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Kerschensteiner D, Feller MB. Mapping the Retina onto the Brain. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2024; 16:a041512. [PMID: 38052498 PMCID: PMC10835620 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Vision begins in the retina, which extracts salient features from the environment and encodes them in the spike trains of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), the output neurons of the eye. RGC axons innervate diverse brain areas (>50 in mice) to support perception, guide behavior, and mediate influences of light on physiology and internal states. In recent years, complete lists of RGC types (∼45 in mice) have been compiled, detailed maps of their dendritic connections drawn, and their light responses surveyed at scale. We know less about the RGCs' axonal projection patterns, which map retinal information onto the brain. However, some organizing principles have emerged. Here, we review the strategies and mechanisms that govern developing RGC axons and organize their innervation of retinorecipient brain areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Kerschensteiner
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
- Department of Neuroscience
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
| | - Marla B Feller
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
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2
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Pham T, Hussein T, Calis D, Bischof H, Skrabak D, Cruz Santos M, Maier S, Spähn D, Kalina D, Simonsig S, Ehinger R, Groschup B, Knipper M, Plesnila N, Ruth P, Lukowski R, Matt L. BK channels sustain neuronal Ca 2+ oscillations to support hippocampal long-term potentiation and memory formation. Cell Mol Life Sci 2023; 80:369. [PMID: 37989805 PMCID: PMC10663188 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-05016-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
Mutations of large conductance Ca2+- and voltage-activated K+ channels (BK) are associated with cognitive impairment. Here we report that CA1 pyramidal neuron-specific conditional BK knock-out (cKO) mice display normal locomotor and anxiety behavior. They do, however, exhibit impaired memory acquisition and retrieval in the Morris Water Maze (MWM) when compared to littermate controls (CTRL). In line with cognitive impairment in vivo, electrical and chemical long-term potentiation (LTP) in cKO brain slices were impaired in vitro. We further used a genetically encoded fluorescent K+ biosensor and a Ca2+-sensitive probe to observe cultured hippocampal neurons during chemical LTP (cLTP) induction. cLTP massively reduced intracellular K+ concentration ([K+]i) while elevating L-Type Ca2+ channel- and NMDA receptor-dependent Ca2+ oscillation frequencies. Both, [K+]i decrease and Ca2+ oscillation frequency increase were absent after pharmacological BK inhibition or in cells lacking BK. Our data suggest that L-Type- and NMDAR-dependent BK-mediated K+ outflow significantly contributes to hippocampal LTP, as well as learning and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Pham
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Tamara Hussein
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Dila Calis
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Molecular Physiology of Hearing, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Helmut Bischof
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - David Skrabak
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Melanie Cruz Santos
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Selina Maier
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - David Spähn
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Daniel Kalina
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Stefanie Simonsig
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Rebekka Ehinger
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Bernhard Groschup
- Laboratory of Experimental Stroke Research, Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (ISD), University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany
| | - Marlies Knipper
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Molecular Physiology of Hearing, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Nikolaus Plesnila
- Laboratory of Experimental Stroke Research, Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (ISD), University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany
| | - Peter Ruth
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Robert Lukowski
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Lucas Matt
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
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3
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Guo L, Xie X, Wang J, Xiao H, Li S, Xu M, Quainoo E, Koppaka R, Zhuo J, Smith SB, Gan L. Inducible Rbpms-CreER T2 Mouse Line for Studying Gene Function in Retinal Ganglion Cell Physiology and Disease. Cells 2023; 12:1951. [PMID: 37566030 PMCID: PMC10416940 DOI: 10.3390/cells12151951] [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: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are the sole output neurons conveying visual stimuli from the retina to the brain, and dysfunction or loss of RGCs is the primary determinant of visual loss in traumatic and degenerative ocular conditions. Currently, there is a lack of RGC-specific Cre mouse lines that serve as invaluable tools for manipulating genes in RGCs and studying the genetic basis of RGC diseases. The RNA-binding protein with multiple splicing (RBPMS) is identified as the specific marker of all RGCs. Here, we report the generation and characterization of a knock-in mouse line in which a P2A-CreERT2 coding sequence is fused in-frame to the C-terminus of endogenous RBPMS, allowing for the co-expression of RBPMS and CreERT2. The inducible Rbpms-CreERT2 mice exhibited a high recombination efficiency in activating the expression of the tdTomato reporter gene in nearly all adult RGCs as well as in differentiated RGCs starting at E13.5. Additionally, both heterozygous and homozygous Rbpms-CreERT2 knock-in mice showed no detectable defect in the retinal structure, visual function, and transcriptome. Together, these results demonstrated that the Rbpms-CreERT2 knock-in mouse can serve as a powerful and highly desired genetic tool for lineage tracing, genetic manipulation, retinal physiology study, and ocular disease modeling in RGCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luming Guo
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Xiaoling Xie
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
- James and Jean Culver Vision Discovery Institute, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Haiyan Xiao
- Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
- James and Jean Culver Vision Discovery Institute, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Shuchun Li
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Mei Xu
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Ebenezer Quainoo
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
- James and Jean Culver Vision Discovery Institute, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Rithwik Koppaka
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Jiaping Zhuo
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Sylvia B. Smith
- Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
- James and Jean Culver Vision Discovery Institute, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Lin Gan
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
- James and Jean Culver Vision Discovery Institute, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
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4
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Zengel J, Wang YX, Seo JW, Ning K, Hamilton JN, Wu B, Raie M, Holbrook C, Su S, Clements DR, Pillay S, Puschnik AS, Winslow MM, Idoyaga J, Nagamine CM, Sun Y, Mahajan VB, Ferrara KW, Blau HM, Carette JE. Hardwiring tissue-specific AAV transduction in mice through engineered receptor expression. Nat Methods 2023; 20:1070-1081. [PMID: 37291262 PMCID: PMC10333121 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-023-01896-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The development of transgenic mouse models that express genes of interest in specific cell types has transformed our understanding of basic biology and disease. However, generating these models is time- and resource-intensive. Here we describe a model system, SELective Expression and Controlled Transduction In Vivo (SELECTIV), that enables efficient and specific expression of transgenes by coupling adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors with Cre-inducible overexpression of the multi-serotype AAV receptor, AAVR. We demonstrate that transgenic AAVR overexpression greatly increases the efficiency of transduction of many diverse cell types, including muscle stem cells, which are normally refractory to AAV transduction. Superior specificity is achieved by combining Cre-mediated AAVR overexpression with whole-body knockout of endogenous Aavr, which is demonstrated in heart cardiomyocytes, liver hepatocytes and cholinergic neurons. The enhanced efficacy and exquisite specificity of SELECTIV has broad utility in development of new mouse model systems and expands the use of AAV for gene delivery in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Zengel
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Yu Xin Wang
- Baxter Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Center for Genetic Disorders and Aging, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jai Woong Seo
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Ke Ning
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - James N Hamilton
- Baxter Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Bo Wu
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Marina Raie
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Colin Holbrook
- Baxter Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Shiqi Su
- Baxter Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Derek R Clements
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Immunology Program, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Sirika Pillay
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Andreas S Puschnik
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Monte M Winslow
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Juliana Idoyaga
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Immunology Program, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Claude M Nagamine
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Yang Sun
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Palo Alto Veterans Administration, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Vinit B Mahajan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Palo Alto Veterans Administration, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Katherine W Ferrara
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Helen M Blau
- Baxter Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Jan E Carette
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
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5
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Roy S, Wang D, Rudzite AM, Perry B, Scalabrino ML, Thapa M, Gong Y, Sher A, Field GD. Large-scale interrogation of retinal cell functions by 1-photon light-sheet microscopy. CELL REPORTS METHODS 2023; 3:100453. [PMID: 37159670 PMCID: PMC10163030 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2023.100453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Visual processing in the retina depends on the collective activity of large ensembles of neurons organized in different layers. Current techniques for measuring activity of layer-specific neural ensembles rely on expensive pulsed infrared lasers to drive 2-photon activation of calcium-dependent fluorescent reporters. We present a 1-photon light-sheet imaging system that can measure the activity in hundreds of neurons in the ex vivo retina over a large field of view while presenting visual stimuli. This allows for a reliable functional classification of different retinal cell types. We also demonstrate that the system has sufficient resolution to image calcium entry at individual synaptic release sites across the axon terminals of dozens of simultaneously imaged bipolar cells. The simple design, large field of view, and fast image acquisition make this a powerful system for high-throughput and high-resolution measurements of retinal processing at a fraction of the cost of alternative approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suva Roy
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Depeng Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Andra M. Rudzite
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Benjamin Perry
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Miranda L. Scalabrino
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
- Stein Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA
| | - Mishek Thapa
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
- Stein Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA
| | - Yiyang Gong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Alexander Sher
- Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Greg D. Field
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
- Stein Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA
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6
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Peperstraete K, Baes M, Swinkels D. Unexpected failure of rod bipolar cell targeting using L7Cre-2 mice. Exp Eye Res 2023; 228:109406. [PMID: 36740160 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2023.109406] [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: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Utilizing cell type-specific knockout mice has been an excellent tool for decades not only to explore the role of a gene in a specific cell, but also to unravel the underlying mechanism in diseases. To investigate the mechanistic association between dysfunction of the peroxisomal protein multifunctional protein 2 (MFP2) and retinopathy, we generated and phenotyped multiple transgenic mouse models with global or cell type-specific MFP2 deletion. These studies pointed to a potential role of MFP2 specifically in rod bipolar cells. To explore this, we aimed to create rod bipolar cell specific knockout mice of Mfp2 by crossing Mfp2L/L mice with L7Cre-2 mice (also known as PCP2Cre), generating L7-Mfp2-/- mice. L7Cre-2 mice express Cre recombinase under the control of the L7 promoter, which is believed to be exclusively expressed in rod bipolar cells and cerebellar Purkinje cells. Unexpectedly, only sporadic Cre activity was observed in the rod bipolar cells of L7-Mfp2-/- mice, despite efficient Cre recombination in cerebellar Purkinje cells. Moreover, a variable fraction of photoreceptors was targeted, which does not correspond with the supposed specificity of L7Cre-2 mice. These observations indicate that L7Cre-2 mice can be exploited to manipulate Purkinje cells in the cerebellum, whereas they cannot be used to generate rod bipolar cell specific knockout mice. For this aim, we suggest utilizing an independently generated mouse line named BAC-L7-IRES-Cre.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaat Peperstraete
- Laboratory of Cell Metabolism, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Myriam Baes
- Laboratory of Cell Metabolism, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Daniëlle Swinkels
- Laboratory of Cell Metabolism, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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7
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Cudic M, Diamond JS, Noble JA. Unpaired mesh-to-image translation for 3D fluorescent microscopy images of neurons. Med Image Anal 2023; 86:102768. [PMID: 36857945 DOI: 10.1016/j.media.2023.102768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
While Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) can now reliably produce realistic images in a multitude of imaging domains, they are ill-equipped to model thin, stochastic textures present in many large 3D fluorescent microscopy (FM) images acquired in biological research. This is especially problematic in neuroscience where the lack of ground truth data impedes the development of automated image analysis algorithms for neurons and neural populations. We therefore propose an unpaired mesh-to-image translation methodology for generating volumetric FM images of neurons from paired ground truths. We start by learning unique FM styles efficiently through a Gramian-based discriminator. Then, we stylize 3D voxelized meshes of previously reconstructed neurons by successively generating slices. As a result, we effectively create a synthetic microscope and can acquire realistic FM images of neurons with control over the image content and imaging configurations. We demonstrate the feasibility of our architecture and its superior performance compared to state-of-the-art image translation architectures through a variety of texture-based metrics, unsupervised segmentation accuracy, and an expert opinion test. In this study, we use 2 synthetic FM datasets and 2 newly acquired FM datasets of retinal neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mihael Cudic
- National Institutes of Health Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program, USA; National Institutes of Neurological Diseases and Disorders, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA; Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Jeffrey S Diamond
- National Institutes of Neurological Diseases and Disorders, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - J Alison Noble
- Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK.
