leu (L) at position 229 (p.R229L) of the FRMD7 protein in a patient with ICN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanfei Liu
- Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Minjin Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Meng Liao
- Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Longqian Liu
- Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiaoshuang Jiang
- Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
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23
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Zeitz C, Roger JE, Audo I, Michiels C, Sánchez-Farías N, Varin J, Frederiksen H, Wilmet B, Callebert J, Gimenez ML, Bouzidi N, Blond F, Guilllonneau X, Fouquet S, Léveillard T, Smirnov V, Vincent A, Héon E, Sahel JA, Kloeckener-Gruissem B, Sennlaub F, Morgans CW, Duvoisin RM, Tkatchenko AV, Picaud S. Shedding light on myopia by studying complete congenital stationary night blindness. Prog Retin Eye Res 2023; 93:101155. [PMID: 36669906 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2022.101155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Myopia is the most common eye disorder, caused by heterogeneous genetic and environmental factors. Rare progressive and stationary inherited retinal disorders are often associated with high myopia. Genes implicated in myopia encode proteins involved in a variety of biological processes including eye morphogenesis, extracellular matrix organization, visual perception, circadian rhythms, and retinal signaling. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) identified in animal models mimicking myopia are helpful in suggesting candidate genes implicated in human myopia. Complete congenital stationary night blindness (cCSNB) in humans and animal models represents an ON-bipolar cell signal transmission defect and is also associated with high myopia. Thus, it represents also an interesting model to identify myopia-related genes, as well as disease mechanisms. While the origin of night blindness is molecularly well established, further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms of myopia development in subjects with cCSNB. Using whole transcriptome analysis on three different mouse models of cCSNB (in Gpr179-/-, Lrit3-/- and Grm6-/-), we identified novel actors of the retinal signaling cascade, which are also novel candidate genes for myopia. Meta-analysis of our transcriptomic data with published transcriptomic databases and genome-wide association studies from myopia cases led us to propose new biological/cellular processes/mechanisms potentially at the origin of myopia in cCSNB subjects. The results provide a foundation to guide the development of pharmacological myopia therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Zeitz
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France.
| | - Jérome E Roger
- Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience, CERTO-Retina France, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, Saclay, France
| | - Isabelle Audo
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France; CHNO des Quinze-Vingts, INSERM-DGOS CIC 1423, Paris, France
| | | | | | - Juliette Varin
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
| | - Helen Frederiksen
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
| | - Baptiste Wilmet
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
| | - Jacques Callebert
- Service of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, INSERM U942, Hospital Lariboisière, APHP, Paris, France
| | | | - Nassima Bouzidi
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
| | - Frederic Blond
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
| | | | - Stéphane Fouquet
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
| | | | - Vasily Smirnov
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
| | - Ajoy Vincent
- Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Elise Héon
- Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - José-Alain Sahel
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France; CHNO des Quinze-Vingts, INSERM-DGOS CIC 1423, Paris, France; Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | | | - Florian Sennlaub
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
| | - Catherine W Morgans
- Department of Chemical Physiology & Biochemistry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Robert M Duvoisin
- Department of Chemical Physiology & Biochemistry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Andrei V Tkatchenko
- Oujiang Laboratory, Zhejiang Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health, Wenzhou, China; Department of Ophthalmology, Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Serge Picaud
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
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24
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Al-Khindi T, Sherman MB, Kodama T, Gopal P, Pan Z, Kiraly JK, Zhang H, Goff LA, du Lac S, Kolodkin AL. The transcription factor Tbx5 regulates direction-selective retinal ganglion cell development and image stabilization. Curr Biol 2022; 32:4286-4298.e5. [PMID: 35998637 PMCID: PMC9560999 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.07.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The diversity of visual input processed by the mammalian visual system requires the generation of many distinct retinal ganglion cell (RGC) types, each tuned to a particular feature. The molecular code needed to generate this cell-type diversity is poorly understood. Here, we focus on the molecules needed to specify one type of retinal cell: the upward-preferring ON direction-selective ganglion cell (up-oDSGC) of the mouse visual system. Single-cell transcriptomic profiling of up- and down-oDSGCs shows that the transcription factor Tbx5 is selectively expressed in up-oDSGCs. The loss of Tbx5 in up-oDSGCs results in a selective defect in the formation of up-oDSGCs and a corresponding inability to detect vertical motion. A downstream effector of Tbx5, Sfrp1, is also critical for vertical motion detection but not up-oDSGC formation. These results advance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that specify a rare retinal cell type and show how disrupting this specification leads to a corresponding defect in neural circuitry and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timour Al-Khindi
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Michael B Sherman
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Takashi Kodama
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Preethi Gopal
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Zhiwei Pan
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - James K Kiraly
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Hao Zhang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Loyal A Goff
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Sascha du Lac
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Alex L Kolodkin
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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25
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Fitzpatrick MJ, Kerschensteiner D. Homeostatic plasticity in the retina. Prog Retin Eye Res 2022; 94:101131. [PMID: 36244950 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2022.101131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Vision begins in the retina, whose intricate neural circuits extract salient features of the environment from the light entering our eyes. Neurodegenerative diseases of the retina (e.g., inherited retinal degenerations, age-related macular degeneration, and glaucoma) impair vision and cause blindness in a growing number of people worldwide. Increasing evidence indicates that homeostatic plasticity (i.e., the drive of a neural system to stabilize its function) can, in principle, preserve retinal function in the face of major perturbations, including neurodegeneration. Here, we review the circumstances and events that trigger homeostatic plasticity in the retina during development, sensory experience, and disease. We discuss the diverse mechanisms that cooperate to compensate and the set points and outcomes that homeostatic retinal plasticity stabilizes. Finally, we summarize the opportunities and challenges for unlocking the therapeutic potential of homeostatic plasticity. Homeostatic plasticity is fundamental to understanding retinal development and function and could be an important tool in the fight to preserve and restore vision.
