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Longcore T, Villanueva SAMB, Nguyen-Ngo K, Ghiani CA, Harrison B, Colwell CS. Relative importance of intensity and spectrum of artificial light at night in disrupting behavior of a nocturnal rodent. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb247235. [PMID: 38873751 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.247235] [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: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
The influence of light spectral properties on circadian rhythms is of substantial interest to laboratory-based investigation of the circadian system and to field-based understanding of the effects of artificial light at night. The trade-offs between intensity and spectrum regarding masking behaviors are largely unknown, even for well-studied organisms. We used a custom LED illumination system to document the response of wild-type house mice (Mus musculus) to 1-h nocturnal exposure of all combinations of four intensity levels (0.01, 0.5, 5 and 50 lx) and three correlated color temperatures (CCT; 1750, 1950 and 3000 K). Higher intensities of light (50 lx) suppressed cage activity substantially, and consistently more for the higher CCT light (91% for 3000 K, 53% for 1750 K). At the lowest intensity (0.01 lx), mean activity was increased, with the greatest increases for the lowest CCT (12.3% increase at 1750 K, 3% increase at 3000 K). Multiple linear regression confirmed the influence of both CCT and intensity on changes in activity, with the scaled effect size of intensity 3.6 times greater than that of CCT. Activity suppression was significantly lower for male than for female mice. Assessment of light-evoked cFos expression in the suprachiasmatic nucleus at 50 lx showed no significant difference between high and low CCT exposure. The significant differences by spectral composition illustrate a need to account for light spectrum in circadian studies of behavior, and confirm that spectral controls can mitigate some, but certainly not all, of the effects of light pollution on species in the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
- Travis Longcore
- UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, 619 Charles E. Young Drive East, La Kretz Hall, Suite 300, Box 951496, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1496, USA
| | - Sophia Anne Marie B Villanueva
- UCLA Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, 612 Charles E. Young Drive East, Box 957246, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7246, USA
- UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, 760 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Kyle Nguyen-Ngo
- UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, 760 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Cristina A Ghiani
- UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, 760 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- UCLA Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1732, USA
| | - Benjamin Harrison
- Korrus, Inc., 837 North Spring Street, Suite 103, Los Angeles, CA 90012, USA
| | - Christopher S Colwell
- UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, 760 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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2
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Franke K, Cai C, Ponder K, Fu J, Sokoloski S, Berens P, Tolias AS. Asymmetric distribution of color-opponent response types across mouse visual cortex supports superior color vision in the sky. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.06.01.543054. [PMID: 37333280 PMCID: PMC10274736 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.01.543054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Color is an important visual feature that informs behavior, and the retinal basis for color vision has been studied across various vertebrate species. While many studies have investigated how color information is processed in visual brain areas of primate species, we have limited understanding of how it is organized beyond the retina in other species, including most dichromatic mammals. In this study, we systematically characterized how color is represented in the primary visual cortex (V1) of mice. Using large-scale neuronal recordings and a luminance and color noise stimulus, we found that more than a third of neurons in mouse V1 are color-opponent in their receptive field center, while the receptive field surround predominantly captures luminance contrast. Furthermore, we found that color-opponency is especially pronounced in posterior V1 that encodes the sky, matching the statistics of natural scenes experienced by mice. Using unsupervised clustering, we demonstrate that the asymmetry in color representations across cortex can be explained by an uneven distribution of green-On/UV-Off color-opponent response types that are represented in the upper visual field. Finally, a simple model with natural scene-inspired parametric stimuli shows that green-On/UV-Off color-opponent response types may enhance the detection of "predatory"-like dark UV-objects in noisy daylight scenes. The results from this study highlight the relevance of color processing in the mouse visual system and contribute to our understanding of how color information is organized in the visual hierarchy across species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin Franke
- Department of Ophthalmology, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, US
- Stanford Bio-X, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, US
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, US
- Department of Neuroscience & Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Chenchen Cai
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Graduate Training Center of Neuroscience, International Max Planck Research School, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Kayla Ponder
- Department of Neuroscience & Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jiakun Fu
- Department of Neuroscience & Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sacha Sokoloski
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Hertie Institute for AI in Brain Health, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Philipp Berens
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Hertie Institute for AI in Brain Health, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Andreas S Tolias
- Department of Ophthalmology, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, US
- Stanford Bio-X, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, US
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, US
- Department of Neuroscience & Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, US
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3
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Curto Y, Carceller H, Klimczak P, Perez-Rando M, Wang Q, Grewe K, Kawaguchi R, Rizzoli S, Geschwind D, Nave KA, Teruel-Marti V, Singh M, Ehrenreich H, Nácher J. Erythropoietin restrains the inhibitory potential of interneurons in the mouse hippocampus. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02528-2. [PMID: 38622200 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02528-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Severe psychiatric illnesses, for instance schizophrenia, and affective diseases or autism spectrum disorders, have been associated with cognitive impairment and perturbed excitatory-inhibitory balance in the brain. Effects in juvenile mice can elucidate how erythropoietin (EPO) might aid in rectifying hippocampal transcriptional networks and synaptic structures of pyramidal lineages, conceivably explaining mitigation of neuropsychiatric diseases. An imminent conundrum is how EPO restores synapses by involving interneurons. By analyzing ~12,000 single-nuclei transcriptomic data, we generated a comprehensive molecular atlas of hippocampal interneurons, resolved into 15 interneuron subtypes. Next, we studied molecular alterations upon recombinant human (rh)EPO and saw that gene expression changes relate to synaptic structure, trans-synaptic signaling and intracellular catabolic pathways. Putative ligand-receptor interactions between pyramidal and inhibitory neurons, regulating synaptogenesis, are altered upon rhEPO. An array of in/ex vivo experiments confirms that specific interneuronal populations exhibit reduced dendritic complexity, synaptic connectivity, and changes in plasticity-related molecules. Metabolism and inhibitory potential of interneuron subgroups are compromised, leading to greater excitability of pyramidal neurons. To conclude, improvement by rhEPO of neuropsychiatric phenotypes may partly owe to restrictive control over interneurons, facilitating re-connectivity and synapse development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasmina Curto
- Clinical Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, City Campus, Göttingen, Germany
- Neuroplasticity Unit, Program in Neurosciences and Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain
| | - Héctor Carceller
- Neuroplasticity Unit, Program in Neurosciences and Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain
- Spanish National Network for Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
- Fundación Investigación Hospital Clínico de Valencia, INCLIVA, Valencia, Spain
| | - Patrycja Klimczak
- Neuroplasticity Unit, Program in Neurosciences and Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain
- Spanish National Network for Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
- Fundación Investigación Hospital Clínico de Valencia, INCLIVA, Valencia, Spain
| | - Marta Perez-Rando
- Neuroplasticity Unit, Program in Neurosciences and Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain
- Spanish National Network for Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
- Fundación Investigación Hospital Clínico de Valencia, INCLIVA, Valencia, Spain
| | - Qing Wang
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Katharina Grewe
- Department of Neuro- & Sensory Physiology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Riki Kawaguchi
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Silvio Rizzoli
- Department of Neuro- & Sensory Physiology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Daniel Geschwind
- Institute of Precision Health, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Klaus-Armin Nave
- Department of Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, City Campus, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Vicent Teruel-Marti
- Neuronal Circuits Laboratory, Department of Anatomy and Human Embryology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Manvendra Singh
- Clinical Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, City Campus, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Hannelore Ehrenreich
- Clinical Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, City Campus, Göttingen, Germany.
- Georg-August-University, Göttingen, Germany.
- Experimental Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, J 5, Mannheim, Germany.
| | - Juan Nácher
- Neuroplasticity Unit, Program in Neurosciences and Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain.