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8
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Zhang G, Liu JB, Yuan HL, Chen SY, Singer JH, Ke JB. Multiple Calcium Channel Types with Unique Expression Patterns Mediate Retinal Signaling at Bipolar Cell Ribbon Synapses. J Neurosci 2022; 42:6487-6505. [PMID: 35896423 PMCID: PMC9410755 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0183-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Retinal bipolar cells (BCs) compose the canonical vertical excitatory pathway that conveys photoreceptor output to inner retinal neurons. Although synaptic transmission from BC terminals is thought to rely almost exclusively on Ca2+ influx through voltage-gated Ca2+ (CaV) channels mediating L-type currents, the molecular identity of CaV channels in BCs is uncertain. Therefore, we combined molecular and functional analyses to determine the expression profiles of CaV α1, β, and α2δ subunits in mouse rod bipolar (RB) cells, BCs from which the dynamics of synaptic transmission are relatively well-characterized. We found significant heterogeneity in CaV subunit expression within the RB population from mice of either sex, and significantly, we discovered that transmission from RB synapses was mediated by Ca2+ influx through P/Q-type (CaV2.1) and N-type (CaV2.2) conductances as well as the previously-described L-type (CaV1) and T-type (CaV3) conductances. Furthermore, we found both CaV1.3 and CaV1.4 proteins located near presynaptic ribbon-type active zones in RB axon terminals, indicating that the L-type conductance is mediated by multiple CaV1 subtypes. Similarly, CaV3 α1, β, and α2δ subunits also appear to obey a "multisubtype" rule, i.e., we observed a combination of multiple subtypes, rather than a single subtype as previously thought, for each CaV subunit in individual cells.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Bipolar cells (BCs) transmit photoreceptor output to inner retinal neurons. Although synaptic transmission from BC terminals is thought to rely almost exclusively on Ca2+ influx through L-type voltage-gated Ca2+ (CaV) channels, the molecular identity of CaV channels in BCs is uncertain. Here, we report unexpectedly high molecular diversity of CaV subunits in BCs. Transmission from rod bipolar (RB) cell synapses can be mediated by Ca2+ influx through P/Q-type (CaV2.1) and N-type (CaV2.2) conductances as well as the previously-described L-type (CaV1) and T-type (CaV3) conductances. Furthermore, CaV1, CaV3, β, and α2δ subunits appear to obey a "multisubtype" rule, i.e., a combination of multiple subtypes for each subunit in individual cells, rather than a single subtype as previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Jun-Bin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - He-Lan Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Si-Yun Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Joshua H Singer
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742
| | - Jiang-Bin Ke
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangzhou 510060, China,
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9
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Meah A, Boodram V, Bucinca-Cupallari F, Lim H. Axonal architecture of the mouse inner retina revealed by second harmonic generation. PNAS NEXUS 2022; 1:pgac160. [PMID: 36106183 PMCID: PMC9463061 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgac160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
We describe a novel method for visualizing the network of axons in the unlabeled fresh wholemount retina. The intrinsic radiation of second harmonic generation (SHG) was utilized to visualize single axons of all major retinal neurons, i.e., photoreceptors, horizontal cells, bipolar cells, amacrine cells, and the retinal ganglion cells. The cell types of SHG+ axons were determined using transgenic GFP/YFP mice. New findings were obtained with retinal SHG imaging: Müller cells do not maintain uniformly polarized microtubules in the processes; SHG+ axons of bipolar cells terminate in the inner plexiform layer (IPL) in a subtype-specific manner; a subset of amacrine cells, presumably the axon-bearing types, emits SHG; and the axon-like neurites of amacrine cells provide a cytoskeletal scaffolding for the IPL stratification. To demonstrate the utility, retinal SHG imaging was applied to testing whether the inner retina is preserved in glaucoma, using DBA/2 mice as a model of glaucoma and DBA/2-Gpnmb+ as the nonglaucomatous control. It was found that the morphology of the inner retina was largely intact in glaucoma and the presynaptic compartments to the retinal ganglion cells were uncompromised. It proves retinal SHG imaging as a promising technology for studying the physiological and diseased retinas in 3D.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arafat Meah
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Hunter College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Vinessia Boodram
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Hunter College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Festa Bucinca-Cupallari
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Hunter College, New York, NY 10065, USA,The Graduate Centre of the City University of New York, New York, NY 10065, USA
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10
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Gilhooley MJ, Lindner M, Palumaa T, Hughes S, Peirson SN, Hankins MW. A systematic comparison of optogenetic approaches to visual restoration. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2022; 25:111-123. [PMID: 35402632 PMCID: PMC8956963 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2022.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
During inherited retinal degenerations (IRDs), vision is lost due to photoreceptor cell death; however, a range of optogenetic tools have been shown to restore light responses in animal models. Restored response characteristics vary between tools and the neuronal cell population to which they are delivered: the interplay between these is complex, but targeting upstream neurons (such as retinal bipolar cells) may provide functional benefit by retaining intraretinal signal processing. In this study, our aim was to compare two optogenetic tools: mammalian melanopsin (hOPN4) and microbial red-shifted channelrhodopsin (ReaChR) expressed within two subpopulations of surviving cells in a degenerate retina. Intravitreal adeno-associated viral vectors and mouse models utilising the Cre/lox system restricted expression to populations dominated by bipolar cells or retinal ganglion cells and was compared with non-targeted delivery using the chicken beta actin (CBA) promoter. In summary, we found bipolar-targeted optogenetic tools produced faster kinetics and flatter intensity-response relationships compared with non-targeted or retinal-ganglion-cell-targeted hOPN4. Hence, optogenetic tools of both mammalian and microbial origins show advantages when targeted to bipolar cells. This demonstrates the advantage of bipolar-cell-targeted optogenetics for vision restoration in IRDs. We therefore developed a bipolar-cell-specific gene delivery system employing a compressed promoter with the potential for clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Gilhooley
- Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
- Jules Thorne SCNi, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
- The Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, 11-43 Bath Street, London EC1V 9EL, UK
- Moorfields Eye Hospital, 162, City Road, London EC1V 2PD, UK
| | - Moritz Lindner
- Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
- Jules Thorne SCNi, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
- Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Department of Neurophysiology, Philipps University, Deutschhausstrasse 1-2, Marburg 35037, Germany
| | - Teele Palumaa
- Jules Thorne SCNi, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
- East Tallinn Central Hospital Eye Clinic, Ravi 18, 10138 Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Steven Hughes
- Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
- Jules Thorne SCNi, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Stuart N. Peirson
- Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
- Jules Thorne SCNi, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Mark W. Hankins
- Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
- Jules Thorne SCNi, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
- Corresponding author Mark W. Hankins, Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK.