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26
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Strauss S, Korympidou MM, Ran Y, Franke K, Schubert T, Baden T, Berens P, Euler T, Vlasits AL. Center-surround interactions underlie bipolar cell motion sensitivity in the mouse retina. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5574. [PMID: 36163124 PMCID: PMC9513071 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32762-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Motion sensing is a critical aspect of vision. We studied the representation of motion in mouse retinal bipolar cells and found that some bipolar cells are radially direction selective, preferring the origin of small object motion trajectories. Using a glutamate sensor, we directly observed bipolar cells synaptic output and found that there are radial direction selective and non-selective bipolar cell types, the majority being selective, and that radial direction selectivity relies on properties of the center-surround receptive field. We used these bipolar cell receptive fields along with connectomics to design biophysical models of downstream cells. The models and additional experiments demonstrated that bipolar cells pass radial direction selective excitation to starburst amacrine cells, which contributes to their directional tuning. As bipolar cells provide excitation to most amacrine and ganglion cells, their radial direction selectivity may contribute to motion processing throughout the visual system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Strauss
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Tübingen AI Center, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Maria M Korympidou
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Yanli Ran
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Katrin Franke
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Timm Schubert
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Tom Baden
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | - Philipp Berens
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Tübingen AI Center, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Thomas Euler
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Anna L Vlasits
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
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27
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Tiriac A, Feller MB. Roles of visually evoked and spontaneous activity in the development of retinal direction selectivity maps. Trends Neurosci 2022; 45:529-538. [PMID: 35491255 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2022.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Detecting the direction of motion underlies many visually guided behaviors, from reflexive eye movements to identifying and catching moving objects. A subset of motion sensitive cells are direction selective - responding strongly to motion in one direction and weakly to motion in other directions. In mammals, direction-selective cells are found throughout the visual system, including the retina, superior colliculus, and primary visual cortex. Direction selectivity maps are well characterized in the mouse retina, where the preferred directions of retinal direction-selective cells follow the projections of optic flow, generated by the movements animals make as they navigate their environment. Here, we synthesize recent findings implicating activity-dependent mechanisms in the development of retinal direction selectivity maps, with primary focus on studies in mice, and discuss the implications for the development of direction-selective responses in downstream visual areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Tiriac
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
| | - Marla B Feller
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
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28
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Lee J, Jeong H, Won D, Shin S, Lee ST, Choi JR, Byeon SH, Kuht HJ, Thomas MG, Han J. Noncanonical Splice Site and Deep Intronic FRMD7 Variants Activate Cryptic Exons in X-linked Infantile Nystagmus. Transl Vis Sci Technol 2022; 11:25. [PMID: 35762937 PMCID: PMC9251792 DOI: 10.1167/tvst.11.6.25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose We aim to report noncoding pathogenic variants in patients with FRMD7-related infantile nystagmus (FIN). Methods Genome sequencing (n = 2 families) and reanalysis of targeted panel next generation sequencing (n = 2 families) was performed in genetically unsolved cases of suspected FIN. Previous sequence analysis showed no pathogenic coding variants in genes associated with infantile nystagmus. SpliceAI, SpliceRover, and Alamut consensus programs were used to annotate noncoding variants. Minigene splicing assay was performed to confirm aberrant splicing. In silico analysis of exonic splicing enhancer and silencer was also performed. Results FRMD7 intronic variants were identified based on genome sequencing and targeted next-generation sequencing analysis. These included c.285-12A>G (pedigree 1), c.284+63T>A (pedigrees 2 and 3), and c. 383-1368A>G (pedigree 4). All variants were absent in gnomAD, and the both c.285-12A>G and c.284+63T>A variants were predicted to enhance new splicing acceptor gains with SpliceAI, SpliceRover, and Alamut consensus approaches. However, the c.383-1368 A>G variant only had a significant impact score on the SpliceRover program. The c.383-1368A>G variant was predicted to promote pseudoexon inclusion by binding of exonic splicing enhancer. Aberrant exonizations were validated through minigene constructs, and all variants were segregated in the families. Conclusions Deep learning–based annotation of noncoding variants facilitates the discovery of hidden genetic variations in patients with FIN. This study provides evidence of effectiveness of combined deep learning–based splicing tools to identify hidden pathogenic variants in previously unsolved patients with infantile nystagmus. Translational Relevance These results demonstrate robust analysis using two deep learning splicing predictions and in vitro functional study can lead to finding hidden genetic variations in unsolved patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junwon Lee
- Institute of Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Han Jeong
- Brain Korea 21 Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea.,Institute of Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Dongju Won
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Saeam Shin
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Seung-Tae Lee
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.,Dxome Co., Ltd. Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
| | - Jong Rak Choi
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.,Dxome Co., Ltd. Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
| | - Suk Ho Byeon
- Brain Korea 21 Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea.,Institute of Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Helen J Kuht
- The University of Leicester Ulverscroft Eye Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, University of Leicester, RKCSB, PO Box 65, Leicester LE2 7LX, UK
| | - Mervyn G Thomas
- The University of Leicester Ulverscroft Eye Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, University of Leicester, RKCSB, PO Box 65, Leicester LE2 7LX, UK
| | - Jinu Han
- Institute of Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
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29
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Summers MT, Feller MB. Distinct inhibitory pathways control velocity and directional tuning in the mouse retina. Curr Biol 2022; 32:2130-2143.e3. [PMID: 35395192 PMCID: PMC9133153 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.03.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The sensory periphery is responsible for detecting ethologically relevant features of the external world, using compact, predominantly feedforward circuits. Visual motion is a particularly prevalent sensory feature, the presence of which can be a signal to enact diverse behaviors ranging from gaze stabilization reflexes to predator avoidance or prey capture. To understand how the retina constructs the distinct neural representations required for these behaviors, we investigated two circuits responsible for encoding different aspects of image motion: ON and ON-OFF direction-selective ganglion cells (DSGCs). Using a combination of two-photon targeted whole-cell electrophysiology, pharmacology, and conditional knockout mice, we show that distinct inhibitory pathways independently control tuning for motion velocity and motion direction in these two cell types. We further employ dynamic clamp and numerical modeling techniques to show that asymmetric inhibition provides a velocity-invariant mechanism of directional tuning, despite the strong velocity dependence of classical models of direction selectivity. We therefore demonstrate that invariant representations of motion features by inhibitory interneurons act as computational building blocks to construct distinct, behaviorally relevant signals at the earliest stages of the visual system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathew T Summers
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Marla B Feller
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
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30
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Patterson SS, Bembry BN, Mazzaferri MA, Neitz M, Rieke F, Soetedjo R, Neitz J. Conserved circuits for direction selectivity in the primate retina. Curr Biol 2022; 32:2529-2538.e4. [PMID: 35588744 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.04.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The detection of motion direction is a fundamental visual function and a classic model for neural computation. In the non-primate retina, direction selectivity arises in starburst amacrine cell (SAC) dendrites, which provide selective inhibition to direction-selective retinal ganglion cells (dsRGCs). Although SACs are present in primates, their connectivity and the existence of dsRGCs remain open questions. Here, we present a connectomic reconstruction of the primate ON SAC circuit from a serial electron microscopy volume of the macaque central retina. We show that the structural basis for the SACs' ability to confer directional selectivity on postsynaptic neurons is conserved. SACs selectively target a candidate homolog to the mammalian ON-sustained dsRGCs that project to the accessory optic system (AOS) and contribute to gaze-stabilizing reflexes. These results indicate that the capacity to compute motion direction is present in the retina, which is earlier in the primate visual system than classically thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara S Patterson
- Center for Visual Science, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14620, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.