- Spanish National Network for Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain.
- Fundación Investigación Hospital Clínico de Valencia, INCLIVA, Valencia, Spain.
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4
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Lucas RJ, Allen AE, Brainard GC, Brown TM, Dauchy RT, Didikoglu A, Do MTH, Gaskill BN, Hattar S, Hawkins P, Hut RA, McDowell RJ, Nelson RJ, Prins JB, Schmidt TM, Takahashi JS, Verma V, Voikar V, Wells S, Peirson SN. Recommendations for measuring and standardizing light for laboratory mammals to improve welfare and reproducibility in animal research. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002535. [PMID: 38470868 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Light enables vision and exerts widespread effects on physiology and behavior, including regulating circadian rhythms, sleep, hormone synthesis, affective state, and cognitive processes. Appropriate lighting in animal facilities may support welfare and ensure that animals enter experiments in an appropriate physiological and behavioral state. Furthermore, proper consideration of light during experimentation is important both when it is explicitly employed as an independent variable and as a general feature of the environment. This Consensus View discusses metrics to use for the quantification of light appropriate for nonhuman mammals and their application to improve animal welfare and the quality of animal research. It provides methods for measuring these metrics, practical guidance for their implementation in husbandry and experimentation, and quantitative guidance on appropriate light exposure for laboratory mammals. The guidance provided has the potential to improve data quality and contribute to reduction and refinement, helping to ensure more ethical animal use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Lucas
- Centre for Biological Timing, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Annette E Allen
- Centre for Biological Timing, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - George C Brainard
- Department of Neurology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Timothy M Brown
- Centre for Biological Timing, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Robert T Dauchy
- Department of Structural and Cellular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, Tulane, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Altug Didikoglu
- Department of Neuroscience, Izmir Institute of Technology, Gülbahçe, Urla, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Michael Tri H Do
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center and Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Center for Life Science, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Brianna N Gaskill
- Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Samer Hattar
- Section on Light and Circadian Rhythms (SLCR), National Institute of Mental Health, John Edward Porter Neuroscience Research Center, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | | | - Roelof A Hut
- Chronobiology Unit, Groningen Institute of Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Richard J McDowell
- Centre for Biological Timing, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Randy J Nelson
- Department of Neuroscience, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, United States of America
| | - Jan-Bas Prins
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
- Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Tiffany M Schmidt
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Joseph S Takahashi
- Department of Neuroscience, Peter O'Donnell Jr Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States of America
| | - Vandana Verma
- NASA Ames Research Center, Space Biosciences Division, Moffett Field, California, United States of America
| | - Vootele Voikar
- Laboratory Animal Center and Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sara Wells
- The Mary Lyon Centre, MRC Harwell, Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
| | - Stuart N Peirson
- Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute (SCNi), Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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5
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Feord RC, Gomoliszewska A, Pienaar A, Mouland JW, Brown TM. Colour opponency is widespread across the mouse subcortical visual system and differentially targets GABAergic and non-GABAergic neurons. Sci Rep 2023; 13:9313. [PMID: 37291239 PMCID: PMC10250360 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-35885-z] [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: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Colour vision plays many important roles in animal behaviour but the brain pathways processing colour remain surprisingly poorly understood, including in the most commonly used laboratory mammal, mice. Indeed, particular features of mouse retinal organisation present challenges in defining the mechanisms underlying colour vision in mice and have led to suggestions that this may substantially rely on 'non-classical' rod-cone opponency. By contrast, studies using mice with altered cone spectral sensitivity, to facilitate application of photoreceptor-selective stimuli, have revealed widespread cone-opponency across the subcortical visual system. To determine the extent to which such findings are truly reflective of wildtype mouse colour vision, and facilitate neural circuit mapping of colour-processing pathways using intersectional genetic approaches, we here establish and validate stimuli for selectively manipulating excitation of the native mouse S- and M-cone opsin classes. We then use these to confirm the widespread appearance of cone-opponency (> 25% of neurons) across the mouse visual thalamus and pretectum. We further extend these approaches to map the occurrence of colour-opponency across optogenetically identified GABAergic (GAD2-expressing) cells in key non-image forming visual centres (pretectum and intergeniculate leaflet/ventral lateral geniculate; IGL/vLGN). Strikingly, throughout, we find S-ON/M-OFF opponency is specifically enriched in non-GABAergic cells, with identified GABAergic cells in the IGL/VLGN entirely lacking this property. Collectively, therefore, we establish an important new approach for studying cone function in mice, confirming a surprisingly extensive appearance of cone-opponent processing in the mouse visual system and providing new insight into functional specialisation of the pathways processing such signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- R C Feord
- Centre for Biological Timing, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - A Gomoliszewska
- Centre for Biological Timing, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - A Pienaar
- Centre for Biological Timing, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - J W Mouland
- Centre for Biological Timing, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - T M Brown
- Centre for Biological Timing, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
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6
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Brown DM, Yu J, Kumar P, Paulus QM, Kowalski MA, Patel JM, Kane MA, Ethier CR, Pardue MT. Exogenous All-Trans Retinoic Acid Induces Myopia and Alters Scleral Biomechanics in Mice. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2023; 64:22. [PMID: 37219510 PMCID: PMC10210516 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.64.5.22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Ocular all-trans retinoic acid (atRA) levels are influenced by visual cues, and exogenous atRA has been shown to increase eye size in chickens and guinea pigs. However, it is not clear whether atRA induces myopic axial elongation via scleral changes. Here, we test the hypothesis that exogenous atRA will induce myopia and alter scleral biomechanics in the mouse. Methods Male C57BL/6J mice were trained to voluntarily ingest atRA + vehicle (1% atRA in sugar, 25 mg/kg) (RA: n = 16 animals) or vehicle only (Ctrl: n = 14 animals). Refractive error (RE) and ocular biometry were measured at baseline and after 1 and 2 weeks of daily atRA treatment. Eyes were used in ex vivo assays to measure scleral biomechanics (unconfined compression: n = 18), total scleral sulfated glycosaminoglycan (sGAG) content (dimethylmethylene blue: n = 23), and specific sGAGs (immunohistochemistry: n = 18). Results Exogenous atRA caused myopic RE and larger vitreous chamber depth (VCD) to develop by 1 week (RE: -3.7 ± 2.2 diopters [D], P < 0.001; VCD: +20.7 ± 15.1 µm, P < 0.001), becoming more severe by 2 weeks (RE: -5.7 ± 2.2 D, P < 0.001; VCD: +32.3 ± 25.8 µm, P < 0.001). The anterior eye biometry was unaffected. While scleral sGAG content was not measurably affected, scleral biomechanics were significantly altered (tensile stiffness: -30% ± 19.5%, P < 0.001; permeability: +60% ± 95.3%, P < 0.001). Conclusions In mice, atRA treatment results in an axial myopia phenotype. Eyes developed myopic RE and larger VCD without the anterior eye being affected. The decrease in stiffness and increase in permeability of the sclera are consistent with the form-deprivation myopia phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dillon M. Brown
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology/Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
- Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
| | - Jianshi Yu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
| | - Praveen Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
| | - Quinn M. Paulus
- Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
| | - Michael A. Kowalski
- Department of Orthopaedics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
| | - Jay M. Patel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology/Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
- Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
- Department of Orthopaedics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
| | - Maureen A. Kane
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
| | - C. Ross Ethier
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology/Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
| | - Machelle T. Pardue
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology/Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
- Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
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7