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11
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Fan Y, Chen W, Wei R, Qiang W, Pearson JD, Yu T, Bremner R, Chen D. Mapping transgene insertion sites reveals the α-Cre transgene expression in both developing retina and olfactory neurons. Commun Biol 2022; 5:411. [PMID: 35505181 PMCID: PMC9065156 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03379-9] [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] [Received: 10/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The Tg(Pax6-cre,GFP)2Pgr (α-Cre) mouse is a commonly used Cre line thought to be retinal-specific. Using targeted locus amplification (TLA), we mapped the insertion site of the transgene, and defined primers useful to deduce zygosity. Further analyses revealed four tandem copies of the transgene. The insertion site mapped to clusters of vomeronasal and olfactory receptor genes. Using R26R and Ai14 Cre reporter mice, we confirmed retinal Cre activity, but also detected expression in Gα0+ olfactory neurons. Most α-Cre+ olfactory neurons do not express Pax6, implicating the influence of neighboring regulatory elements. RT-PCR and buried food pellet test did not detect any effects of the transgene on flanking genes in the nasal mucosa and retina. Together, these data precisely map α-Cre, show that it does not affect surrounding loci, but reveal previously unanticipated transgene expression in olfactory neurons. The α-Cre mouse can be a valuable tool in both retinal and olfactory research. The Pax6-α-Cre mouse line used in retinal studies actually contains four transgene insertion within gene clusters of olfactory and vomeronasal receptors, leading to expression in not just retinal, but also olfactory and vomeronasal sensory neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yimeng Fan
- Research Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.,Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Wenyue Chen
- Research Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.,Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ran Wei
- Research Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.,Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Wei Qiang
- Research Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.,Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Joel D Pearson
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, and Departments of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, and Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Tao Yu
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, and Departments of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, and Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Rod Bremner
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, and Departments of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, and Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Danian Chen
- Research Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China. .,Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China. .,Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, and Departments of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, and Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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12
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Tang FS, Yuan HL, Liu JB, Zhang G, Chen SY, Ke JB. Glutamate Transporters EAAT2 and EAAT5 Differentially Shape Synaptic Transmission from Rod Bipolar Cell Terminals. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO.0074-22.2022. [PMID: 35523583 PMCID: PMC9121915 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0074-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs) control visual signal transmission in the retina by rapidly removing glutamate released from photoreceptors and bipolar cells (BCs). Although it has been reported that EAAT2 and EAAT5 are expressed at presynaptic terminals of photoreceptors and some BCs in mammals, the distinct functions of these two glutamate transporters in retinal synaptic transmission, especially at a single synapse, remain elusive. In this study, we found that EAAT2 was expressed in all BC types while coexisting with EAAT5 in rod bipolar (RB) cells and several types of cone BCs from mice of either sex. Our immunohistochemical study, together with a recently published literature (Gehlen et al., 2021), showed that EAAT2 and EAAT5 were both located in RB axon terminals near release sites. Optogenetic, electrophysiological and pharmacological analyses, however, demonstrated that EAAT2 and EAAT5 regulated neurotransmission at RB→AII amacrine cell synapses in significantly different ways: EAAT5 dramatically affected both the peak amplitude and kinetics of postsynaptic responses in AIIs, whereas EAAT2 had either relatively small or opposite effects. By contrast, blockade of EAAT1/GLAST, which was exclusively expressed in Müller cells, showed no obvious effect on AII responses, indicating that glutamate uptake by Müller cells did not influence synaptic transmission from RB terminals. Furthermore, we found that temporal resolution at RB→AII synapses was reduced substantially by blockade of EAAT5 but not EAAT2. Taken together, our work reveals the distinct functions of EAAT2 and EAAT5 in signal transmission at RB ribbon synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Jiang-Bin Ke
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangzhou 510060, China
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13
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Hilgen G, Kartsaki E, Kartysh V, Cessac B, Sernagor E. A novel approach to the functional classification of retinal ganglion cells. Open Biol 2022; 12:210367. [PMID: 35259949 PMCID: PMC8905177 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.210367] [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] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Retinal neurons are remarkedly diverse based on structure, function and genetic identity. Classifying these cells is a challenging task, requiring multimodal methodology. Here, we introduce a novel approach for retinal ganglion cell (RGC) classification, based on pharmacogenetics combined with immunohistochemistry and large-scale retinal electrophysiology. Our novel strategy allows grouping of cells sharing gene expression and understanding how these cell classes respond to basic and complex visual scenes. Our approach consists of several consecutive steps. First, the spike firing frequency is increased in RGCs co-expressing a certain gene (Scnn1a or Grik4) using excitatory DREADDs (designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs) in order to single out activity originating specifically from these cells. Their spike location is then combined with post hoc immunostaining, to unequivocally characterize their anatomical and functional features. We grouped these isolated RGCs into multiple clusters based on spike train similarities. Using this novel approach, we were able to extend the pre-existing list of Grik4-expressing RGC types to a total of eight and, for the first time, we provide a phenotypical description of 13 Scnn1a-expressing RGCs. The insights and methods gained here can guide not only RGC classification but neuronal classification challenges in other brain regions as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerrit Hilgen
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK,Health and Life Sciences, Applied Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UK
| | - Evgenia Kartsaki
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK,Université Côte d'Azur, Inria, Biovision team and Neuromod Institute, 06902 Sophia Antipolis Cedex, France
| | - Viktoriia Kartysh
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK,Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Rare and Undiagnosed Diseases (LBI-RUD), 1090 Vienna, Austria,Research Centre for Molecular Medicine (CeMM) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Bruno Cessac
- Université Côte d'Azur, Inria, Biovision team and Neuromod Institute, 06902 Sophia Antipolis Cedex, France
| | - Evelyne Sernagor
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
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14
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Reh M, Lee M, Zeck G. Expression of Channelrhodopsin‐2 in Rod Bipolar Cells Restores ON and OFF Responses at High Spatial Resolution in Blind Mouse Retina. ADVANCED THERAPEUTICS 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/adtp.202100164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Reh
- Neurophysics NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen 72770 Reutlingen Germany
- Graduate School of Neural Information Processing/ International Max Planck Research School Tübingen Germany
| | - Meng‐Jung Lee
- Neurophysics NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen 72770 Reutlingen Germany
- Graduate School of Neural Information Processing/ International Max Planck Research School Tübingen Germany
| | - Günther Zeck
- Neurophysics NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen 72770 Reutlingen Germany
- Institute of Biomedical Electronics TU Wien 1040 Vienna Austria
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15
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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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16
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OFF-transient alpha RGCs mediate looming triggered innate defensive response. Curr Biol 2021; 31:2263-2273.e3. [PMID: 33798432 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.03.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Animals respond to visual threats, such as a looming object, with innate defensive behaviors. Here, we report that a specific type of retinal ganglion cell (RGC), the OFF-transient alpha RGC, is critical for the detection of looming objects. We identified Kcnip2 as its molecular marker. The activity of the Kcnip2-expressing RGCs encodes the size of the looming object. Ablation or suppression of these RGCs abolished or severely impaired the escape and freezing behaviors of mice in response to a looming object, while activation of their somas in the retina, or their axon terminals in the superior colliculus, triggered immediate escape behavior. Our results link the activity of a single type of RGC to visually triggered innate defensive behaviors and underscore that ethologically significant visual information is encoded by a labeled line strategy as early as in the retina.
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17
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Rodgers J, Bano-Otalora B, Belle MDC, Paul S, Hughes R, Wright P, McDowell R, Milosavljevic N, Orlowska-Feuer P, Martial FP, Wynne J, Ballister ER, Storchi R, Allen AE, Brown T, Lucas RJ. Using a bistable animal opsin for switchable and scalable optogenetic inhibition of neurons. EMBO Rep 2021; 22:e51866. [PMID: 33655694 PMCID: PMC8097317 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202051866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
There is no consensus on the best inhibitory optogenetic tool. Since Gi/o signalling is a native mechanism of neuronal inhibition, we asked whether Lamprey Parapinopsin ("Lamplight"), a Gi/o-coupled bistable animal opsin, could be used for optogenetic silencing. We show that short (405 nm) and long (525 nm) wavelength pulses repeatedly switch Lamplight between stable signalling active and inactive states, respectively, and that combining these wavelengths can be used to achieve intermediate levels of activity. These properties can be applied to produce switchable neuronal hyperpolarisation and suppression of spontaneous spike firing in the mouse hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus. Expressing Lamplight in (predominantly) ON bipolar cells can photosensitise retinas following advanced photoreceptor degeneration, with 405 and 525 nm stimuli producing responses of opposite sign in the output neurons of the retina. We conclude that bistable animal opsins can co-opt endogenous signalling mechanisms to allow optogenetic inhibition that is scalable, sustained and reversible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Rodgers
- Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Beatriz Bano-Otalora
- Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Mino D C Belle
- Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Sarika Paul
- Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Rebecca Hughes
- Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Phillip Wright
- Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Richard McDowell
- Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Nina Milosavljevic
- Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Patrycja Orlowska-Feuer
- Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.,Department of Neurophysiology and Chronobiology, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Krakow, Poland
| | - Franck P Martial
- Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Jonathan Wynne
- Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Edward R Ballister
- Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Riccardo Storchi
- Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Annette E Allen
- Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Timothy Brown
- Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Robert J Lucas
- Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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18
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Reh M, Lee MJ, Schmierer J, Zeck G. Spatial and temporal resolution of optogenetically recovered vision in ChR2-transduced mouse retina. J Neural Eng 2021; 18. [PMID: 33545694 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/abe39a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) represent an attractive target in vision restoration strategies, because they undergo little degeneration compared to other retinal neurons. Here we investigated the temporal and spatial resolution in adult photoreceptor-degenerated (rd10) mouse retinas, where RGCs have been transduced with the optogenetic actuator channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2). APPROACH The RGC spiking activity was recorded continuously with a CMOS-based microelectrode array during a variety of photostimulation protocols. The temporal resolution was assessed through Gaussian white noise stimuli and evaluated using a linear-nonlinear-Poisson model. Spatial sensitivity was assessed upon photostimulation with single rectangular pulses stepped across the retina and upon stimulation with alternating gratings of different spatial frequencies. Spatial sensitivity was estimated using logistic regression or by evaluating the spiking activity of independent RGCs. MAIN RESULTS The temporal resolution after photostimulation displayed an about ten times faster kinetics as compared to physiological filters in wild-type RGCs. The optimal spatial resolution estimated using the logistic regression model was 10 µm and 87 µm based on the population response. These values correspond to an equivalent acuity of 1.7 or 0.2 cycles per degree, which is better than expected from the size of RGCs' optogenetic receptive fields. SIGNIFICANCE The high temporal and spatial resolution obtained by photostimulation of optogenetically transduced RGCs indicate that high acuity vision restoration may be obtained by photostimulation of appropriately modified RGCs in photoreceptor-degenerated retinas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Reh
- Neurophysics, NMI, Markwiesenstraße 55, Reutlingen, 72770, GERMANY
| | - Meng-Jung Lee
- Neurophysics, NMI, Markwiesenstraße 55, Reutlingen, 72770, GERMANY
| | - Julia Schmierer
- Neurophysics, NMI, Markwiesenstraße 55, Reutlingen, 72770, GERMANY
| | - Guenther Zeck
- Neurophysics, NMI, Markwiesenstraße 55, Reutlingen, 72770, GERMANY
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19
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Calmodulin Bidirectionally Regulates Evoked and Spontaneous Neurotransmitter Release at Retinal Ribbon Synapses. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0257-20.2020. [PMID: 33293457 PMCID: PMC7808332 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0257-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
For decades, a role for the Ca2+-binding protein calmodulin (CaM) in Ca2+-dependent presynaptic modulation of synaptic transmission has been recognized. Here, we investigated the influence of CaM on evoked and spontaneous neurotransmission at rod bipolar (RB) cell→AII amacrine cell synapses in the mouse retina. Our work was motivated by the observations that expression of CaM in RB axon terminals is extremely high and that [Ca2+] in RB terminals normally rises sufficiently to saturate endogenous buffers, making tonic CaM activation likely. Taking advantage of a model in which RBs can be stimulated by expressed channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) to avoid dialysis of the presynaptic terminal, we found that inhibition of CaM dramatically decreased evoked release by inhibition of presynaptic Ca channels while at the same time potentiating both Ca2+-dependent and Ca2+-independent spontaneous release. Remarkably, inhibition of myosin light chain kinase (MLCK), but not other CaM-dependent targets, mimicked the effects of CaM inhibition on evoked and spontaneous release. Importantly, initial antagonism of CaM occluded the effect of subsequent inhibition of MLCK on spontaneous release. We conclude that CaM, by acting through MLCK, bidirectionally regulates evoked and spontaneous release at retinal ribbon synapses.