| | - Briyana N Bembry
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Marcus A Mazzaferri
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Maureen Neitz
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Fred Rieke
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Robijanto Soetedjo
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Washington National Primate Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Jay Neitz
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.
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31
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Toufeeq S, Gottlob I, Tu Z, Proudlock FA, Pilat A. Abnormal Retinal Vessel Architecture in Albinism and Idiopathic Infantile Nystagmus. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2022; 63:33. [PMID: 35616929 PMCID: PMC9150830 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.63.5.33] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Infantile nystagmus syndrome (INS) causes altered visual development and can be associated with abnormal retinal structure, to which vascular development of the retina is closely related. Abnormal retinal vasculature has previously been noted in albinism but not idiopathic infantile nystagmus. We compared the number and diameter of retinal vessels in participants with albinism (PWA) and idiopathic infantile nystagmus (PWIIN) with controls. Methods Fundus photography data from 24 PWA, 10 PWIIN, and 34 controls was analyzed using Automated Retinal Image Analyzer (ARIA) software on a field of analysis centered on the optic disc, the annulus of which extended between 4.2 mm and 8.4 mm in diameter. Results Compared with controls, the mean number of arterial branches was reduced by 24% in PWA (15.5 vs. 20.3, P < 0.001), and venous branches were reduced in both PWA (29%; 12.9 vs. 18.2, P < 0.001) and PWIIN (17%; 15.1 vs. 18.2, P = 0.024). PWA demonstrated 7% thinner "primary" (before branching) arteries (mean diameter: 75.39 µm vs. 80.88 µm, P = 0.043), and 13% thicker (after branching) "secondary" veins (66.72 µm vs. 59.01 µm in controls, P = 0.009). Conclusions PWA and PWIIN demonstrated reduced retinal vessel counts and arterial diameters compared with controls. These changes in the superficial retinal vascular network may be secondary to underdevelopment of the neuronal network, which guides vascular development and is also known to be disrupted in INS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shafak Toufeeq
- Oxford Eye Hospital, Level LG1 John Radcliffe Hospital, Headley Way, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DU, United Kingdom
| | - Irene Gottlob
- Ulverscroft Eye Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, University Of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, LE1 7RH, United Kingdom
| | - Zhanhan Tu
- Ulverscroft Eye Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, University Of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, LE1 7RH, United Kingdom
| | - Frank A. Proudlock
- Ulverscroft Eye Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, University Of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, LE1 7RH, United Kingdom
| | - Anastasia Pilat
- Ulverscroft Eye Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, University Of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, LE1 7RH, United Kingdom
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32
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Abstract
Retinal circuits transform the pixel representation of photoreceptors into the feature representations of ganglion cells, whose axons transmit these representations to the brain. Functional, morphological, and transcriptomic surveys have identified more than 40 retinal ganglion cell (RGC) types in mice. RGCs extract features of varying complexity; some simply signal local differences in brightness (i.e., luminance contrast), whereas others detect specific motion trajectories. To understand the retina, we need to know how retinal circuits give rise to the diverse RGC feature representations. A catalog of the RGC feature set, in turn, is fundamental to understanding visual processing in the brain. Anterograde tracing indicates that RGCs innervate more than 50 areas in the mouse brain. Current maps connecting RGC types to brain areas are rudimentary, as is our understanding of how retinal signals are transformed downstream to guide behavior. In this article, I review the feature selectivities of mouse RGCs, how they arise, and how they are utilized downstream. Not only is knowledge of the behavioral purpose of RGC signals critical for understanding the retinal contributions to vision; it can also guide us to the most relevant areas of visual feature space. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Vision Science, Volume 8 is September 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Kerschensteiner
- John F. Hardesty, MD, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences; Department of Neuroscience; Department of Biomedical Engineering; and Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA;
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33
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The influence of spontaneous and visual activity on the development of direction selectivity maps in mouse retina. Cell Rep 2022; 38:110225. [PMID: 35021080 PMCID: PMC8805704 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.110225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
In mice, retinal direction selectivity is organized in a map that aligns to the body and gravitational axes of optic flow, and little is known about how this map develops. We find direction selectivity maps are largely present at eye opening and develop normally in the absence of visual experience. Remarkably, in mice lacking the beta2 subunit of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (β2-nAChR-KO), which exhibit drastically reduced cholinergic retinal waves in the first postnatal week, selectivity to horizontal motion is absent while selectivity to vertical motion remains. We tested several possible mechanisms that could explain the loss of horizontal direction selectivity in β2-nAChR-KO mice (wave propagation bias, FRMD7 expression, starburst amacrine cell morphology), but all were found to be intact when compared with WT mice. This work establishes a role for retinal waves in the development of asymmetric circuitry that mediates retinal direction selectivity via an unknown mechanism.