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Qiu Y, Klindt DA, Szatko KP, Gonschorek D, Hoefling L, Schubert T, Busse L, Bethge M, Euler T. Efficient coding of natural scenes improves neural system identification. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1011037. [PMID: 37093861 PMCID: PMC10159360 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Neural system identification aims at learning the response function of neurons to arbitrary stimuli using experimentally recorded data, but typically does not leverage normative principles such as efficient coding of natural environments. Visual systems, however, have evolved to efficiently process input from the natural environment. Here, we present a normative network regularization for system identification models by incorporating, as a regularizer, the efficient coding hypothesis, which states that neural response properties of sensory representations are strongly shaped by the need to preserve most of the stimulus information with limited resources. Using this approach, we explored if a system identification model can be improved by sharing its convolutional filters with those of an autoencoder which aims to efficiently encode natural stimuli. To this end, we built a hybrid model to predict the responses of retinal neurons to noise stimuli. This approach did not only yield a higher performance than the "stand-alone" system identification model, it also produced more biologically plausible filters, meaning that they more closely resembled neural representation in early visual systems. We found these results applied to retinal responses to different artificial stimuli and across model architectures. Moreover, our normatively regularized model performed particularly well in predicting responses of direction-of-motion sensitive retinal neurons. The benefit of natural scene statistics became marginal, however, for predicting the responses to natural movies. In summary, our results indicate that efficiently encoding environmental inputs can improve system identification models, at least for noise stimuli, and point to the benefit of probing the visual system with naturalistic stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongrong Qiu
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, U Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), U Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience (GTC), International Max Planck Research School, U Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - David A Klindt
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, U Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), U Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Klaudia P Szatko
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, U Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), U Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience (GTC), International Max Planck Research School, U Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Dominic Gonschorek
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, U Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), U Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Research Training Group 2381, U Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Larissa Hoefling
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, U Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), U Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Timm Schubert
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, U Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), U Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Laura Busse
- Division of Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Matthias Bethge
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), U Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Tübingen, Germany
- Institute for Theoretical Physics, U Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Thomas Euler
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, U Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), U Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Tübingen, Germany
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8
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Fei Z, Fei F, Huan Y, Wu XQ, Chen T, Dou YN, Jia B, He X, Wei DY. Necroptosis plays a crucial role in the exacerbation of retinal injury after blunt ocular trauma. Neural Regen Res 2023; 18:922-928. [DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.353848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
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9
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Abstract
The mouse has dichromatic color vision based on two different types of opsins: short (S)- and middle (M)-wavelength-sensitive opsins with peak sensitivity to ultraviolet (UV; 360 nm) and green light (508 nm), respectively. In the mouse retina, cone photoreceptors that predominantly express the S-opsin are more sensitive to contrasts and denser towards the ventral retina, preferentially sampling the upper part of the visual field. In contrast, the expression of the M-opsin gradually increases towards the dorsal retina that encodes the lower visual field. Such a distinctive retinal organization is assumed to arise from a selective pressure in evolution to efficiently encode the natural scenes. However, natural image statistics of UV light remain largely unexplored. Here we developed a multi-spectral camera to acquire high-quality UV and green images of the same natural scenes, and examined the optimality of the mouse retina to the image statistics. We found that the local contrast and the spatial correlation were both higher in UV than in green for images above the horizon, but lower in UV than in green for those below the horizon. This suggests that the dorsoventral functional division of the mouse retina is not optimal for maximizing the bandwidth of information transmission. Factors besides the coding efficiency, such as visual behavioral requirements, will thus need to be considered to fully explain the characteristic organization of the mouse retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Abballe
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Hiroki Asari
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Epigenetics and Neurobiology Unit, EMBL Rome, Monterotondo, Rome, Italy
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10
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Vit JP, Fuchs DT, Angel A, Levy A, Lamensdorf I, Black KL, Koronyo Y, Koronyo-Hamaoui M. Visual-stimuli Four-arm Maze test to Assess Cognition and Vision in Mice. Bio Protoc 2021; 11:e4234. [PMID: 34909455 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.4234] [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: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual impairments, notably loss of contrast sensitivity and color vision, were documented in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients yet are critically understudied. This protocol describes a novel visual-stimuli four-arm maze (ViS4M; also called visual x-maze), which is a versatile x-shaped maze equipped with spectrum- and intensity-controlled light-emitting diode (LED) sources and dynamic grayscale objects. The ViS4M is designed to allow the assessment of color and contrast vision along with locomotor and cognitive functions in mice. In the color testing mode, the spectral distributions of the LED lights create four homogenous spaces that differ in chromaticity and luminance, corresponding to the mouse visual system. In the contrast sensitivity test, the four grayscale objects are placed in the middle of each arm, contrasting against the black walls and the white floors of the maze. Upon entering the maze, healthy wild-type (WT) mice tend to spontaneously alternate between arms, even under equiluminant conditions of illumination, suggesting that cognitively and visually intact mice use both color and brightness as cues to navigate the maze. Evaluation of the double-transgenic APPSWE/PS1ΔE9 mouse model of AD (AD+ mice) reveals substantial deficits to alternate in both color and contrast modes at an early age, when hippocampal-based memory and learning is still intact. Profiling of timespan, entries, and transition patterns between the different arms uncovers variable aging and AD-associated impairments in color discrimination and contrast sensitivity. The analysis of arm sequences of alternation reveals different pathways of exploration in young WT, old WT, and AD+ mice, which can be used as color and contrast imprints of functionally intact versus impaired mice. Overall, we describe the utility of a novel visual x-maze test to identify behavioral changes in mice related to cognition, as well as color and contrast vision, with high precision and reproducibility. Graphic abstract: Exploratory behavior of AD+ mice versus age- and sex-matched WT mice is tracked (top left: trajectory from a 5-min video file) in a novel visual-stimuli four-arm maze (ViS4M; also named visual x-maze) equipped with spectrum- and intensity-controlled LED sources or grayscale objects. Consecutive arm entries reveal that APPSWE/PS1ΔE9 (AD+) mice alternate less between arms, as opposed to WT mice. Sequence analysis, according to the three alternation pathways (depicted by white, yellow, and brown arrows) under different conditions of illumination, uncovers specific deficits linked to color vision in AD+ mice, evidenced by a color imprint chart.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Philippe Vit
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Dieu-Trang Fuchs
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | | | | | | | - Keith L Black
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Yosef Koronyo
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Maya Koronyo-Hamaoui
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Applied Cell Biology and Physiology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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11