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20
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Harrison KR, Reifler AN, Chervenak AP, Wong KY. Prolonged Melanopsin-based Photoresponses Depend in Part on RPE65 and Cellular Retinaldehyde-binding Protein (CRALBP). Curr Eye Res 2020; 46:515-523. [PMID: 32841098 DOI: 10.1080/02713683.2020.1815793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) contain the photopigment melanopsin and can signal light continuously for many hours. Melanopsin is excited when its chromophore 11-cis-retinal absorbs a photon and becomes all-trans-retinal, which must be reisomerized to 11-cis-retinal to regenerate photoexcitable melanopsin. Due to the great distance separating ipRGCs from the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) whose retinoid cycle produces 11-cis-retinal, ipRGCs had been assumed to regenerate all melanopsin molecules autonomously. Surprisingly, we previously found that pharmacologically inhibiting the retinoid cycle rendered melanopsin-based responses to prolonged illumination less sustained, suggesting that the RPE may supply retinoids to help ipRGCs regenerate melanopsin during extended photostimulation. However, the specificity of those drugs is unclear. Here, we reexamined the role of the retinoid cycle, and tested whether the RPE-to-ipRGC transport of retinoids utilizes cellular retinaldehyde-binding protein (CRALBP), present throughout the RPE and Müller glia. METHODS To measure melanopsin-mediated photoresponses in isolation, all animals were 8- to 12-month-old rod/cone-degenerate mice. We genetically knocked out RPE-specific 65 kDa protein (RPE65), a critical enzyme in the retinoid cycle. We also knocked out the CRALBP gene rlbp1 mainly in Foxg1-expressing Müller cells. We obtained multielectrode-array recordings from ipRGCs in a novel RPE-attached mouse retina preparation, and imaged pupillary light reflexes in vivo. RESULTS Melanopsin-based ipRGC responses to prolonged light became less tonic in both knockout lines, and pupillary light reflexes were also less sustained in RPE65-knockout than control mice. CONCLUSIONS These results confirm that ipRGCs rely partly on the retinoid cycle to continuously regenerate melanopsin during prolonged photostimulation, and suggest that CRALBP in Müller glia likely transports 11-cis-retinal from the RPE to ipRGCs - this is the first proposed functional role for CRALBP in the inner retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krystal R Harrison
- Departments of Molecular, Cellular, & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Aaron N Reifler
- Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Andrew P Chervenak
- Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Kwoon Y Wong
- Departments of Molecular, Cellular, & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.,Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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21
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Zaninello M, Palikaras K, Naon D, Iwata K, Herkenne S, Quintana-Cabrera R, Semenzato M, Grespi F, Ross-Cisneros FN, Carelli V, Sadun AA, Tavernarakis N, Scorrano L. Inhibition of autophagy curtails visual loss in a model of autosomal dominant optic atrophy. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4029. [PMID: 32788597 PMCID: PMC7423926 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17821-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In autosomal dominant optic atrophy (ADOA), caused by mutations in the mitochondrial cristae biogenesis and fusion protein optic atrophy 1 (Opa1), retinal ganglion cell (RGC) dysfunction and visual loss occur by unknown mechanisms. Here, we show a role for autophagy in ADOA pathogenesis. In RGCs expressing mutated Opa1, active 5’ AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and its autophagy effector ULK1 accumulate at axonal hillocks. This AMPK activation triggers localized hillock autophagosome accumulation and mitophagy, ultimately resulting in reduced axonal mitochondrial content that is restored by genetic inhibition of AMPK and autophagy. In C. elegans, deletion of AMPK or of key autophagy and mitophagy genes normalizes the axonal mitochondrial content that is reduced upon mitochondrial dysfunction. In conditional, RGC specific Opa1-deficient mice, depletion of the essential autophagy gene Atg7 normalizes the excess autophagy and corrects the visual defects caused by Opa1 ablation. Thus, our data identify AMPK and autophagy as targetable components of ADOA pathogenesis. Autosomal dominant optic atrophy is caused by mutations in the mitochondrial fusion protein OPA1. Here, the authors show that AMPK-induced autophagy depletes mitochondria in axons of retinal ganglion cells and that autophagic inhibition reverses vision loss in a mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Zaninello
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Via Orus 2, Padova, Italy.,Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58B, Padova, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Ardeatina 306, Rome, Italy
| | - Konstantinos Palikaras
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.,Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Deborah Naon
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Via Orus 2, Padova, Italy.,Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58B, Padova, Italy
| | - Keiko Iwata
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Via Orus 2, Padova, Italy.,Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58B, Padova, Italy
| | - Stephanie Herkenne
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Via Orus 2, Padova, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Ardeatina 306, Rome, Italy
| | - Ruben Quintana-Cabrera
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Via Orus 2, Padova, Italy.,Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58B, Padova, Italy
| | - Martina Semenzato
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Via Orus 2, Padova, Italy.,Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58B, Padova, Italy
| | - Francesca Grespi
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58B, Padova, Italy
| | | | - Valerio Carelli
- IRCCS Institute of Neurological Sciences of Bologna, Bellaria Hospital, Bologna, Italy.,Unit of Neurology, Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences (DIBINEM), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Alfredo A Sadun
- Doheny Eye Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Nektarios Tavernarakis
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.,Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Luca Scorrano
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Via Orus 2, Padova, Italy. .,Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58B, Padova, Italy.
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22
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Rasmussen R, Matsumoto A, Dahlstrup Sietam M, Yonehara K. A segregated cortical stream for retinal direction selectivity. Nat Commun 2020; 11:831. [PMID: 32047156 PMCID: PMC7012930 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-14643-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2019] [Accepted: 01/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual features extracted by retinal circuits are streamed into higher visual areas (HVAs) after being processed along the visual hierarchy. However, how specialized neuronal representations of HVAs are built, based on retinal output channels, remained unclear. Here, we addressed this question by determining the effects of genetically disrupting retinal direction selectivity on motion-evoked responses in visual stages from the retina to HVAs in mice. Direction-selective (DS) cells in the rostrolateral (RL) area that prefer higher temporal frequencies, and that change direction tuning bias as the temporal frequency of a stimulus increases, are selectively reduced upon retinal manipulation. DS cells in the primary visual cortex projecting to area RL, but not to the posteromedial area, were similarly affected. Therefore, the specific connectivity of cortico-cortical projection neurons routes feedforward signaling originating from retinal DS cells preferentially to area RL. We thus identify a cortical processing stream for motion computed in the retina. Visual features are streamed into higher visual areas (HVAs), but how representations in HVAs are built, based on retinal output channels, is unknown. Here, the authors show that specific connectivity of cortical neurons routes retina-originated direction-selective signaling into distinct HVAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rune Rasmussen
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience-DANDRITE, Nordic-EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Akihiro Matsumoto
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience-DANDRITE, Nordic-EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Monica Dahlstrup Sietam
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience-DANDRITE, Nordic-EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Keisuke Yonehara
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience-DANDRITE, Nordic-EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark.
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23
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Cui LJ, Chen WH, Liu AL, Han X, Jiang SX, Yuan F, Zhong YM, Yang XL, Weng SJ. nGnG Amacrine Cells and Brn3b-negative M1 ipRGCs are Specifically Labeled in the ChAT-ChR2-EYFP Mouse. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2020; 61:14. [PMID: 32049344 PMCID: PMC7326507 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.61.2.14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Experimental access to specific cell subtypes is essential for deciphering the complexity of retinal networks. Here, we characterized the selective labeling, caused by ectopic transgene expression, of two atypical retinal neurons in the ChAT-Channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2)-EYFP mouse. Methods Retinal sections and flat-mounts were prepared for double-staining immunohistochemistry with antibodies against EYFP and various neuronal markers. Sagittal/coronal brain slices were made to visualize EYFP signals in central nuclei. Whole-cell recordings were conducted to test the functionality of ChR2. Results Two populations of EYFP-positive retinal cells were observed. The inner nuclear layer (INL)-located one (type I cell) distributed regularly throughout the entire retina, whereas the ganglion cell layer (GCL)-residing one (type II cell) was restricted ventrally. None of them was cholinergic, as evidenced by the complete absence of ChAT immunoreactivity. Type I cells were immunolabeled by the amacrine marker syntaxin. However, the vast majority of them were neither positive to GABA/GAD65, nor to GlyT1/glycine, suggesting that they were non-GABAergic non-glycinergic amacrine cells (nGnG ACs), which was confirmed by double-labeling with the nGnG AC marker PPP1R17. Type II cells were immunopositive to melanopsin, but not to Brn3a or Brn3b. They possessed dendrites stratifying in the outermost inner plexiform layer (IPL) and axons projecting to the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) rather than the olivary pretectal nucleus (OPN), suggesting that they belonged to a Brn3b-negative subset of M1-type intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs). Glutamatergic transmission-independent photocurrents were elicited in EYFP-positive cells, indicating the functional expression of ChR2. Conclusions The ChAT-ChR2-EYFP retina exhibits ectopic, but functional, transgene expression in nGnG ACs and SCN-innervating M1 ipRGCs, thus providing an ideal tool to achieve efficient labeling and optogenetic manipulation of these cells.
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24
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Simmons AB, Camerino MJ, Clemons MR, Sukeena JM, Bloomsburg S, Borghuis BG, Fuerst PG. Increased density and age-related sharing of synapses at the cone to OFF bipolar cell synapse in the mouse retina. J Comp Neurol 2019; 528:1140-1156. [PMID: 31721194 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Revised: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Neural circuits in the adult nervous system are characterized by stable, cell type-specific patterns of synaptic connectivity. In many parts of the nervous system these patterns are established during development through initial over-innervation by multiple pre- or postsynaptic targets, followed by a process of refinement that takes place during development and is in many instances activity dependent. Here we report on an identified synapse in the mouse retina, the cone photoreceptor➔type 4 bipolar cell (BC4) synapse, and show that its development is distinctly different from the common motif of over-innervation followed by refinement. Indeed, the majority of cones are contacted by single BC4 throughout development, but are contacted by multiple BC4s through ongoing dendritic elaboration between 1 and 6 months of age-well into maturity. We demonstrate that cell density drives contact patterns downstream of single cones in Bax null mice and may serve to maintain constancy in both the dendritic and axonal projective field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron B Simmons
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho
| | | | - Mellisa R Clemons
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho
| | - Joshua M Sukeena
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho
| | - Samuel Bloomsburg
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho
| | - Bart G Borghuis
- Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville
| | - Peter G Fuerst
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho.,WWAMI Medical Education Program, University of Washington School of Medicine, Moscow, Idaho
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25
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Poleg-Polsky A, Ding H, Diamond JS. Functional Compartmentalization within Starburst Amacrine Cell Dendrites in the Retina. Cell Rep 2019. [PMID: 29539419 PMCID: PMC5877421 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.02.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Dendrites in many neurons actively compute information. In retinal starburst amacrine cells, transformations from synaptic input to output occur within individual dendrites and mediate direction selectivity, but directional signal fidelity at individual synaptic outputs and correlated activity among neighboring outputs on starburst dendrites have not been examined systematically. Here, we record visually evoked calcium signals simultaneously at many individual synaptic outputs within single starburst amacrine cells in mouse retina. We measure visual receptive fields of individual output synapses and show that small groups of outputs are functionally compartmentalized within starburst dendrites, creating distinct computational units. Inhibition enhances compartmentalization and directional tuning of individual outputs but also decreases the signal-to-noise ratio. Simulations suggest, however, that the noise underlying output signal variability is well tolerated by postsynaptic direction-selective ganglion cells, which integrate convergent inputs to acquire reliable directional information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alon Poleg-Polsky
- Synaptic Physiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, 35 Convent Drive, Building 35A, Room 3E-621, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Huayu Ding
- Synaptic Physiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, 35 Convent Drive, Building 35A, Room 3E-621, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jeffrey S Diamond
- Synaptic Physiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, 35 Convent Drive, Building 35A, Room 3E-621, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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26
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McLaughlin T, Siddiqi M, Wang JJ, Zhang SX. Loss of XBP1 Leads to Early-Onset Retinal Neurodegeneration in a Mouse Model of Type I Diabetes. J Clin Med 2019; 8:jcm8060906. [PMID: 31242599 PMCID: PMC6617367 DOI: 10.3390/jcm8060906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2019] [Revised: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Retinal neuronal injury and degeneration is one of the primary manifestations of diabetic retinopathy, a leading cause of vision loss in working age adults. In pathological conditions, including diabetes and some physiological conditions such as aging, protein homeostasis can become disrupted, leading to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Severe or unmitigated ER stress can lead to cell death, which in retinal neurons results in irreversible loss of visual function. X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1) is a major transcription factor responsible for the adaptive unfolded protein response (UPR) to maintain protein homeostasis in cells undergoing ER stress. The purpose of this study is to determine the role of XBP1-mediated UPR in retinal neuronal survival and function in a mouse model of type 1 diabetes. Using a conditional retina-specific XBP1 knockout mouse line, we demonstrate that depletion of XBP1 in retinal neurons results in early onset retinal function decline, loss of retinal ganglion cells and photoreceptors, disrupted photoreceptor ribbon synapses, and Müller cell activation after induction of diabetes. Our findings suggest an important role of XBP1-mediated adaptive UPR in retinal neuronal survival and function in diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Todd McLaughlin
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Ross Eye Institute, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA.