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34
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Dai B, Cham KM, Abel LA. Perception of Coherent Motion in Infantile Nystagmus Syndrome. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2022; 63:31. [PMID: 35072688 PMCID: PMC8802013 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.63.1.31] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Research on infantile nystagmus syndrome (INS) and motion perception is limited. We investigated how individuals with INS perform coherent motion tasks. Particularly, we assessed how the null position affects their performance. Methods Subjects with INS and controls identified the direction of coherent motion stimuli (22 subjects with INS and 13 controls) in a two-alternative forced-choice design. For subjects with INS, testing was done at the null position and 15 degrees away from it. If there was no null, testing was done at primary gaze position and 15 degrees away from primary. For controls, testing was done at primary gaze position and 20 degrees away from primary. Horizontal and vertical motion coherence thresholds were determined. Results Subjects with INS showed significantly higher horizontal and vertical motion coherence thresholds compared with controls at both gaze positions (P < 0.001). Within the INS group, for 12 subjects with INS who had an identified null position, no differences in coherence thresholds were found between their null and 15 degrees away from it (P > 0.05). Conclusions Coherent motion perception was impaired in subjects with INS. The null position did not significantly influence motion coherence thresholds for either horizontal or vertical motion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Dai
- Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kwang Meng Cham
- Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Larry Allen Abel
- Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Optometry, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Australia
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Mouse Lines with Cre-Mediated Recombination in Retinal Amacrine Cells. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO.0255-21.2021. [PMID: 35045975 PMCID: PMC8856716 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0255-21.2021] [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: 06/05/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Amacrine cells (ACs) are the most diverse neuronal cell type in the vertebrate retina. Yet little is known about the contribution of ACs to visual processing and retinal disease. A major challenge in evaluating AC function is genetic accessibility. A classic tool of mouse genetics, Cre-mediated recombination, can provide such access. We have screened existing genetically-modified mouse strains and identified multiple candidates that express Cre-recombinase in subsets of retinal ACs. The Cre-expressing mice were crossed to fluorescent-reporter mice to assay Cre expression. In addition, a Cre-dependent fluorescent reporter plasmid was electroporated into the subretinal space of Cre strains. Herein, we report three mouse lines (Tac1::IRES-cre, Camk2a-cre, and Scx-cre) that express Cre recombinase in sub-populations of ACs. In two of these lines, recombination occurred in multiple AC types and a small number of other retinal cell types, while recombination in the Camk2a-cre line appears specific to a morphologically distinct AC. We anticipate that these characterized mouse lines will be valuable tools to the community of researchers who study retinal biology and disease.
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36
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Arvin S, Rasmussen RN, Yonehara K. EyeLoop: An Open-Source System for High-Speed, Closed-Loop Eye-Tracking. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:779628. [PMID: 34955752 PMCID: PMC8696164 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.779628] [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: 09/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Eye-trackers are widely used to study nervous system dynamics and neuropathology. Despite this broad utility, eye-tracking remains expensive, hardware-intensive, and proprietary, limiting its use to high-resource facilities. It also does not easily allow for real-time analysis and closed-loop design to link eye movements to neural activity. To address these issues, we developed an open-source eye-tracker – EyeLoop – that uses a highly efficient vectorized pupil detection method to provide uninterrupted tracking and fast online analysis with high accuracy on par with popular eye tracking modules, such as DeepLabCut. This Python-based software easily integrates custom functions using code modules, tracks a multitude of eyes, including in rodents, humans, and non-human primates, and operates at more than 1,000 frames per second on consumer-grade hardware. In this paper, we demonstrate EyeLoop’s utility in an open-loop experiment and in biomedical disease identification, two common applications of eye-tracking. With a remarkably low cost and minimum setup steps, EyeLoop makes high-speed eye-tracking widely accessible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Arvin
- Department of Biomedicine, Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - DANDRITE, Nordic-EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Rune Nguyen Rasmussen
- Department of Biomedicine, Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - DANDRITE, Nordic-EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Keisuke Yonehara
- Department of Biomedicine, Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - DANDRITE, Nordic-EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Multiscale Sensory Structure Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Japan.,Department of Genetics, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Mishima, Japan
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37
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Ruff T, Peters C, Matsumoto A, Ihle SJ, Morales PA, Gaitanos L, Yonehara K, Del Toro D, Klein R. FLRT3 Marks Direction-Selective Retinal Ganglion Cells That Project to the Medial Terminal Nucleus. Front Mol Neurosci 2021; 14:790466. [PMID: 34955746 PMCID: PMC8696037 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.790466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The mammalian retina extracts a multitude of diverse features from the visual scene such as color, contrast, and direction of motion. These features are transmitted separately to the brain by more than 40 different retinal ganglion cell (RGC) subtypes. However, so far only a few genetic markers exist to fully characterize the different RGC subtypes. Here, we present a novel genetic Flrt3-CreERT2 knock-in mouse that labels a small subpopulation of RGCs. Using single-cell injection of fluorescent dyes in Flrt3 positive RGCs, we distinguished four morphological RGC subtypes. Anterograde tracings using a fluorescent Cre-dependent Adeno-associated virus (AAV) revealed that a subgroup of Flrt3 positive RGCs specifically project to the medial terminal nucleus (MTN), which is part of the accessory optic system (AOS) and is essential in driving reflex eye movements for retinal image stabilization. Functional characterization using ex vivo patch-clamp recordings showed that the MTN-projecting Flrt3 RGCs preferentially respond to downward motion in an ON-fashion. These neurons distribute in a regular pattern and most of them are bistratified at the level of the ON and OFF bands of cholinergic starburst amacrine cells where they express the known ON-OFF direction-selective RGC marker CART. Together, our results indicate that MTN-projecting Flrt3 RGCs represent a new functionally homogeneous AOS projecting direction-selective RGC subpopulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Ruff
- Department of Molecules, Signaling, and Development, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany.,Laboratory of Biosensors and Bioelectronics, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Christian Peters