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Hauzman E, Pierotti MER, Bhattacharyya N, Tashiro JH, Yovanovich CAM, Campos PF, Ventura DF, Chang BSW. Simultaneous expression of UV and violet SWS1 opsins expands the visual palette in a group of freshwater snakes. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:5225-5240. [PMID: 34562092 PMCID: PMC8662652 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Snakes are known to express a rod visual opsin and two cone opsins, only (SWS1, LWS), a reduced palette resulting from their supposedly fossorial origins. Dipsadid snakes in the genus Helicops are highly visual predators that successfully invaded freshwater habitats from ancestral terrestrial-only habitats. Here, we report the first case of multiple SWS1 visual pigments in a vertebrate, simultaneously expressed in different photoreceptors and conferring both UV and violet sensitivity to Helicops snakes. Molecular analysis and in vitro expression confirmed the presence of two functional SWS1 opsins, likely the result of recent gene duplication. Evolutionary analyses indicate that each sws1 variant has undergone different evolutionary paths with strong purifying selection acting on the UV-sensitive copy and dN/dS ∼1 on the violet-sensitive copy. Site-directed mutagenesis points to the functional role of a single amino acid substitution, Phe86Val, in the large spectral shift between UV and violet opsins. In addition, higher densities of photoreceptors and SWS1 cones in the ventral retina suggest improved acuity in the upper visual field possibly correlated with visually guided behaviors. The expanded visual opsin repertoire and specialized retinal architecture are likely to improve photon uptake in underwater and terrestrial environments, and provide the neural substrate for a gain in chromatic discrimination, potentially conferring unique color vision in the UV–violet range. Our findings highlight the innovative solutions undertaken by a highly specialized lineage to tackle the challenges imposed by the invasion of novel photic environments and the extraordinary diversity of evolutionary trajectories taken by visual opsin-based perception in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Einat Hauzman
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Psychology Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Michele E R Pierotti
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Nihar Bhattacharyya
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Juliana H Tashiro
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Psychology Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carola A M Yovanovich
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Pollyanna F Campos
- Laboratório de Toxinologia Aplicada, Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signaling (CeTICS), Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Dora F Ventura
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Psychology Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Belinda S W Chang
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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12
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Villafranca-Faus M, Vila-Martín ME, Esteve D, Merino E, Teruel-Sanchis A, Cervera-Ferri A, Martínez-Ricós J, Lloret A, Lanuza E, Teruel-Martí V. Integrating pheromonal and spatial information in the amygdalo-hippocampal network. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5286. [PMID: 34489431 PMCID: PMC8421364 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25442-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Vomeronasal information is critical in mice for territorial behavior. Consequently, learning the territorial spatial structure should incorporate the vomeronasal signals indicating individual identity into the hippocampal cognitive map. In this work we show in mice that navigating a virtual environment induces synchronic activity, with causality in both directionalities, between the vomeronasal amygdala and the dorsal CA1 of the hippocampus in the theta frequency range. The detection of urine stimuli induces synaptic plasticity in the vomeronasal pathway and the dorsal hippocampus, even in animals with experimentally induced anosmia. In the dorsal hippocampus, this plasticity is associated with the overexpression of pAKT and pGSK3β. An amygdalo-entorhino-hippocampal circuit likely underlies this effect of pheromonal information on hippocampal learning. This circuit likely constitutes the neural substrate of territorial behavior in mice, and it allows the integration of social and spatial information.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Villafranca-Faus
- Neuronal Circuits Laboratory, Dept. of Anatomy and Human Embriology, Faculty of Medicine, University de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Manuel Esteban Vila-Martín
- Neuronal Circuits Laboratory, Dept. of Anatomy and Human Embriology, Faculty of Medicine, University de València, Valencia, Spain
- Laboratori de Neuranatomia Funcional, Dept. de Biologia Cel·lular, Fac. CC. Biològiques, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Daniel Esteve
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Valencia, Health Research Institute INCLIVA, CIBERFES, Valencia, Spain
| | - Esteban Merino
- Neuronal Circuits Laboratory, Dept. of Anatomy and Human Embriology, Faculty of Medicine, University de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Anna Teruel-Sanchis
- Neuronal Circuits Laboratory, Dept. of Anatomy and Human Embriology, Faculty of Medicine, University de València, Valencia, Spain
- Laboratori de Neuranatomia Funcional, Dept. de Biologia Cel·lular, Fac. CC. Biològiques, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Ana Cervera-Ferri
- Neuronal Circuits Laboratory, Dept. of Anatomy and Human Embriology, Faculty of Medicine, University de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Joana Martínez-Ricós
- Neuronal Circuits Laboratory, Dept. of Anatomy and Human Embriology, Faculty of Medicine, University de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Ana Lloret
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Valencia, Health Research Institute INCLIVA, CIBERFES, Valencia, Spain
| | - Enrique Lanuza
- Neuronal Circuits Laboratory, Dept. of Anatomy and Human Embriology, Faculty of Medicine, University de València, Valencia, Spain.
- Laboratori de Neuranatomia Funcional, Dept. de Biologia Cel·lular, Fac. CC. Biològiques, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain.
| | - Vicent Teruel-Martí
- Neuronal Circuits Laboratory, Dept. of Anatomy and Human Embriology, Faculty of Medicine, University de València, Valencia, Spain.
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13
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Visual stimulation with blue wavelength light drives V1 effectively eliminating stray light contamination during two-photon calcium imaging. J Neurosci Methods 2021; 362:109287. [PMID: 34256082 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2021.109287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 06/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Brain visual circuits are often studied in vivo by imaging Ca2+ indicators with green-shifted emission spectra. Polychromatic white visual stimuli have a spectrum that partially overlaps indicators´ emission spectra, resulting in significant contamination of calcium signals. NEW METHOD To overcome light contamination problems we choose blue visual stimuli, having a spectral composition not overlapping with Ca2+ indicator´s emission spectrum. To compare visual responsiveness to blue and white stimuli we used electrophysiology (visual evoked potentials -VEPs) and 3D acousto-optic two-photon (2P) population Ca2+ imaging in mouse primary visual cortex (V1). RESULTS VEPs in response to blue and white stimuli had comparable peak amplitudes and latencies. Ca2+ imaging in a Thy1 GP4.3 line revealed that the populations of neurons responding to blue and white stimuli were largely overlapping, that their responses had similar amplitudes, and that functional response properties such as orientation and direction selectivities were also comparable. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS Masking or shielding the microscope are often used to minimize the contamination of Ca2+ signal by white light, but they are time consuming, bulky and thus can limit experimental design, particularly in the more and more frequently used awake set-up. Blue stimuli not interfering with imaging allow to omit shielding. CONCLUSIONS Together, our results show that the selected blue light stimuli evoke responses comparable to those evoked by white stimuli in mouse V1. This will make complex designs of imaging experiments in behavioral set-ups easier, and facilitate the combination of Ca2+ imaging with electrophysiology and optogenetics.
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14
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Jeczmien-Lazur JS, Orlowska-Feuer P, Kustron A, Lewandowski MH. Short Wavelengths Contribution to Light-induced Responses and Irradiance Coding in the Rat Dorsal Lateral Geniculate Nucleus - An In vivo Electrophysiological Approach. Neuroscience 2021; 468:220-234. [PMID: 34146632 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.06.016] [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: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) is the main neuronal station en route to higher visual areas. It receives information about environmental light from retinal photoreceptors whose sensitivity peaks are distributed across a visible spectrum. Here, using electrophysiological multichannel recordings in vivo combined with different light stimulations, we investigated short wavelength contribution to the dLGN responses to light and irradiance coding. The results showed that the majority of dLGN cells responded evenly to almost all wavelengths from the 340 to 490 nm spectrum; however, some cells representing extremes of unimodal distribution of Blue-UV index were specialised in the reception of blue or UV light. Moreover, by using alternate yellow and monochromatic light stimuli from blue - UV range, we also assessed the relative spectral contribution to rat dLGN responses to light. Finally, we observed no clear changes in the irradiance coding property of short wavelength-deficient light stimuli, however we noticed a distortion of the coding curves manifested by a significant drop in measure of fit after using short wavelength blocking filter. In conclusion, our data provide the first electrophysiological report on dLGN short wavelength-induced responses under changing light conditions and suggest the presence of colour opponent cells in the rat dLGN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jagoda Stanislawa Jeczmien-Lazur
- Department of Neurophysiology and Chronobiology, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Krakow, Poland; Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology (MCB), Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Krakow, Poland
| | - Patrycja Orlowska-Feuer
- Department of Neurophysiology and Chronobiology, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Krakow, Poland; Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology (MCB), Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Krakow, Poland.
| | - Anna Kustron
- Department of Neurophysiology and Chronobiology, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Krakow, Poland
| | - Marian Henryk Lewandowski
- Department of Neurophysiology and Chronobiology, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Krakow, Poland.