- SUNY Eye Institute, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA.
| | - Manhal Siddiqi
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Ross Eye Institute, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA.
- SUNY Eye Institute, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA.
| | - Joshua J Wang
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Ross Eye Institute, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA.
- SUNY Eye Institute, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA.
| | - Sarah X Zhang
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Ross Eye Institute, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA.
- SUNY Eye Institute, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA.
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27
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Johnson KP, Zhao L, Kerschensteiner D. A Pixel-Encoder Retinal Ganglion Cell with Spatially Offset Excitatory and Inhibitory Receptive Fields. Cell Rep 2019; 22:1462-1472. [PMID: 29425502 PMCID: PMC5826572 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.01.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2017] [Revised: 12/29/2017] [Accepted: 01/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The spike trains of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are the only source of visual information to the brain. Here, we genetically identify an RGC type in mice that functions as a pixel encoder and increases firing to light increments (PixON-RGC). PixON-RGCs have medium-sized dendritic arbors and non-canonical center-surround receptive fields. From their receptive field center, PixON-RGCs receive only excitatory input, which encodes contrast and spatial information linearly. From their receptive field surround, PixON-RGCs receive only inhibitory input, which is temporally matched to the excitatory center input. As a result, the firing rate of PixON-RGCs linearly encodes local image contrast. Spatially offset (i.e., truly lateral) inhibition of PixON-RGCs arises from spiking GABAergic amacrine cells. The receptive field organization of PixON-RGCs is independent of stimulus wavelength (i.e., achromatic). PixON-RGCs project predominantly to the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) of the thalamus and likely contribute to visual perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith P Johnson
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Lei Zhao
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Daniel Kerschensteiner
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Neuroscience, 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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28
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Rac1 Modulates Excitatory Synaptic Transmission in Mouse Retinal Ganglion Cells. Neurosci Bull 2019; 35:673-687. [PMID: 30888607 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-019-00353-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2018] [Accepted: 10/21/2018] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1 (Rac1), a member of the Rho GTPase family which plays important roles in dendritic spine morphology and plasticity, is a key regulator of cytoskeletal reorganization in dendrites and spines. Here, we investigated whether and how Rac1 modulates synaptic transmission in mouse retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) using selective conditional knockout of Rac1 (Rac1-cKO). Rac1-cKO significantly reduced the frequency of AMPA receptor-mediated miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents, while glycine/GABAA receptor-mediated miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents were not affected. Although the total GluA1 protein level was increased in Rac1-cKO mice, its expression in the membrane component was unchanged. Rac1-cKO did not affect spine-like branch density in single dendrites, but significantly reduced the dendritic complexity, which resulted in a decrease in the total number of dendritic spine-like branches. These results suggest that Rac1 selectively affects excitatory synaptic transmission in RGCs by modulating dendritic complexity.
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29
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Fleming JT, Brignola E, Chen L, Guo Y, Zhao S, Wang Q, Li B, Correa H, Ermilov AN, Dlugosz AA, Chiang C. Insight into the Etiology of Undifferentiated Soft Tissue Sarcomas from a Novel Mouse Model. Mol Cancer Res 2019; 17:1024-1035. [PMID: 30683671 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-18-0117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2018] [Revised: 06/06/2018] [Accepted: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Aberrant activation of the Hedgehog signaling pathway has been linked to the formation of numerous cancer types, including the myogenic soft tissue sarcoma, embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (eRMS). Here, we report PCG2, a novel mouse model in which human GLI2A, a constitutive activator of Hedgehog signaling, induced undifferentiated sarcomas that were phenotypically divergent from eRMS. Rather, sarcomas arising in PCG2 mice featured some characteristics that were reminiscent of Ewing sarcoma. Even though it is widely understood that Ewing sarcoma formation is driven by EWS-ETS gene fusions, a genetically defined mouse model is not well-established. While EWS-ETS gene fusions were not present in PCG2 sarcomas, precluding their designation as Ewing sarcoma, we did find that GLI2A induced expression of known EWS-ETS gene targets essential to Ewing pathogenesis, most notably, Nkx2.2. Moreover, we found that naïve mesenchymal progenitors originate tumors in PCG2 mice. Altogether, our work provides a novel genetic mouse model, which directly connects oncogenic Hedgehog activity to the etiology of undifferentiated soft tissue sarcomas for the first time. IMPLICATIONS: The finding that activation of Gli2 transcription factor is sufficient to induce Ewing-like sarcomas provides a direct transformative role of the Hedgehog signaling pathway in undifferentiated soft tissue sarcoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan T Fleming
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Emily Brignola
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Lei Chen
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Yan Guo
- Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Shilin Zhao
- Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Quan Wang
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Bingshan Li
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Hernán Correa
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Alexandre N Ermilov
- Department of Dermatology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Andrzej A Dlugosz
- Departments of Dermatology and Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Chin Chiang
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee.
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30
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Jo A, Xu J, Deniz S, Cherian S, DeVries SH, Zhu Y. Intersectional Strategies for Targeting Amacrine and Ganglion Cell Types in the Mouse Retina. Front Neural Circuits 2018; 12:66. [PMID: 30186122 PMCID: PMC6113359 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2018.00066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2018] [Accepted: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The mammalian retina harbors over 100 different cell types. To understand how retinal circuits work, it is essential to systematically access each type. A widely used approach for achieving targeted transgene expression exploits promoter-driven Cre lines. However, Cre expression in a given transgenic line in the retina and elsewhere in the brain is rarely confined to a single cell type, contributing ambiguity to the interpretation of results from broadly applied manipulations. To obtain unambiguous information about retinal processing, it is desirable to have strategies for further restricting transgene expression to a few or even to a single cell type. We employed an intersectional strategy based on a Cre/Flp double recombinase system to target amacrine and ganglion cell types in the inner retina. We analyzed expression patterns in seven Flp drivers and then created combinational mouse lines by selective cross breeding with Cre drivers. Breeding with Flp drivers can routinely remove labeling from more than 90% of the cells in Cre drivers, leading to only a handful cell types, typically 2–3, remaining in the intersection. Cre/Flp combinatorial mouse lines enabled us to identify and anatomically characterize retinal cell types with greater ease and demonstrated the feasibility of intersectional strategies in retinal research. In addition to the retina, we examined Flp expression in the lateral geniculate nucleus and superior colliculus. Our results establish a foundation for future application of intersectional strategies in the retina and retino-recipient regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Jo
- Department of Ophthalmology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Jian Xu
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Sercan Deniz
- Department of Ophthalmology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Suraj Cherian
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Steven H DeVries
- Department of Ophthalmology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States.,Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Yongling Zhu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States.,Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
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31
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Large scale matching of function to the genetic identity of retinal ganglion cells. Sci Rep 2017; 7:15395. [PMID: 29133846 PMCID: PMC5684394 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-15741-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2017] [Accepted: 10/30/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the role of neurons in encoding and transmitting information is a major goal in neuroscience. This requires insight on the data-rich neuronal spiking patterns combined, ideally, with morphology and genetic identity. Electrophysiologists have long experienced the trade-offs between anatomically-accurate single-cell recording techniques and high-density multi-cellular recording methods with poor anatomical correlations. In this study, we present a novel technique that combines large-scale micro-electrode array recordings with genetic identification and the anatomical location of the retinal ganglion cell soma. This was obtained through optogenetic stimulation and subsequent confocal imaging of genetically targeted retinal ganglion cell sub-populations in the mouse. With the many molecular options available for optogenetic gene expression, we view this method as a versatile tool for matching function to genetic classifications, which can be extended to include morphological information if the density of labelled cells is at the correct level.