- Department of Molecules, Signaling, and Development, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Akihiro Matsumoto
- Department of Biomedicine, Nordic-EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - DANDRITE, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Stephan J Ihle
- Laboratory of Biosensors and Bioelectronics, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Pilar Alcalá Morales
- Department of Molecules, Signaling, and Development, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Louise Gaitanos
- Department of Molecules, Signaling, and Development, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Keisuke Yonehara
- Department of Biomedicine, Nordic-EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - DANDRITE, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Daniel Del Toro
- Department of Molecules, Signaling, and Development, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany.,Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Neurosciences, IDIBAPS, CIBERNED, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rüdiger Klein
- Department of Molecules, Signaling, and Development, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany
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38
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Panneels V, Diaz A, Imsand C, Guizar-Sicairos M, Müller E, Bittermann AG, Ishikawa T, Menzel A, Kaech A, Holler M, Grimm C, Schertler G. Imaging of retina cellular and subcellular structures using ptychographic hard X-ray tomography. J Cell Sci 2021; 134:272479. [PMID: 34494099 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.258561] [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: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Ptychographic hard X-ray computed tomography (PXCT) is a recent method allowing imaging with quantitative electron-density contrast. Here, we imaged, at cryogenic temperature and without sectioning, cellular and subcellular structures of a chemically fixed and stained wild-type mouse retina, including axons and synapses, with complete isotropic 3D information over tens of microns. Comparison with tomograms of degenerative retina from a mouse model of retinitis pigmentosa illustrates the potential of this method for analyzing disease processes like neurodegeneration at sub-200 nm resolution. As a non-destructive imaging method, PXCT is very suitable for correlative imaging. Within the outer plexiform layer containing the photoreceptor synapses, we identified somatic synapses. We used a small region inside the X-ray-imaged sample for further high-resolution focused ion beam/scanning electron microscope tomography. The subcellular structures of synapses obtained with the X-ray technique matched the electron microscopy data, demonstrating that PXCT is a powerful scanning method for tissue volumes of more than 60 cells and sensitive enough for identification of regions as small as 200 nm, which remain available for further structural and biochemical investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie Panneels
- Division of Biology and Chemistry, Laboratory for Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Ana Diaz
- Division of Photon Science, Laboratory for Macromolecules and Bioimaging, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Cornelia Imsand
- Laboratory for Retinal Cell Biology, Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Manuel Guizar-Sicairos
- Division of Photon Science, Laboratory for Macromolecules and Bioimaging, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Elisabeth Müller
- Division of Biology and Chemistry, Laboratory for Nanoscale Biology, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Anne Greet Bittermann
- ScopeM, Scientific Center for Optical and Electron Microscopy, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Takashi Ishikawa
- Division of Biology and Chemistry, Laboratory for Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen, Switzerland.,Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Menzel
- Division of Photon Science, Laboratory for Macromolecules and Bioimaging, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Andres Kaech
- Center for Microscopy and Image Analysis, University of Zurich, 8006 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mirko Holler
- Division of Photon Science, Laboratory for Macromolecules and Bioimaging, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Christian Grimm
- Laboratory for Retinal Cell Biology, Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Gebhard Schertler
- Division of Biology and Chemistry, Laboratory for Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen, Switzerland.,Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
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39
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Ge X, Zhang K, Gribizis A, Hamodi AS, Sabino AM, Crair MC. Retinal waves prime visual motion detection by simulating future optic flow. Science 2021; 373:373/6553/eabd0830. [PMID: 34437090 DOI: 10.1126/science.abd0830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The ability to perceive and respond to environmental stimuli emerges in the absence of sensory experience. Spontaneous retinal activity prior to eye opening guides the refinement of retinotopy and eye-specific segregation in mammals, but its role in the development of higher-order visual response properties remains unclear. Here, we describe a transient window in neonatal mouse development during which the spatial propagation of spontaneous retinal waves resembles the optic flow pattern generated by forward self-motion. We show that wave directionality requires the same circuit components that form the adult direction-selective retinal circuit and that chronic disruption of wave directionality alters the development of direction-selective responses of superior colliculus neurons. These data demonstrate how the developing visual system patterns spontaneous activity to simulate ethologically relevant features of the external world and thereby instruct self-organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinxin Ge
- Department of Neuroscience, Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Kathy Zhang
- Department of Neuroscience, Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Alexandra Gribizis
- Department of Neuroscience, Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Ali S Hamodi
- Department of Neuroscience, Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Aude Martinez Sabino
- Department of Neuroscience, Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Michael C Crair
- Department of Neuroscience, Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
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40
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Choi JH, Kim SJ, Thomas MG, Jung JH, Oh EH, Shin JH, Cho JW, Kim HS, Park JY, Choi SY, Choi HY, Choi KD. Diagnostic yield of targeted next-generation sequencing in infantile nystagmus syndrome. Ophthalmic Genet 2021; 42:561-569. [PMID: 34132631 DOI: 10.1080/13816810.2021.1938138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Background: Infantile nystagmus syndrome (INS) is a genetically heterogeneous disorder. Identifying genetic causes of INS would help clinicians to facilitate clinical diagnosis and provide appropriate treatment. The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic utility of targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) for INS.Materials and methods: We recruited 37 patients who were referred to the Neuro-ophthalmology clinics for evaluations of INS. NGS was performed using a targeted panel that included 98 candidate genes associated with INS. We identified pathogenic variants according to guidelines of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics. We also calculated the sensitivity and specificity of each clinical sign to assess the diagnostic yield of our gene panel.Results: After variant filtering, annotation, and interpretation, the potential pathogenic variants were detected in 13 of the 37 patients, achieving a molecular diagnostic rate of 35%. The identified genes were PAX6 (n = 4), FRMD7 (n = 4), GPR143 (n = 2), CACNA1F (n = 1), CNGA3 (n = 1) and GUCY2D (n = 1). In approximately 30% (n = 4) of the patients, the initial clinical diagnosis was revised after a molecular diagnosis was performed. The presence of a family history had the highest predictive power for a molecular diagnosis (sensitivity = 61.5%, specificity = 91.7%), and the sensitivity increased when the family history was considered together with one of two clinical signs such as pendular nystagmus waveforms or anterior segment dysgenesis.Conclusions: Our study shows that targeted NGS can be useful to determine a molecular diagnosis for patients with INS. Targeted NGS also helps to confirm a clinical diagnosis in atypical phenotypes or unresolved cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae-Hwan Choi