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15
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Qiu Y, Zhao Z, Klindt D, Kautzky M, Szatko KP, Schaeffel F, Rifai K, Franke K, Busse L, Euler T. Natural environment statistics in the upper and lower visual field are reflected in mouse retinal specializations. Curr Biol 2021; 31:3233-3247.e6. [PMID: 34107304 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Pressures for survival make sensory circuits adapted to a species' natural habitat and its behavioral challenges. Thus, to advance our understanding of the visual system, it is essential to consider an animal's specific visual environment by capturing natural scenes, characterizing their statistical regularities, and using them to probe visual computations. Mice, a prominent visual system model, have salient visual specializations, being dichromatic with enhanced sensitivity to green and UV in the dorsal and ventral retina, respectively. However, the characteristics of their visual environment that likely have driven these adaptations are rarely considered. Here, we built a UV-green-sensitive camera to record footage from mouse habitats. This footage is publicly available as a resource for mouse vision research. We found chromatic contrast to greatly diverge in the upper, but not the lower, visual field. Moreover, training a convolutional autoencoder on upper, but not lower, visual field scenes was sufficient for the emergence of color-opponent filters, suggesting that this environmental difference might have driven superior chromatic opponency in the ventral mouse retina, supporting color discrimination in the upper visual field. Furthermore, the upper visual field was biased toward dark UV contrasts, paralleled by more light-offset-sensitive ganglion cells in the ventral retina. Finally, footage recorded at twilight suggests that UV promotes aerial predator detection. Our findings support that natural scene statistics shaped early visual processing in evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongrong Qiu
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience (GTC), International Max Planck Research School, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Zhijian Zhao
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - David Klindt
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience (GTC), International Max Planck Research School, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Magdalena Kautzky
- Division of Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany; Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences (GSN), LMU Munich, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Klaudia P Szatko
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience (GTC), International Max Planck Research School, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Bernstein Centre for Computational Neuroscience, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Frank Schaeffel
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Katharina Rifai
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Carl Zeiss Vision International GmbH, 73430 Aalen, Germany
| | - Katrin Franke
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Bernstein Centre for Computational Neuroscience, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Laura Busse
- Division of Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany; Bernstein Centre for Computational Neuroscience, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.
| | - Thomas Euler
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Bernstein Centre for Computational Neuroscience, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
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16
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High temporal resolution functional magnetic resonance spectroscopy in the mouse upon visual stimulation. Neuroimage 2021; 234:117973. [PMID: 33762216 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.117973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional magnetic resonance spectroscopy (fMRS) quantifies metabolic variations upon presentation of a stimulus and can therefore provide complementary information compared to activity inferred from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Improving the temporal resolution of fMRS can be beneficial to clinical applications where detailed information on metabolism can assist the characterization of brain function in healthy and sick populations as well as for neuroscience applications where information on the nature of the underlying activity could be potentially gained. Furthermore, fMRS with higher temporal resolution could benefit basic studies on animal models of disease and for investigating brain function in general. However, to date, fMRS has been limited to sustained periods of activation which risk adaptation and other undesirable effects. Here, we performed fMRS experiments in the mouse with high temporal resolution (12 s), and show the feasibility of such an approach for reliably quantifying metabolic variations upon activation. We detected metabolic variations in the superior colliculus of mice subjected to visual stimulation delivered in a block paradigm at 9.4 T. A robust modulation of glutamate is observed on the average time course, on the difference spectra and on the concentration distributions during active and recovery periods. A general linear model is used for the statistical analysis, and for exploring the nature of the modulation. Changes in NAAG, PCr and Cr levels were also detected. A control experiment with no stimulation reveals potential metabolic signal "drifts" that are not correlated with the functional activity, which should be taken into account when analyzing fMRS data in general. Our findings are promising for future applications of fMRS.
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17
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Aranda ML, Schmidt TM. Diversity of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells: circuits and functions. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:889-907. [PMID: 32965515 PMCID: PMC8650628 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-020-03641-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The melanopsin-expressing, intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) are a relatively recently discovered class of atypical ganglion cell photoreceptor. These ipRGCs are a morphologically and physiologically heterogeneous population that project widely throughout the brain and mediate a wide array of visual functions ranging from photoentrainment of our circadian rhythms, to driving the pupillary light reflex to improve visual function, to modulating our mood, alertness, learning, sleep/wakefulness, regulation of body temperature, and even our visual perception. The presence of melanopsin as a unique molecular signature of ipRGCs has allowed for the development of a vast array of molecular and genetic tools to study ipRGC circuits. Given the emerging complexity of this system, this review will provide an overview of the genetic tools and methods used to study ipRGCs, how these tools have been used to dissect their role in a variety of visual circuits and behaviors in mice, and identify important directions for future study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos L Aranda
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Tiffany M Schmidt
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
- Department of Ophthalmology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
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18
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Vit JP, Fuchs DT, Angel A, Levy A, Lamensdorf I, Black KL, Koronyo Y, Koronyo-Hamaoui M. Color and contrast vision in mouse models of aging and Alzheimer's disease using a novel visual-stimuli four-arm maze. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1255. [PMID: 33441984 PMCID: PMC7806734 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-80988-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
We introduce a novel visual-stimuli four-arm maze (ViS4M) equipped with spectrally- and intensity-controlled LED emitters and dynamic grayscale objects that relies on innate exploratory behavior to assess color and contrast vision in mice. Its application to detect visual impairments during normal aging and over the course of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is evaluated in wild-type (WT) and transgenic APPSWE/PS1∆E9 murine models of AD (AD+) across an array of irradiance, chromaticity, and contrast conditions. Substantial color and contrast-mode alternation deficits appear in AD+ mice at an age when hippocampal-based memory and learning is still intact. Profiling of timespan, entries and transition patterns between the different arms uncovers variable AD-associated impairments in contrast sensitivity and color discrimination, reminiscent of tritanomalous defects documented in AD patients. Transition deficits are found in aged WT mice in the absence of alternation decline. Overall, ViS4M is a versatile, controlled device to measure color and contrast-related vision in aged and diseased mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Philippe Vit
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 S. San Vicente Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA.,Biobehavioral Research Core, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Dieu-Trang Fuchs
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ariel Angel
- Pharmaseed Ltd., 9 Hamazmera St., 74047, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Aharon Levy
- Pharmaseed Ltd., 9 Hamazmera St., 74047, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | | | - Keith L Black
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Yosef Koronyo
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Maya Koronyo-Hamaoui
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 S. San Vicente Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA. .,Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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19
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Abstract
A retina completely devoid of topographic variations would be homogenous, encoding any given feature uniformly across the visual field. In a naive view, such homogeneity would appear advantageous. However, it is now clear that retinal topographic variations exist across mammalian species in a variety of forms and patterns. We briefly review some of the more established topographic variations in retinas of different mammalian species and focus on the recent discovery that cells belonging to a single neuronal subtype may exhibit distinct topographic variations in distribution, morphology, and even function. We concentrate on the mouse retina-originally viewed as homogenous-in which genetic labeling of distinct neuronal subtypes and other advanced techniques have revealed unexpected anatomical and physiological topographic variations. Notably, different subtypes reveal different patterns of nonuniformity, which may even be opposite or orthogonal to one another. These topographic variations in the encoding of visual space should be considered when studying visual processing in the retina and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alina Sophie Heukamp
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel; , ,
| | - Rebekah Anne Warwick
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel; , ,
| | - Michal Rivlin-Etzion
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel; , ,
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20
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Szatko KP, Korympidou MM, Ran Y, Berens P, Dalkara D, Schubert T, Euler T, Franke K. Neural circuits in the mouse retina support color vision in the upper visual field. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3481. [PMID: 32661226 PMCID: PMC7359335 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17113-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Color vision is essential for an animal’s survival. It starts in the retina, where signals from different photoreceptor types are locally compared by neural circuits. Mice, like most mammals, are dichromatic with two cone types. They can discriminate colors only in their upper visual field. In the corresponding ventral retina, however, most cones display the same spectral preference, thereby presumably impairing spectral comparisons. In this study, we systematically investigated the retinal circuits underlying mouse color vision by recording light responses from cones, bipolar and ganglion cells. Surprisingly, most color-opponent cells are located in the ventral retina, with rod photoreceptors likely being involved. Here, the complexity of chromatic processing increases from cones towards the retinal output, where non-linear center-surround interactions create specific color-opponent output channels to the brain. This suggests that neural circuits in the mouse retina are tuned to extract color from the upper visual field, aiding robust detection of predators and ensuring the animal’s survival. Mice are able to discriminate colors, at least in the upper visual field. Here, the authors provide a comprehensive characterization of retinal circuits underlying this behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klaudia P Szatko