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32
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Xu GZ, Cui LJ, Liu AL, Zhou W, Gong X, Zhong YM, Yang XL, Weng SJ. Transgene is specifically and functionally expressed in retinal inhibitory interneurons in the VGAT-ChR2-EYFP mouse. Neuroscience 2017; 363:107-119. [PMID: 28918256 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2017] [Revised: 08/25/2017] [Accepted: 09/01/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Ectopic transgene expression in the retina has been reported in various transgenic mice, indicating the importance of characterizing retinal phenotypes. We examined transgene expression in the VGAT-ChR2-EYFP mouse retina by fluorescent immunohistochemistry and electrophysiology, with special emphasis on enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (EYFP) localization in retinal neuronal subtypes identified by specific markers. Strong EYFP signals were detected in both the inner and outer plexiform layers. In addition, the ChR2-EYFP fusion protein was also expressed in somata of the great majority of inhibitory interneurons, including horizontal cells and GABAergic and glycinergic amacrine cells. However, a small population of amacrine cells residing in the ganglion cell layer were not labeled by EYFP, and a part of them were cholinergic ones. In contrast, no EYFP signal was detected in the somata of retinal excitatory neurons: photoreceptors, bipolar and ganglion cells, as well as Müller glial cells. When glutamatergic transmission was blocked, bright blue light stimulation elicited inward photocurrents from amacrine cells, as well as post-synaptic inhibitory currents from ganglion cells, suggesting a functional ChR2 expression. The VGAT-ChR2-EYFP mouse therefore could be a useful animal model for dissecting retinal microcircuits when targeted labeling and/or optogenetic manipulation of retinal inhibitory neurons are required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guo-Zhong Xu
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; School of Life Science and Technology, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun, China
| | - Ling-Jie Cui
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ai-Lin Liu
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Zhou
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xue Gong
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yong-Mei Zhong
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiong-Li Yang
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shi-Jun Weng
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
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33
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey S. Diamond
- Synaptic Physiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-3701
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34
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Seitter H, Koschak A. Relevance of tissue specific subunit expression in channelopathies. Neuropharmacology 2017; 132:58-70. [PMID: 28669898 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.06.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2017] [Revised: 06/22/2017] [Accepted: 06/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Channelopathies are a diverse group of human disorders that are caused by mutations in genes coding for ion channels or channel-regulating proteins. Several dozen channelopathies have been identified that involve both non-excitable cells as well as electrically active tissues like brain, skeletal and smooth muscle or the heart. In this review, we start out from the general question which ion channel genes are expressed tissue-selectively. We mined the human gene expression database Human Protein Atlas (HPA) for tissue-enriched ion channel genes and found 85 genes belonging to the ion channel families. Most of these genes were enriched in brain, testis and muscle and a complete list of the enriched ion channel genes is provided. We further focused on the tissue distribution of voltage-gated calcium channel (VGCC) genes including different brain areas and the retina based on the human gene expression from the FANTOM5 dataset. The expression data is complemented by an overview of the tissue-dependent aspects of L-type calcium channel (LTCC) function, dysfunction and pharmacology, as well as of their splice variants. Finally, we focus on the pathology of tissue-restricted LTCC channelopathies and their treatment options. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Channelopathies.'
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Affiliation(s)
- Hartwig Seitter
- University of Innsbruck, Institute of Pharmacy, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Center for Chemistry and Biomedicine, Innrain 80-82/III, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Alexandra Koschak
- University of Innsbruck, Institute of Pharmacy, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Center for Chemistry and Biomedicine, Innrain 80-82/III, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
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35
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Hillier D, Fiscella M, Drinnenberg A, Trenholm S, Rompani SB, Raics Z, Katona G, Juettner J, Hierlemann A, Rozsa B, Roska B. Causal evidence for retina-dependent and -independent visual motion computations in mouse cortex. Nat Neurosci 2017; 20:960-968. [PMID: 28530661 PMCID: PMC5490790 DOI: 10.1038/nn.4566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2016] [Accepted: 04/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
How neuronal computations in the sensory periphery contribute to computations in the cortex is not well understood. We examined this question in the context of visual-motion processing in the retina and primary visual cortex (V1) of mice. We disrupted retinal direction selectivity, either exclusively along the horizontal axis using FRMD7 mutants or along all directions by ablating starburst amacrine cells, and monitored neuronal activity in layer 2/3 of V1 during stimulation with visual motion. In control mice, we found an over-representation of cortical cells preferring posterior visual motion, the dominant motion direction an animal experiences when it moves forward. In mice with disrupted retinal direction selectivity, the over-representation of posterior-motion-preferring cortical cells disappeared, and their responses at higher stimulus speeds were reduced. This work reveals the existence of two functionally distinct, sensory-periphery-dependent and -independent computations of visual motion in the cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Hillier
- Neural Circuits Laboratory, Friedrich Miescher Institute, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Michele Fiscella
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Antonia Drinnenberg
- Neural Circuits Laboratory, Friedrich Miescher Institute, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Stuart Trenholm
- Neural Circuits Laboratory, Friedrich Miescher Institute, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Santiago B Rompani
- Neural Circuits Laboratory, Friedrich Miescher Institute, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Zoltan Raics
- Neural Circuits Laboratory, Friedrich Miescher Institute, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Gergely Katona
- Laboratory of 3D Functional Network and Dendritic Imaging, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.,The Faculty of Information Technology, Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Josephine Juettner
- Neural Circuits Laboratory, Friedrich Miescher Institute, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Hierlemann
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Balazs Rozsa
- Laboratory of 3D Functional Network and Dendritic Imaging, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Botond Roska
- Neural Circuits Laboratory, Friedrich Miescher Institute, Basel, Switzerland.,Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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36
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Martersteck EM, Hirokawa KE, Evarts M, Bernard A, Duan X, Li Y, Ng L, Oh SW, Ouellette B, Royall JJ, Stoecklin M, Wang Q, Zeng H, Sanes JR, Harris JA. Diverse Central Projection Patterns of Retinal Ganglion Cells. Cell Rep 2017; 18:2058-2072. [PMID: 28228269 PMCID: PMC5357325 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.01.075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2016] [Revised: 12/09/2016] [Accepted: 01/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding how >30 types of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in the mouse retina each contribute to visual processing in the brain will require more tools that label and manipulate specific RGCs. We screened and analyzed retinal expression of Cre recombinase using 88 transgenic driver lines. In many lines, Cre was expressed in multiple RGC types and retinal cell classes, but several exhibited more selective expression. We comprehensively mapped central projections from RGCs labeled in 26 Cre lines using viral tracers, high-throughput imaging, and a data processing pipeline. We identified over 50 retinorecipient regions and present a quantitative retina-to-brain connectivity map, enabling comparisons of target-specificity across lines. Projections to two major central targets were notably correlated: RGCs projecting to the outer shell or core regions of the lateral geniculate projected to superficial or deep layers within the superior colliculus, respectively. Retinal images and projection data are available online at http://connectivity.brain-map.org.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily M Martersteck
- Center for Brain Science and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | | | - Mariah Evarts
- Center for Brain Science and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Amy Bernard
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Xin Duan
- Center for Brain Science and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Yang Li
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Lydia Ng
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Seung W Oh
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | | | | | | | - Quanxin Wang
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Hongkui Zeng
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Joshua R Sanes
- Center for Brain Science and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
| | - Julie A Harris
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.
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Lu Q, Pan ZH. Immunohistochemical Procedures for Characterizing the Retinal Expression Patterns of Cre Driver Mouse Lines. Methods Mol Biol 2017; 1642:181-194. [PMID: 28815501 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7169-5_12] [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] [Indexed: 12/16/2023]
Abstract
The retina is a thin neural tissue sitting on the backside of the eye, composed of light-sensing cells, interneurons, and output ganglion neurons. The latter send electrical signals to higher visual centers in the brain. Transgenic mouse lines are becoming one of the most valuable mammalian animal models for the study of visual signal processing within the retina. Especially, the generation of Cre recombinase transgenic mouse lines provides a powerful tool for genetic manipulation. A key step for the utilization of transgenic lines is the characterization of their transgene expression patterns in the retina. Here we describe a standard protocol for characterizing the expression pattern of the Cre recombinase or fluorescent proteins in the retina with an immunohistochemical approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Lu
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 540 E. Canfield Avenue, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA.
| | - Zhuo-Hua Pan
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 540 E. Canfield Avenue, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Kresge Eye Institute, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
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38
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The functional diversity of retinal ganglion cells in the mouse. Nature 2016; 529:345-50. [PMID: 26735013 PMCID: PMC4724341 DOI: 10.1038/nature16468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 562] [Impact Index Per Article: 70.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2015] [Accepted: 11/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
In the vertebrate visual system, all output of the retina is carried by retinal ganglion cells. Each type encodes distinct visual features in parallel for transmission to the brain. How many such “output channels” exist and what each encodes is an area of intense debate. In mouse, anatomical estimates range between 15–20 channels, and only a handful are functionally understood. Combining two-photon calcium imaging to obtain dense retinal recordings and unsupervised clustering of the resulting sample of >11,000 cells, we here show that the mouse retina harbours substantially more than 30 functional output channels. These include all known and several new ganglion cell types, as verified by genetic and anatomical criteria. Therefore, information channels from the mouse’s eye to the mouse’s brain are considerably more diverse than shown thus far by anatomical studies, suggesting an encoding strategy resembling that used in state-of-the-art artificial vision systems.
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39
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Yonehara K, Fiscella M, Drinnenberg A, Esposti F, Trenholm S, Krol J, Franke F, Scherf BG, Kusnyerik A, Müller J, Szabo A, Jüttner J, Cordoba F, Reddy AP, Németh J, Nagy ZZ, Munier F, Hierlemann A, Roska B. Congenital Nystagmus Gene FRMD7 Is Necessary for Establishing a Neuronal Circuit Asymmetry for Direction Selectivity. Neuron 2015; 89:177-93. [PMID: 26711119 PMCID: PMC4712192 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2015.11.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2015] [Revised: 08/14/2015] [Accepted: 11/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Neuronal circuit asymmetries are important components of brain circuits, but the molecular pathways leading to their establishment remain unknown. Here we found that the mutation of FRMD7, a gene that is defective in human congenital nystagmus, leads to the selective loss of the horizontal optokinetic reflex in mice, as it does in humans. This is accompanied by the selective loss of horizontal direction selectivity in retinal ganglion cells and the transition from asymmetric to symmetric inhibitory input to horizontal direction-selective ganglion cells. In wild-type retinas, we found FRMD7 specifically expressed in starburst amacrine cells, the interneuron type that provides asymmetric inhibition to direction-selective retinal ganglion cells. This work identifies FRMD7 as a key regulator in establishing a neuronal circuit asymmetry, and it suggests the involvement of a specific inhibitory neuron type in the pathophysiology of a neurological disease. Video Abstract
FRMD7 is required for the horizontal optokinetic reflex in mice as in humans Horizontal direction selectivity is lost in the retina of FRMD7 mutant mice Asymmetry of inhibitory inputs to horizontal DS cells is lost in FRMD7 mutant mice FRMD7 is expressed in ChAT-expressing cells in the retina of mice and primates
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Affiliation(s)
- Keisuke Yonehara
- Neural Circuit Laboratories, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Michele Fiscella
- Bio Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering of ETH Zurich, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Antonia Drinnenberg
- Neural Circuit Laboratories, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058 Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Petersplatz 1, 4003 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Federico Esposti
- Neural Circuit Laboratories, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Stuart Trenholm
- Neural Circuit Laboratories, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jacek Krol
- Neural Circuit Laboratories, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Felix Franke
- Bio Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering of ETH Zurich, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Brigitte Gross Scherf
- Neural Circuit Laboratories, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Akos Kusnyerik
- Department of Ophthalmology, Semmelweis University, Mária u. 39, 1085 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Jan Müller
- Bio Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering of ETH Zurich, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Arnold Szabo
- Department of Human Morphology and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Tűzoltó u. 58, 1094 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Josephine Jüttner
- Neural Circuit Laboratories, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Francisco Cordoba
- Laboratory and Animal Services, Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research, Fabrikstrasse 28, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ashrithpal Police Reddy
- Neural Circuit Laboratories, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - János Németh
- Department of Ophthalmology, Semmelweis University, Mária u. 39, 1085 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zoltán Zsolt Nagy
- Department of Ophthalmology, Semmelweis University, Mária u. 39, 1085 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Francis Munier
- Jules-Gonin Eye Hospital, Avenue de France 15, 1000 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Hierlemann
- Bio Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering of ETH Zurich, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Botond Roska
- Neural Circuit Laboratories, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058 Basel, Switzerland; Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, Mittlere Strasse 91, 4031 Basel, Switzerland.