- Department of Neurology, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Research Institute for Convergence of Biomedical Science and Technology, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, Korea
| | - Su-Jin Kim
- Department of Ophthalmology, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Research Institute for Convergence of Biomedical Science and Technology, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, Korea
| | - Mervyn G Thomas
- Ulverscroft Eye Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Jae-Ho Jung
- Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
| | - Eun Hye Oh
- Department of Neurology, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Research Institute for Convergence of Biomedical Science and Technology, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, Korea
| | - Jin-Hong Shin
- Department of Neurology, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Research Institute for Convergence of Biomedical Science and Technology, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, Korea
| | - Jae Wook Cho
- Department of Neurology, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Research Institute for Convergence of Biomedical Science and Technology, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, Korea
| | - Hyang-Sook Kim
- Department of Neurology, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Research Institute for Convergence of Biomedical Science and Technology, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, Korea
| | - Ji-Yun Park
- Department of Neurology, Ulsan University Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Ulsan, Korea
| | - Seo Young Choi
- Department of Neurology, Pusan National University Hospital, Pusan National University School of Medicine and Biomedical Research Institute, Busan, Korea
| | - Hee Young Choi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Pusan National University Hospital, Pusan National University School of Medicine and Biomedical Research Institute, Busan, Korea
| | - Kwang-Dong Choi
- Department of Neurology, Pusan National University Hospital, Pusan National University School of Medicine and Biomedical Research Institute, Busan, Korea
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41
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Development of the vertebrate retinal direction-selective circuit. Dev Biol 2021; 477:273-283. [PMID: 34118273 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2021.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The vertebrate retina contains an array of neural circuits that detect distinct features in visual space. Direction-selective (DS) circuits are an evolutionarily conserved retinal circuit motif - from zebrafish to rodents to primates - specialized for motion detection. During retinal development, neuronal subtypes that wire DS circuits form exquisitely precise connections with each other to shape the output of retinal ganglion cells tuned for specific speeds and directions of motion. In this review, we follow the chronology of DS circuit development in the vertebrate retina, including the cellular, molecular, and activity-dependent mechanisms that regulate the formation of DS circuits, from cell birth and migration to synapse formation and refinement. We highlight recent findings that identify genetic programs critical for specifying neuronal subtypes within DS circuits and molecular interactions essential for responses along the cardinal axes of motion. Finally, we discuss the roles of DS circuits in visual behavior and in certain human visual disease conditions. As one of the best-characterized circuits in the vertebrate retina, DS circuits represent an ideal model system for studying the development of neural connectivity at the level of individual genes, cells, and behavior.
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42
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El-Quessny M, Maanum K, Feller MB. Visual Experience Influences Dendritic Orientation but Is Not Required for Asymmetric Wiring of the Retinal Direction Selective Circuit. Cell Rep 2021; 31:107844. [PMID: 32610144 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.107844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Revised: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Changes in dendritic morphology in response to activity have long been thought to be a critical component of how neural circuits develop to properly encode sensory information. Ventral-preferring direction-selective ganglion cells (vDSGCs) have asymmetric dendrites oriented along their preferred direction, and this has been hypothesized to play a critical role in their tuning. Here we report the surprising result that visual experience is critical for the alignment of vDSGC dendrites to their preferred direction. Interestingly, vDSGCs in dark-reared mice lose their inhibition-independent dendritic contribution to direction-selective tuning while maintaining asymmetric inhibitory input. These data indicate that different mechanisms of a cell's computational abilities can be constructed over development through divergent mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malak El-Quessny
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Kayla Maanum
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Marla B Feller
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
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43
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Jin S, Park SE, Won D, Lee ST, Han SH, Han J. TUBB3 M323V Syndrome Presents with Infantile Nystagmus. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12040575. [PMID: 33921132 PMCID: PMC8071555 DOI: 10.3390/genes12040575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Variants in the TUBB3 gene, one of the tubulin-encoding genes, are known to cause congenital fibrosis of the extraocular muscles type 3 and/or malformations of cortical development. Herein, we report a case of a 6-month-old infant with c.967A>G:p.(M323V) variant in the TUBB3 gene, who had only infantile nystagmus without other ophthalmological abnormalities. Subsequent brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed cortical dysplasia. Neurological examinations did not reveal gross or fine motor delay, which are inconsistent with the clinical characteristics of patients with the M323V syndrome reported so far. A protein modeling showed that the M323V mutation in the TUBB3 gene interferes with αβ heterodimer formation with the TUBA1A gene. This report emphasizes the importance of considering TUBB3 and TUBA1A tubulinopathy in infantile nystagmus. A brain MRI should also be considered for these patients, although in the absence of other neurologic signs or symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soohwa Jin
- Department of Opthalmology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Korea;
| | - Sung-Eun Park
- Department of Ophthalmology, Institute of Vision Research, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Korea; (S.-E.P.); (S.-H.H.)
| | - Dongju Won
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Korea; (D.W.); (S.-T.L.)