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Graduate Training Center of Neuroscience, International Max Planck Research School, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Maria M Korympidou
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Graduate Training Center of Neuroscience, International Max Planck Research School, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Yanli Ran
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Philipp Berens
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Institute for Bioinformatics and Medical Informatics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Deniz Dalkara
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
| | - Timm Schubert
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Thomas Euler
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Katrin Franke
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany. .,Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany. .,Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
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21
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Nadal-Nicolás FM, Kunze VP, Ball JM, Peng BT, Krishnan A, Zhou G, Dong L, Li W. True S-cones are concentrated in the ventral mouse retina and wired for color detection in the upper visual field. eLife 2020; 9:e56840. [PMID: 32463363 PMCID: PMC7308094 DOI: 10.7554/elife.56840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Color, an important visual cue for survival, is encoded by comparing signals from photoreceptors with different spectral sensitivities. The mouse retina expresses a short wavelength-sensitive and a middle/long wavelength-sensitive opsin (S- and M-opsin), forming opposing, overlapping gradients along the dorsal-ventral axis. Here, we analyzed the distribution of all cone types across the entire retina for two commonly used mouse strains. We found, unexpectedly, that 'true S-cones' (S-opsin only) are highly concentrated (up to 30% of cones) in ventral retina. Moreover, S-cone bipolar cells (SCBCs) are also skewed towards ventral retina, with wiring patterns matching the distribution of true S-cones. In addition, true S-cones in the ventral retina form clusters, which may augment synaptic input to SCBCs. Such a unique true S-cone and SCBC connecting pattern forms a basis for mouse color vision, likely reflecting evolutionary adaptation to enhance color coding for the upper visual field suitable for mice's habitat and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco M Nadal-Nicolás
- Retinal Neurophysiology Section, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Vincent P Kunze
- Retinal Neurophysiology Section, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - John M Ball
- Retinal Neurophysiology Section, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Brian T Peng
- Retinal Neurophysiology Section, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Akshay Krishnan
- Retinal Neurophysiology Section, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Gaohui Zhou
- Retinal Neurophysiology Section, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Lijin Dong
- Genetic Engineering Facility, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Wei Li
- Retinal Neurophysiology Section, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
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22
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Strickland R, Landis EG, Pardue MT. Short-Wavelength (Violet) Light Protects Mice From Myopia Through Cone Signaling. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2020; 61:13. [PMID: 32049342 PMCID: PMC7326482 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.61.2.13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Exposure to short-wavelength light influences refractive development and inhibits myopic development in many animal models. Retinal mechanisms underlying this response remain unknown. This study used a mouse model of lens-induced myopia to evaluate the effect of different wavelength light on refractive development and dopamine levels in the retina. A possible retinal pathway is tested using a mutant mouse with dysfunctional cones. Methods Wild-type C57BL/6J (WT) and ALS/LtJ/Gnat2cpfl3 (Gnat2−/−) mice were exposed to one of three different light conditions beginning at postnatal day 28: broad-spectrum “white” (420-680 nm), medium wavelength “green” (525 ± 40 nm), and short wavelength “violet” (400 ± 20 nm). One-half of the mice received hyperopic lens defocus. All mice were exposed to the light for 4 weeks; animals were measured weekly for refractive error and axial parameters. Retinal dopamine and the dopamine metabolite 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid were measured by HPLC. Results In WT mice, short-wavelength violet light induced hyperopia and violet light inhibited lens-induced myopia when compared with mice exposed to white light. Hyperopia could be attributed to shallower vitreous chambers in WT animals. There were no changes in the levels of dopamine or its metabolite. In Gnat2−/− mice, violet light did not induce hyperopia or inhibit lens-induced myopia. Conclusions These findings show that short-wavelength light slows refractive eye growth, producing hyperopic responses in mice and inhibiting lens-induced myopia. The lack of inhibition in mice with dysfunctional cones suggests that cone signaling plays a role in the hyperopic response to short-wavelength (violet) light.
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23
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Feldmann M, Beckmann D, Eysel UT, Manahan-Vaughan D. Early Loss of Vision Results in Extensive Reorganization of Plasticity-Related Receptors and Alterations in Hippocampal Function That Extend Through Adulthood. Cereb Cortex 2020; 29:892-905. [PMID: 30535137 PMCID: PMC6319173 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy297] [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] [Received: 08/09/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Although by adulthood cortical structures and their capacity for processing sensory information have become established and stabilized, under conditions of cortical injury, or sensory deprivation, rapid reorganization occurs. Little is known as to the impact of this kind of adaptation on cellular processes related to memory encoding. However, imaging studies in humans suggest that following loss or impairment of a sensory modality, not only cortical but also subcortical structures begin to reorganize. It is likely that these processes are supported by neurotransmitter receptors that enable synaptic and cortical plasticity. Here, we explored to what extent the expression of plasticity-related proteins (GABA-A, GABA-B, GluN1, GluN2A, GluN2B) is altered following early vision loss, and whether this impacts on hippocampal function. We observed that in the period of 2-4 months postnatally in CBA/J-mice that experience hereditary postnatal retinal degeneration, systematic changes of GABA-receptor and NMDA-receptor subunit expression occurred that emerged first in the hippocampus and developed later in the cortex, compared to control mice that had normal vision. Changes were accompanied by significant impairments in hippocampal long-term potentiation and hippocampus-dependent learning. These data indicate that during cortical adaptation to early loss of vision, hippocampal information processing is compromised, and this status impacts on the acquisition of spatial representations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirko Feldmann
- Department of Neurophysiology, Medical Faculty, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.,International Graduate School of Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Daniela Beckmann
- Department of Neurophysiology, Medical Faculty, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.,International Graduate School of Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Ulf T Eysel
- Department of Neurophysiology, Medical Faculty, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
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24
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Sonoda T, Okabe Y, Schmidt TM. Overlapping morphological and functional properties between M4 and M5 intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells. J Comp Neurol 2020; 528:1028-1040. [PMID: 31691279 PMCID: PMC7007370 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Revised: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Multiple retinal ganglion cell (RGC) types in the mouse retina mediate pattern vision by responding to specific features of the visual scene. The M4 and M5 melanopsin-expressing, intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cell (ipRGC) subtypes are two RGC types that are thought to play major roles in pattern vision. The M4 ipRGCs overlap in population with ON-alpha RGCs, while M5 ipRGCs were recently reported to exhibit opponent responses to different wavelengths of light (color opponency). Despite their seemingly distinct roles in visual processing, previous reports have suggested that these two populations may exhibit overlap in their morphological and functional properties, which calls into question whether these are in fact distinct RGC types. Here, we show that M4 and M5 ipRGCs are distinct morphological classes of ipRGCs, but they cannot be exclusively differentiated based on color opponency and dendritic morphology as previously reported. Instead, we find that M4 and M5 ipRGCs can only be distinguished based on soma size and the number of dendritic branch points in combination with SMI-32 immunoreactivity. These results have important implications for clearly defining RGC types and their roles in visual behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuma Sonoda
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Yudai Okabe
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
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25
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Cell-autonomous light sensitivity via Opsin3 regulates fuel utilization in brown adipocytes. PLoS Biol 2020; 18:e3000630. [PMID: 32040503 PMCID: PMC7034924 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2019] [Revised: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Opsin3 (Opn3) is a transmembrane heptahelical G protein–coupled receptor (GPCR) with the potential to produce a nonvisual photoreceptive effect. Interestingly, anatomical profiling of GPCRs reveals that Opn3 mRNA is highly expressed in adipose tissue. The photosensitive functions of Opn3 in mammals are poorly understood, and whether Opn3 has a role in fat is entirely unknown. In this study, we found that Opn3-knockout (Opn3-KO) mice were prone to diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance. At the cellular level, Opn3-KO brown adipocytes cultured in darkness had decreased glucose uptake and lower nutrient-induced mitochondrial respiration than wild-type (WT) cells. Light exposure promoted mitochondrial activity and glucose uptake in WT adipocytes but not in Opn3-KO cells. Brown adipocytes carrying a defective mutation in Opn3’s putative G protein–binding domain also exhibited a reduction in glucose uptake and mitochondrial respiration in darkness. Using RNA-sequencing, we identified several novel light-sensitive and Opn3-dependent molecular signatures in brown adipocytes. Importantly, direct exposure of brown adipose tissue (BAT) to light in living mice significantly enhanced thermogenic capacity of BAT, and this effect was diminished in Opn3-KO animals. These results uncover a previously unrecognized cell-autonomous, light-sensing mechanism in brown adipocytes via Opn3-GPCR signaling that can regulate fuel metabolism and mitochondrial respiration. Our work also provides a molecular basis for developing light-based treatments for obesity and its related metabolic disorders. Brown adipose tissue plays a pivotal role in energy homeostasis and serves as a metabolic sink for glucose and fatty acid. This study demonstrates a novel light-sensing mechanism in mice via the photoreceptor Opsin3 that regulates fuel utilization and mitochondrial activity of brown adipocytes.