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40
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Visser JJ, Cheng Y, Perry SC, Chastain AB, Parsa B, Masri SS, Ray TA, Kay JN, Wojtowicz WM. An extracellular biochemical screen reveals that FLRTs and Unc5s mediate neuronal subtype recognition in the retina. eLife 2015; 4:e08149. [PMID: 26633812 PMCID: PMC4737655 DOI: 10.7554/elife.08149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2015] [Accepted: 12/01/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In the inner plexiform layer (IPL) of the mouse retina, ~70 neuronal subtypes organize their neurites into an intricate laminar structure that underlies visual processing. To find recognition proteins involved in lamination, we utilized microarray data from 13 subtypes to identify differentially-expressed extracellular proteins and performed a high-throughput biochemical screen. We identified ~50 previously-unknown receptor-ligand pairs, including new interactions among members of the FLRT and Unc5 families. These proteins show laminar-restricted IPL localization and induce attraction and/or repulsion of retinal neurites in culture, placing them in an ideal position to mediate laminar targeting. Consistent with a repulsive role in arbor lamination, we observed complementary expression patterns for one interaction pair, FLRT2-Unc5C, in vivo. Starburst amacrine cells and their synaptic partners, ON-OFF direction-selective ganglion cells, express FLRT2 and are repelled by Unc5C. These data suggest a single molecular mechanism may have been co-opted by synaptic partners to ensure joint laminar restriction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasper J Visser
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Yolanda Cheng
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Steven C Perry
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Andrew Benjamin Chastain
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Bayan Parsa
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Shatha S Masri
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Thomas A Ray
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, United States
- Department of Opthalmology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, United States
| | - Jeremy N Kay
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, United States
- Department of Opthalmology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, United States
| | - Woj M Wojtowicz
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
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41
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Gábriel R, Erdélyi F, Szabó G, Lawrence JJ, Wilhelm M. Ectopic transgene expression in the retina of four transgenic mouse lines. Brain Struct Funct 2015; 221:3729-41. [PMID: 26563404 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-015-1128-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2015] [Accepted: 10/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Retinal expression of transgenes was examined in four mouse lines. Two constructs were driven by the choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) promoter: green fluorescent protein conjugated to tau protein (tau-GFP) or cytosolic yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) generated through CRE recombinase-induced expression of Rosa26 (ChAT-CRE/Rosa26YFP). Two other constructs targeted inhibitory interneurons: GABAergic horizontal and amacrine cells identified by glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD65-GFP) or parvalbumin (PV) cells (PV-CRE/Rosa26YFP). Animals were transcardially perfused and retinal sections prepared. Antibodies against PV, calretinin (CALR), calbindin (CALB), and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) were used to counterstain transgene-expressing cells. In PVxRosa and ChAT-tauGFP constructs, staining appeared in vertically oriented row of processes resembling Müller cells. In the ChATxRosa construct, populations of amacrine cells and neurons in the ganglion cell layer were labeled. Some cones also exhibited GFP fluorescence. CALR, PV and TH were found in none of these cells. Occasionally, we found GFP/CALR and GFP/PV double-stained cells in the ganglion cell layer (GCL). In the GAD65-GFP construct, all layers of the neuroretina were labeled, except photoreceptors. Not all horizontal cells expressed GFP. We did not find GFP/TH double-labeled cells and GFP was rarely present in CALR- and CALB-containing cells. Many PV-positive neurons were also labeled for GFP, including small diameter amacrines. In the GCL, single labeling for GFP and PV was ascertained, as well as several CALR/PV double-stained neurons. In the GCL, cells triple labeled with GFP/CALR/CALB were sparse. In conclusion, only one of the four transgenic constructs exhibited an expression pattern consistent with endogenous retinal protein expression, while the others strongly suggested ectopic gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Gábriel
- Department of Experimental Zoology and Neurobiology, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Ferenc Erdélyi
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1450, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gábor Szabó
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1450, Budapest, Hungary
| | - J Josh Lawrence
- Center for Structural and Functional Neuroscience, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA.,Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA.,Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, School of Medicine, Lubbock, TX, 79430, USA
| | - Márta Wilhelm
- Institute of Sport Sciences and Physical Education, University of Pécs, Ifjúság u. 6., 7624, Pécs, Hungary.
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42
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Vuong HE, Pérez de Sevilla Müller L, Hardi CN, McMahon DG, Brecha NC. Heterogeneous transgene expression in the retinas of the TH-RFP, TH-Cre, TH-BAC-Cre and DAT-Cre mouse lines. Neuroscience 2015; 307:319-37. [PMID: 26335381 PMCID: PMC4603663 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.08.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2015] [Revised: 08/21/2015] [Accepted: 08/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Transgenic mouse lines are essential tools for understanding the connectivity, physiology and function of neuronal circuits, including those in the retina. This report compares transgene expression in the retina of a tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-red fluorescent protein (RFP) mouse line with three catecholamine-related Cre recombinase mouse lines [TH-bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC)-, TH-, and dopamine transporter (DAT)-Cre] that were crossed with a ROSA26-tdTomato reporter line. Retinas were evaluated and immunostained with commonly used antibodies including those directed to TH, GABA and glycine to characterize the RFP or tdTomato fluorescent-labeled amacrine cells, and an antibody directed to RNA-binding protein with multiple splicing to identify ganglion cells. In TH-RFP retinas, types 1 and 2 dopamine (DA) amacrine cells were identified by their characteristic cellular morphology and type 1 DA cells by their expression of TH immunoreactivity. In the TH-BAC-, TH-, and DAT-tdTomato retinas, less than 1%, ∼ 6%, and 0%, respectively, of the fluorescent cells were the expected type 1 DA amacrine cells. Instead, in the TH-BAC-tdTomato retinas, fluorescently labeled AII amacrine cells were predominant, with some medium diameter ganglion cells. In TH-tdTomato retinas, fluorescence was in multiple neurochemical amacrine cell types, including four types of polyaxonal amacrine cells. In DAT-tdTomato retinas, fluorescence was in GABA immunoreactive amacrine cells, including two types of bistratified and two types of monostratified amacrine cells. Although each of the Cre lines was generated with the intent to specifically label DA cells, our findings show a cellular diversity in Cre expression in the adult retina and indicate the importance of careful characterization of transgene labeling patterns. These mouse lines with their distinctive cellular labeling patterns will be useful tools for future studies of retinal function and visual processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- H E Vuong
- Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology Program, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States; Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States; Jules Stein Eye Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - L Pérez de Sevilla Müller
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - C N Hardi
- Department of Psychology, College of Letters and Science, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - D G McMahon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, United States
| | - N C Brecha
- Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology Program, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States; Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States; Jules Stein Eye Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States; CURE-Digestive Diseases Research Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States; Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States.
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43
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McGovern VL, Iyer CC, Arnold WD, Gombash SE, Zaworski PG, Blatnik AJ, Foust KD, Burghes AHM. SMN expression is required in motor neurons to rescue electrophysiological deficits in the SMNΔ7 mouse model of SMA. Hum Mol Genet 2015; 24:5524-41. [PMID: 26206889 PMCID: PMC4572068 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddv283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2015] [Revised: 06/10/2015] [Accepted: 07/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Proximal spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is the most frequent cause of hereditary infant mortality. SMA is an autosomal recessive neuromuscular disorder that results from the loss of the Survival Motor Neuron 1 (SMN1) gene and retention of the SMN2 gene. The SMN2 gene produces an insufficient amount of full-length SMN protein that results in loss of motor neurons in the spinal cord and subsequent muscle paralysis. Previously we have shown that overexpression of human SMN in neurons in the SMA mouse ameliorates the SMA phenotype while overexpression of human SMN in skeletal muscle had no effect. Using Cre recombinase, here we show that either deletion or replacement of Smn in motor neurons (ChAT-Cre) significantly alters the functional output of the motor unit as measured with compound muscle action potential and motor unit number estimation. However ChAT-Cre alone did not alter the survival of SMA mice by replacement and did not appreciably affect survival when used to deplete SMN. However replacement of Smn in both neurons and glia in addition to the motor neuron (Nestin-Cre and ChAT-Cre) resulted in the greatest improvement in survival of the mouse and in some instances complete rescue was achieved. These findings demonstrate that high expression of SMN in the motor neuron is both necessary and sufficient for proper function of the motor unit. Furthermore, in the mouse high expression of SMN in neurons and glia, in addition to motor neurons, has a major impact on survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vicki L McGovern
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Chitra C Iyer
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - W David Arnold
- Department of Neurology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA and
| | - Sara E Gombash
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA and
| | | | - Anton J Blatnik
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Kevin D Foust
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA and
| | - Arthur H M Burghes
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA Department of Neurology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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44
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Yi F, Catudio-Garrett E, Gábriel R, Wilhelm M, Erdelyi F, Szabo G, Deisseroth K, Lawrence J. Hippocampal "cholinergic interneurons" visualized with the choline acetyltransferase promoter: anatomical distribution, intrinsic membrane properties, neurochemical characteristics, and capacity for cholinergic modulation. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2015; 7:4. [PMID: 25798106 PMCID: PMC4351620 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2015.00004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2014] [Accepted: 02/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Release of acetylcholine (ACh) in the hippocampus (HC) occurs during exploration, arousal, and learning. Although the medial septum-diagonal band of Broca (MS-DBB) is the major extrinsic source of cholinergic input to the HC, cholinergic neurons intrinsic to the HC also exist but remain poorly understood. Here, ChAT-tauGFP and ChAT-CRE/Rosa26YFP (ChAT-Rosa) mice were examined in HC. The HC of ChAT-tauGFP mice was densely innervated with GFP-positive axons, often accompanied by large GFP-positive structures, some of which were Neurotrace/DAPI-negative and likely represent large axon terminals. In the HC of ChAT-Rosa mice, ChAT-YFP cells were Neurotrace-positive and more abundant in CA3 and dentate gyrus than CA1 with partial overlap with calretinin/VIP. Moreover, an anti-ChAT antibody consistently showed ChAT immunoreactivity in ChAT-YFP cells from MS-DBB but rarely from HC. Furthermore, ChAT-YFP cells from CA1 stratum radiatum/stratum lacunosum moleculare (SR/SLM) exhibited a stuttering firing phenotype but a delayed firing phenotype in stratum pyramidale (SP) of CA3. Input resistance and capacitance were also different between CA1 SR/LM and CA3 SP ChAT-YFP cells. Bath application of ACh increased firing frequency in all ChAT-YFP cells; however, cholinergic modulation was larger in CA1 SR/SLM than CA3 SP ChAT-YFP cells. Finally, CA3 SP ChAT-YFP cells exhibited a wider AP half-width and weaker cholinergic modulation than YFP-negative CA3 pyramidal cells. Consistent with CRE expression in a subpopulation of principal cells, optogenetic stimulation evoked glutamatergic postsynaptic currents in CA1 SR/SLM interneurons. In conclusion, the presence of fluorescently labeled hippocampal cells common to both ChAT-tauGFP and ChAT-Rosa mice are in good agreement with previous reports on the existence of cholinergic interneurons, but both transgenic mouse lines exhibited unexpected anatomical features that departed considerably from earlier observations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Yi