| | - Seung-Tae Lee
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Korea; (D.W.); (S.-T.L.)
| | - Sueng-Han Han
- Department of Ophthalmology, Institute of Vision Research, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Korea; (S.-E.P.); (S.-H.H.)
| | - Jinu Han
- Department of Ophthalmology, Institute of Vision Research, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 06273, Korea
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-2-2019-3445
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44
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Rasmussen RN, Matsumoto A, Arvin S, Yonehara K. Binocular integration of retinal motion information underlies optic flow processing by the cortex. Curr Biol 2021; 31:1165-1174.e6. [PMID: 33484637 PMCID: PMC7987724 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.12.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Locomotion creates various patterns of optic flow on the retina, which provide the observer with information about their movement relative to the environment. However, it is unclear how these optic flow patterns are encoded by the cortex. Here, we use two-photon calcium imaging in awake mice to systematically map monocular and binocular responses to horizontal motion in four areas of the visual cortex. We find that neurons selective to translational or rotational optic flow are abundant in higher visual areas, whereas neurons suppressed by binocular motion are more common in the primary visual cortex. Disruption of retinal direction selectivity in Frmd7 mutant mice reduces the number of translation-selective neurons in the primary visual cortex and translation- and rotation-selective neurons as well as binocular direction-selective neurons in the rostrolateral and anterior visual cortex, blurring the functional distinction between primary and higher visual areas. Thus, optic flow representations in specific areas of the visual cortex rely on binocular integration of motion information from the retina. Translation- and rotation-selective neurons are abundant in higher visual areas Optic-flow-selective neurons in V1 and RL/A rely on retinal direction selectivity Retinal direction selectivity controls functional segregation between V1 and RL/A Binocular integration of retinal motion information underlies optic flow selectivity
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Affiliation(s)
- Rune Nguyen Rasmussen
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - DANDRITE, Nordic-EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Ole Worms Allé 8, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Akihiro Matsumoto
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - DANDRITE, Nordic-EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Ole Worms Allé 8, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Simon Arvin
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - DANDRITE, Nordic-EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Ole Worms Allé 8, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Keisuke Yonehara
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - DANDRITE, Nordic-EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Ole Worms Allé 8, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
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45
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Discordant phenotypes in twins with infantile nystagmus. Sci Rep 2021; 11:2826. [PMID: 33531592 PMCID: PMC7854608 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-82368-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Infantile nystagmus (IN) may result from aetiologies including albinism and FRMD7 mutations. IN has low prevalence, and twins with IN are rare. Whilst discordant presentation has been previously reported for IN, we present for the first time the comprehensive assessment of diagnostically discordant monozygotic twins. From a cohort of over 2000 patients, we identified twins and triplets discordant for nystagmus. Using next-generation sequencing, high-resolution infra-red pupil tracking and optical coherence tomography, we characterised differences in genotype and phenotype. Monozygotic twins (n = 1), dizygotic twins (n = 3) and triplets (n = 1) were included. The monozygotic twins had concordant TYR variants. No causative variants were identified in the triplets. Dizygotic twins had discordant variants in TYR, OCA2 and FRMD7. One unaffected co-twin demonstrated sub-clinical nystagmus. Foveal hypoplasia (FH) was noted in four of five probands. Both co-twins of the monozygotic pair and triplets displayed FH. In three families, at least one parent had FH without nystagmus. FH alone may be insufficient to develop nystagmus. Whilst arrested optokinetic reflex pathway development is implicated in IN, discordant twins raise questions regarding where differences in development have arisen. In unaffected monozygotes therefore, genetic variants may predispose to oculomotor instability, with variable expressivity possibly responsible for the discordance observed.
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46
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Papageorgiou E, Gottlob I. The challenges faced by clinicians diagnosing and treating infantile nystagmus Part I: diagnosis. EXPERT REVIEW OF OPHTHALMOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/17469899.2021.1860754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Papageorgiou
- Ulverscroft Eye Unit, Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, Robert Kilpatrick Clinical Sciences Building, Leicester Royal Infirmary, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Larissa, Larissa, Greece
| | - Irene Gottlob
- Ulverscroft Eye Unit, Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, Robert Kilpatrick Clinical Sciences Building, Leicester Royal Infirmary, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
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Kim T, Shen N, Hsiang JC, Johnson KP, Kerschensteiner D. Dendritic and parallel processing of visual threats in the retina control defensive responses. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:6/47/eabc9920. [PMID: 33208370 PMCID: PMC7673819 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abc9920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Approaching predators cast expanding shadows (i.e., looming) that elicit innate defensive responses in most animals. Where looming is first detected and how critical parameters of predatory approaches are extracted are unclear. In mice, we identify a retinal interneuron (the VG3 amacrine cell) that responds robustly to looming, but not to related forms of motion. Looming-sensitive calcium transients are restricted to a specific layer of the VG3 dendrite arbor, which provides glutamatergic input to two ganglion cells (W3 and OFFα). These projection neurons combine shared excitation with dissimilar inhibition to signal approach onset and speed, respectively. Removal of VG3 amacrine cells reduces the excitation of W3 and OFFα ganglion cells and diminishes defensive responses of mice to looming without affecting other visual behaviors. Thus, the dendrites of a retinal interneuron detect visual threats, divergent circuits downstream extract critical threat parameters, and these retinal computations initiate an innate survival behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Kim
- John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - N Shen
- John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - J-C Hsiang
- John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - K P Johnson
- John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - D Kerschensteiner
- John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
- Department of Neurosciences, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
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Salman A, Hutton SB, Newall T, Scott JA, Griffiths HL, Lee H, Gomez-Nicola D, Lotery AJ, Self JE. Characterization of the Frmd7 Knock-Out Mice Generated by the EUCOMM/COMP Repository as a Model for Idiopathic Infantile Nystagmus (IIN). Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11101157. [PMID: 33007925 PMCID: PMC7601595 DOI: 10.3390/genes11101157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we seek to exclude other pathophysiological mechanisms by which Frmd7 knock-down may cause Idiopathic Infantile Nystagmus (IIN) using the Frmd7.tm1a and Frmd7.tm1b murine models. We used a combination of genetic, histological and visual function techniques to characterize the role of Frmd7 gene in IIN using a novel murine model for the disease. We demonstrate that the Frmd7.tm1b allele represents a more robust model of Frmd7 knock-out at the mRNA level. The expression of Frmd7 was investigated using both antibody staining and X-gal staining confirming previous reports that Frmd7 expression in the retina is restricted to starburst amacrine cells and demonstrating that X-gal staining recapitulates the expression pattern in this model. Thus, it offers a useful tool for further expression studies. We also show that gross retinal morphology and electrophysiology are unchanged in these Frmd7 mutant models when compared with wild-type mice. High-speed eye-tracking recordings of Frmd7 mutant mice confirm a specific horizontal optokinetic reflex defect. In summary, our study confirms the likely role for Frmd7 in the optokinetic reflex in mice mediated by starburst amacrine cells. We show that the Frmd7.tm1b model provides a more robust knock-out than the Frmd7.tm1a model at the mRNA level, although the functional consequence is unchanged. Finally, we establish a robust eye-tracking technique in mice that can be used in a variety of future studies using this model and others. Although our data highlight a deficit in the optiokinetic reflex as a result of the starburst amacrine cells in the retina, this does not rule out the involvement of other cells, in the brain or the retina where Frmd7 is expressed, in the pathophysiology of IIN.