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26
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Rod Photoreceptors Signal Fast Changes in Daylight Levels Using a Cx36-Independent Retinal Pathway in Mouse. J Neurosci 2019; 40:796-810. [PMID: 31776212 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0455-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Revised: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Temporal contrast detected by rod photoreceptors is channeled into multiple retinal rod pathways that ultimately connect to cone photoreceptor pathways via Cx36 gap junctions or via chemical synapses. However, we do not yet understand how the different rod pathways contribute to the perception of temporal contrast (changes in luminance with time) at mesopic light levels, where both rods and cones actively respond to light. Here, we use a forced-choice, operant behavior assay to investigate rod-driven, temporal contrast sensitivity (TCS) in mice of either sex. Transgenic mice with desensitized cones (GNAT2 cpfl3 line) were used to identify rod contributions to TCS in mesopic lights. We found that at low mesopic lights (400 photons/s/μm2 at the retina), control and GNAT2 cpfl3 mice had similar TCS. Surprisingly, at upper mesopic lights (8000 photons/s/μm2), GNAT2 cpfl3 mice exhibited a relative reduction in TCS to low (<12 Hz) while maintaining normal TCS to high (12-36 Hz) temporal frequencies. The rod-driven responses to high temporal frequencies developed gradually over time (>30 min). Furthermore, the TCS of GNAT2 cpfl3 and GNAT2 cpfl3 ::Cx36-/- mice matched closely, indicating that transmission of high-frequency signals (1) does not require the rod-cone Cx36 gap junctions as has been proposed in the past; and (2) a Cx36-independent rod pathway(s) (e.g., direct rod to OFF cone bipolar cell synapses and/or glycinergic synapses from AII amacrine cells to OFF ganglion cells) is sufficient for fast, mesopic rod-driven vision. These findings extend our understanding of the link between visual circuits and perception in mouse.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The contributions of specific retinal pathways to visual perception are not well understood. We found that the temporal processing properties of rod-driven vision in mice change significantly with light level. In dim lights, rods relay relatively slow temporal variations. However, in daylight conditions, rod pathways exhibit high sensitivity to fast but not to slow temporal variations, whereas cone-driven responses supplement the loss in rod-driven sensitivity to slow temporal variations. Our findings highlight the dynamic interplay of rod- and cone-driven vision as light levels rise from night to daytime levels. Furthermore, the fast, rod-driven signals do not require the rod-to-cone Cx36 gap junctions as proposed in the past, but rather, can be relayed by alternative Cx36-independent rod pathways.
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27
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van der Merwe I, Bennett NC, Haim A, Oosthuizen MK. Effects of the colour of photophase light on locomotor activity in a nocturnal and a diurnal South African rodent. Biol Lett 2019; 15:20190597. [PMID: 31573427 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2019.0597] [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] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Many physiological and behavioural responses to varying qualities of light, particularly during the night (scotophase), have been well documented in rodents. We used varying wavelengths of day-time (photophase) lighting to assess daily responses in locomotor activity in the nocturnal Namaqua rock mouse (Micaelamys namaquensis) and diurnal four-striped field mouse (Rhabdomys pumilio). Animals were exposed to three light-dark cycle regimes: a short-wavelength- (SWLC, blue), a medium-wavelength- (MWLC, green) and a long-wavelength light-dark cycle (LWLC, red). Overall, daily locomotor activity of both species changed according to different wavelengths of light: the diurnal species displayed most activity under the SWLC and the nocturnal species exhibited the highest levels of activity under the LWLC. Both species showed an increase in diurnal activity and a decrease in nocturnal activity under the LWLC. These results indicate an attenuated responsiveness to long-wavelength light in the nocturnal species, but this does not appear to be true for the diurnal species. These results emphasize that the effect of light on the locomotor activity of animals depends on both the properties of the light and the temporal organization of activity of a species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingrid van der Merwe
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Hatfield 0028, South Africa
| | - Nigel C Bennett
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Hatfield 0028, South Africa.,Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Hatfield 0028, South Africa
| | - Abraham Haim
- Israeli Center for Interdisciplinary Studies in Chronobiology, University of Haifa, Haifa 31905, Israel
| | - Maria K Oosthuizen
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Hatfield 0028, South Africa.,Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Hatfield 0028, South Africa
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28
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Shi Q, Gupta P, Boukhvalova AK, Singer JH, Butts DA. Functional characterization of retinal ganglion cells using tailored nonlinear modeling. Sci Rep 2019; 9:8713. [PMID: 31213620 PMCID: PMC6581951 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45048-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2018] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The mammalian retina encodes the visual world in action potentials generated by 20-50 functionally and anatomically-distinct types of retinal ganglion cell (RGC). Individual RGC types receive synaptic input from distinct presynaptic circuits; therefore, their responsiveness to specific features in the visual scene arises from the information encoded in synaptic input and shaped by postsynaptic signal integration and spike generation. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of tools for characterizing the computations reflected in RGC spike output. Therefore, we developed a statistical model, the separable Nonlinear Input Model, to characterize the excitatory and suppressive components of RGC receptive fields. We recorded RGC responses to a correlated noise ("cloud") stimulus in an in vitro preparation of mouse retina and found that our model accurately predicted RGC responses at high spatiotemporal resolution. It identified multiple receptive fields reflecting the main excitatory and suppressive components of the response of each neuron. Significantly, our model accurately identified ON-OFF cells and distinguished their distinct ON and OFF receptive fields, and it demonstrated a diversity of suppressive receptive fields in the RGC population. In total, our method offers a rich description of RGC computation and sets a foundation for relating it to retinal circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Shi
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States.