- COBRE Center for Structural and Functional Neuroscience, The University of Montana Missoula, MT, USA ; Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Montana Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Elizabeth Catudio-Garrett
- COBRE Center for Structural and Functional Neuroscience, The University of Montana Missoula, MT, USA ; Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Montana Missoula, MT, USA ; Davidson's Honors College, The University of Montana Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Robert Gábriel
- Department of Experimental Zoology and Neurobiology, University of Pécs Pécs, Hungary ; János Szentágothai Research Center Pécs, Hungary
| | - Marta Wilhelm
- Department of Experimental Zoology and Neurobiology, University of Pécs Pécs, Hungary ; Department of Sport Biology, University of Pécs Pécs, Hungary
| | - Ferenc Erdelyi
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gabor Szabo
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences Budapest, Hungary
| | - Karl Deisseroth
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Josh Lawrence
- COBRE Center for Structural and Functional Neuroscience, The University of Montana Missoula, MT, USA ; Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Montana Missoula, MT, USA
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Wilhelm M, Lawrence JJ, Gábriel R. Enteric plexuses of two choline-acetyltransferase transgenic mouse lines: chemical neuroanatomy of the fluorescent protein-expressing nerve cells. Brain Res Bull 2015; 111:76-83. [PMID: 25592616 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2015.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2014] [Revised: 12/23/2014] [Accepted: 01/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
We studied cholinergic circuit elements in the enteric nervous system (ENS) of two distinct transgenic mouse lines in which fluorescent protein expression was driven by the choline-acetyltransferase (ChAT) promoter. In the first mouse line, green fluorescent protein was fused to the tau gene. This construct allowed the visualization of the fiber tracts and ganglia, however the nerve cells were poorly resolved. In the second mouse line (ChATcre-YFP), CRE/loxP recombination yielded cytosolic expression of yellow fluorescent protein (YFP). In these preparations the morphology of enteric neurons could be well studied. We also determined the neurochemical identity of ENS neurons in muscular and submucous layers using antibodies against YFP, calretinin (CALR), calbindin (CALB), and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP). Confocal microscopic imaging was used to visualize fluorescently-conjugated secondary antibodies. In ChATcre-YFP preparations, YFP was readily apparent in somatodendritic regions of ENS neurons. In the myenteric plexus, YFP/CALR/VIP staining revealed that 34% of cholinergic cells co-labeled with CALR. Few single-stained CR-positive cells were observed. Neither YFP nor CALR co-localized with VIP. In GFP/CALB/CALR staining, all co-localization combinations were represented. In the submucosal plexus, YFP/CALR/VIP staining revealed discrete neuronal populations. However, in separate preparations, double labeling was observed for YFP/CALR and CALR/VIP. In YFP/CALR/CALB staining, all combinations of double staining and triple labeling were verified. In conclusion, the neurochemical coding of ENS neurons in these mouse lines is consistent with many observations in non-transgenic animals. Thus, they provide useful tools for physiological and pharmacological studies on distinct neurochemical subtypes of ENS neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Márta Wilhelm
- Institute of Sport Sciences and Physical Education, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - J Josh Lawrence
- COBRE Center for Structural and Functional Neuroscience; Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - Robert Gábriel
- Department of Experimental Zoology and Neurobiology, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
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Sox2 regulates cholinergic amacrine cell positioning and dendritic stratification in the retina. J Neurosci 2014; 34:10109-21. [PMID: 25057212 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0415-14.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The retina contains two populations of cholinergic amacrine cells, one positioned in the ganglion cell layer (GCL) and the other in the inner nuclear layer (INL), that together comprise ∼1/2 of a percent of all retinal neurons. The present study examined the genetic control of cholinergic amacrine cell number and distribution between these two layers. The total number of cholinergic amacrine cells was quantified in the C57BL/6J and A/J inbred mouse strains, and in 25 recombinant inbred strains derived from them, and variations in their number and ratio (GCL/INL) across these strains were mapped to genomic loci. The total cholinergic amacrine cell number was found to vary across the strains, from 27,000 to 40,000 cells, despite little variation within individual strains. The number of cells was always lower within the GCL relative to the INL, and the sizes of the two populations were strongly correlated, yet there was variation in their ratio between the strains. Approximately 1/3 of that variation in cell ratio was mapped to a locus on chromosome 3, where Sex determining region Y box 2 (Sox2) was identified as a candidate gene due to the presence of a 6-nucleotide insertion in the protein-coding sequence in C57BL/6J and because of robust and selective expression in cholinergic amacrine cells. Conditionally deleting Sox2 from the population of nascent cholinergic amacrine cells perturbed the normal ratio of cells situated in the GCL versus the INL and induced a bistratifying morphology, with dendrites distributed to both ON and OFF strata within the inner plexiform layer.
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Liu B, Hunter DJ, Smith AA, Chen S, Helms JA. The capacity of neural crest-derived stem cells for ocular repair. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 102:299-308. [DOI: 10.1002/bdrc.21077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2014] [Accepted: 08/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bo Liu
- Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery; Department of Surgery School of Medicine; Stanford University; Stanford California
| | - Daniel J. Hunter
- Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery; Department of Surgery School of Medicine; Stanford University; Stanford California
| | - Andrew A. Smith
- Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery; Department of Surgery School of Medicine; Stanford University; Stanford California
| | - Serafine Chen
- Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery; Department of Surgery School of Medicine; Stanford University; Stanford California
| | - Jill A. Helms
- Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery; Department of Surgery School of Medicine; Stanford University; Stanford California
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Vlasits AL, Bos R, Morrie RD, Fortuny C, Flannery JG, Feller MB, Rivlin-Etzion M. Visual stimulation switches the polarity of excitatory input to starburst amacrine cells. Neuron 2014; 83:1172-84. [PMID: 25155960 PMCID: PMC4161675 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2014.07.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Direction-selective ganglion cells (DSGCs) are tuned to motion in one direction. Starburst amacrine cells (SACs) are thought to mediate this direction selectivity through precise anatomical wiring to DSGCs. Nevertheless, we previously found that visual adaptation can reverse DSGCs's directional tuning, overcoming the circuit anatomy. Here we explore the role of SACs in the generation and adaptation of direction selectivity. First, using pharmacogenetics and two-photon calcium imaging, we validate that SACs are necessary for direction selectivity. Next, we demonstrate that exposure to an adaptive stimulus dramatically alters SACs' synaptic inputs. Specifically, after visual adaptation, On-SACs lose their excitatory input during light onset but gain an excitatory input during light offset. Our data suggest that visual stimulation alters the interactions between rod- and cone-mediated inputs that converge on the terminals of On-cone BCs. These results demonstrate how the sensory environment can modify computations performed by anatomically defined neuronal circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna L Vlasits
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Rémi Bos
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Ryan D Morrie
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Cécile Fortuny
- Vision Science Graduate Program, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - John G Flannery
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Vision Science Graduate Program, 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 & Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
| | - Michal Rivlin-Etzion
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel.
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Abstract
A major stumbling block to understanding neural circuits is the extreme anatomical and functional diversity of interneurons. Subsets of interneurons can be targeted for manipulation using Cre mouse lines, but Cre expression is rarely confined to a single interneuron type. It is essential to have a strategy that further restricts labeling in Cre driver lines. We now describe an approach that combines Cre driver mice, recombinant adeno-associated virus, and rabies virus to produce sparse but binary labeling of select interneurons--frequently only a single cell in a large region. We used this approach to characterize the retinal amacrine and ganglion cell types in five GABAergic Cre mouse (Mus musculus) lines, and identified two new amacrine cell types: an asymmetric medium-field type and a wide-field type. We also labeled several wide-field amacrine cell types that have been previously identified based on morphology but whose connectivity and function had not been systematically studied due to lack of genetic markers. All Cre-expressing amacrine cells labeled with an antibody to GABA. Cre-expressing RGCs lacked GABA labeling and included classically defined as well as recently identified types. In addition to the retina, our technique leads to sparse labeling of neurons in the cortex, lateral geniculate nucleus, and superior colliculus, and can be used to express optogenetic tools such as channelrhodopsin and protein sensors such as GCaMP. The Cre drivers identified in this study provide genetic access to otherwise hard to access cell types for systematic analysis including anatomical characterization, physiological recording, optogenetic and/or chemical manipulation, and circuit mapping.
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Hoon M, Okawa H, Della Santina L, Wong ROL. Functional architecture of the retina: development and disease. Prog Retin Eye Res 2014; 42:44-84. [PMID: 24984227 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2014.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 338] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2014] [Revised: 06/08/2014] [Accepted: 06/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Structure and function are highly correlated in the vertebrate retina, a sensory tissue that is organized into cell layers with microcircuits working in parallel and together to encode visual information. All vertebrate retinas share a fundamental plan, comprising five major neuronal cell classes with cell body distributions and connectivity arranged in stereotypic patterns. Conserved features in retinal design have enabled detailed analysis and comparisons of structure, connectivity and function across species. Each species, however, can adopt structural and/or functional retinal specializations, implementing variations to the basic design in order to satisfy unique requirements in visual function. Recent advances in molecular tools, imaging and electrophysiological approaches have greatly facilitated identification of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that establish the fundamental organization of the retina and the specializations of its microcircuits during development. Here, we review advances in our understanding of how these mechanisms act to shape structure and function at the single cell level, to coordinate the assembly of cell populations, and to define their specific circuitry. We also highlight how structure is rearranged and function is disrupted in disease, and discuss current approaches to re-establish the intricate functional architecture of the retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mrinalini Hoon
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Haruhisa Okawa
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Luca Della Santina
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Rachel O L Wong
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
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