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MESH Headings
- Alleles
- Amacrine Cells/metabolism
- Animals
- Cytoskeletal Proteins/genetics
- Cytoskeletal Proteins/metabolism
- Disease Models, Animal
- Electroretinography
- Female
- Gene Expression
- Genetic Diseases, X-Linked/genetics
- Genetic Diseases, X-Linked/pathology
- Genetic Diseases, X-Linked/physiopathology
- Male
- Mice
- Mice, Knockout
- Mutation
- Nystagmus, Congenital/genetics
- Nystagmus, Congenital/pathology
- Nystagmus, Congenital/physiopathology
- Nystagmus, Optokinetic
- Retina/metabolism
- Retina/pathology
- Retina/physiopathology
- Tomography, Optical Coherence
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Salman
- Clinical and Experimental Neurosciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK; (T.N.); (J.A.S.); (H.L.G.); (H.L.); (A.J.L.); (J.E.S.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Samuel B. Hutton
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QH, UK;
| | - Tutte Newall
- Clinical and Experimental Neurosciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK; (T.N.); (J.A.S.); (H.L.G.); (H.L.); (A.J.L.); (J.E.S.)
| | - Jennifer A. Scott
- Clinical and Experimental Neurosciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK; (T.N.); (J.A.S.); (H.L.G.); (H.L.); (A.J.L.); (J.E.S.)
| | - Helen L. Griffiths
- Clinical and Experimental Neurosciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK; (T.N.); (J.A.S.); (H.L.G.); (H.L.); (A.J.L.); (J.E.S.)
| | - Helena Lee
- Clinical and Experimental Neurosciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK; (T.N.); (J.A.S.); (H.L.G.); (H.L.); (A.J.L.); (J.E.S.)
| | - Diego Gomez-Nicola
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO171BJ, UK;
| | - Andrew J. Lotery
- Clinical and Experimental Neurosciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK; (T.N.); (J.A.S.); (H.L.G.); (H.L.); (A.J.L.); (J.E.S.)
| | - Jay E. Self
- Clinical and Experimental Neurosciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK; (T.N.); (J.A.S.); (H.L.G.); (H.L.); (A.J.L.); (J.E.S.)
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Jiang L, Li Y, Yang K, Wang Y, Wang J, Cui X, Mao J, Gao Y, Yi P, Wang L, Liu JY. FRMD7 Mutations Disrupt the Interaction with GABRA2 and May Result in Infantile Nystagmus Syndrome. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2020; 61:41. [PMID: 32446246 PMCID: PMC7405782 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.61.5.41] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose To identify the pathogenic gene of infantile nystagmus syndrome (INS) in three Chinese families and explore the potential pathogenic mechanism of FERM domain-containing 7 (FRMD7) mutations. Methods Genetic testing was performed via Sanger sequencing. Western blotting was used to analyze protein expression of FRMD7. Glutathione S-transferase pull-down and immunoprecipitation were conducted to investigate the proteins interacting with FRMD7. Rescue assays were performed in Caenorhabditis elegans to explore the potential role of FRMD7 in vivo. Results We recruited three Chinese families with X-linked INS and identified a duplication and two missense mutations in FRMD7: c.998dupA/p.His333Glnfs*2, c.580G>A/p.Ala194Thr, and c.973A>G/p.Arg325Gly (one in each family). Expression levels of three mutants were similar to that of wild-type FRMD7 in vitro. Interestingly, the mutant p.His333Glnfs*2 exhibited a predominantly nuclear location, whereas wild-type FRMD7 localized to the cytoplasm. In addition, we found FRMD7 to directly interact with the loop between transmembrane domains 3 and 4 of GABRA2, a type A gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor (GABAARs) subunit critical for receptor transport and localization, whereas the mutants p.Ala194Thr and p.Arg325Gly exhibited decreased binding to GABRA2. In frm-3 (a nematode homologue of FRMD7) null C.elegans, we found that FRMD7 mutants exhibited a poor rescue effect on the defects of locomotion and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching of GABAARs. Conclusions Our findings identified three FRMD7 mutants in three Chinese families with X-linked INS and confirmed GABRA2 as a novel binding partner of FRMD7. These findings suggest that FRMD7 plays an important role by targeting GABAARs.
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Rasmussen R, Yonehara K. Contributions of Retinal Direction Selectivity to Central Visual Processing. Curr Biol 2020; 30:R897-R903. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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