| | - Pranjal Gupta
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | | | - Joshua H Singer
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
- Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Daniel A Butts
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
- Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
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29
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Hu X, Urhie O, Chang K, Hostetler R, Agmon A. A Novel Method for Training Mice in Visuo-Tactile 3-D Object Discrimination and Recognition. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:274. [PMID: 30555307 PMCID: PMC6282041 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Perceiving, recognizing and remembering 3-dimensional (3-D) objects encountered in the environment has a very high survival value; unsurprisingly, this ability is shared among many animal species, including humans. The psychological, psychophysical and neural basis for object perception, discrimination, recognition and memory has been extensively studied in humans, monkeys, pigeons and rodents, but is still far from understood. Nearly all 3-D object recognition studies in the rodent used the "novel object recognition" paradigm, which relies on innate rather than learned behavior; however, this procedure has several important limitations. Recently, investigators have begun to recognize the power of behavioral tasks learned through reinforcement training (operant conditioning) to reveal the sensorimotor and cognitive abilities of mice and to elucidate their underlying neural mechanisms. Here, we describe a novel method for training and testing mice in visual and tactile object discrimination, recognition and memory, and use it to begin to examine the underlying sensory basis for these cognitive capacities. A custom-designed Y maze was used to train mice to associate one of two 3-D objects with a food reward. Out of nine mice trained in two cohorts, seven reached performance criterion in about 20-35 daily sessions of 20 trials each. The learned association was retained, or rapidly re-acquired, after a 6 weeks hiatus in training. When tested under low light conditions, individual animals differed in the degree to which they used tactile or visual cues to identify the objects. Switching to total darkness resulted only in a transient dip in performance, as did subsequent trimming of all large whiskers (macrovibrissae). Additional removal of the small whiskers (microvibrissae) did not degrade performance, but transiently increased the time spent inspecting the object. This novel method can be combined in future studies with the large arsenal of genetic tools available in the mouse, to elucidate the neural basis of object perception, recognition and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xian Hu
- Department of Neuroscience, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV, United States
| | - Ogaga Urhie
- Department of Neuroscience, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV, United States
| | - Kevin Chang
- Department of Neuroscience, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV, United States
| | - Rachel Hostetler
- Department of Neuroscience, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV, United States
| | - Ariel Agmon
- Department of Neuroscience, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV, United States
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30
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Visual Temporal Contrast Sensitivity in the Behaving Mouse Shares Fundamental Properties with Human Psychophysics. eNeuro 2018; 5:eN-NWR-0181-18. [PMID: 30225342 PMCID: PMC6140104 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0181-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2018] [Revised: 07/17/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The mammalian visual system has a remarkable capacity to detect differences in contrast across time, which is known as temporal contrast sensitivity (TCS). Details of the underlying neural mechanisms are rapidly emerging as a result of a series of elegant electrophysiological studies performed largely with the mouse as an experimental model. However, rigorous psychophysical methods are necessary to pair the electrophysiology with temporal visual behavior in mouse. The optomotor response is frequently used as a proxy for retinal temporal processing in rodents. However, subcortical reflexive pathways drive the optomotor response rather than cortical decision-making areas. To address this problem, we have developed an operant behavior assay that measures TCS in behaving mice. Mice were trained to perform a forced-choice visual task and were tested daily on their ability to distinguish flickering from nonflickering overhead lights. Correct responses (Hit and Correct Rejections) were rewarded. Contrast, temporal frequency, and mean illumination of the flicker were the independent variables. We validated and applied the theory of signal detection to estimate the discriminability factor (d´), a measure of performance that is independent of response bias and motivation. The empirical contrast threshold was defined as the contrast necessary to elicit d´ = 1 and TCS as the inverse of the contrast threshold. With this approach, we established in the mouse a model of human vision that shares fundamental properties of human temporal psychophysics such as Weber adaptation in response to low temporal frequency flicker and illumination-dependent increases in critical flicker frequency as predicted by the Ferry–Porter law.
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31
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Hayter EA, Brown TM. Additive contributions of melanopsin and both cone types provide broadband sensitivity to mouse pupil control. BMC Biol 2018; 16:83. [PMID: 30064443 PMCID: PMC6066930 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-018-0552-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) drive an array of non-image-forming (NIF) visual responses including circadian photoentrainment and the pupil light reflex. ipRGCs integrate extrinsic (rod/cone) and intrinsic (melanopsin) photoreceptive signals, but the contribution of cones to ipRGC-dependent responses remains incompletely understood. Given recent data revealing that cone-derived colour signals influence mouse circadian timing and pupil responses in humans, here we set out to investigate the role of colour information in pupil control in mice. Results We first recorded electrophysiological activity from the pretectal olivary nucleus (PON) of anaesthetised mice with a red-shifted cone population (Opn1mwR) and mice lacking functional cones (Cnga3−/−) or melanopsin (Opn1mwR; Opn4−/−). Using multispectral stimuli to selectively modulate the activity of individual opsin classes, we show that PON cells which receive ipRGC input also exhibit robust S- and/or L-cone opsin-driven activity. This population includes many cells where the two cone opsins drive opponent responses (most commonly excitatory/ON responses to S-opsin stimulation and inhibitory/OFF responses to L-opsin stimulation). These cone inputs reliably tracked even slow (0.025 Hz) changes in illuminance/colour under photopic conditions with melanopsin contributions becoming increasingly dominant for higher-contrast/lower temporal frequency stimuli. We also evaluated consensual pupil responses in awake animals and show that, surprisingly, this aspect of physiology is insensitive to chromatic signals originating with cones. Instead, by contrast with the situation in humans, signals from melanopsin and both cone opsins combine in a purely additive manner to drive pupil constriction in mice. Conclusion Our data reveal a key difference in the sensory control of the mouse pupil relative to another major target of ipRGCs—the circadian clock. Whereas the latter uses colour information to help estimate time of day, the mouse pupil instead sums signals across cone opsin classes to provide broadband spectral sensitivity to changes in illumination. As such, while the widespread co-occurrence of chromatic responses and melanopsin input in the PON supports a close association between colour discrimination mechanisms and NIF visual processing, our data suggest that colour opponent PON cells in the mouse contribute to functions other than pupil control. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12915-018-0552-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward A Hayter
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, AV Hill Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Timothy M Brown
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, AV Hill Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK.
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32
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Sandalon S, Boykova A, Ross M, Obolensky A, Banin E, Ofri R. Contrary to popular belief, chinchillas do not have a pure rod retina. Vet Ophthalmol 2018; 22:93-97. [PMID: 29888430 DOI: 10.1111/vop.12581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To establish whether there is cone contribution to retinal function and structure in chinchillas (Chinchilla lanigera), in view of the prevailing notion that this species possesses a pure rod retina. METHODS Photopic electroretinography (ERG) responses to high-intensity flashes (10 and 25 cd*s/m2 ) were recorded unilaterally in six pigmented chinchillas following 10 minutes of light adaptation (30 cd/m2 ). Retinas of two animals were studied histologically, and immunohistochemistry (IHC) was conducted to detect the presence of short and medium/long wavelength cone photoreceptors. RESULTS ERG recordings revealed photopic responses, albeit of low amplitudes. Histopathology demonstrated presumptive cone inner segments in the photoreceptor layer. Presence of cone photoreceptors was confirmed by IHC. Cone density was higher in the central retina, and red/green cones outnumbered blue cones. CONCLUSIONS Our results provide convincing evidence for the presence of functioning cone photoreceptors in the chinchilla retina, disproving the established belief that the species has a pure rod retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shai Sandalon
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Anna Boykova
- Oculus Center of Veterinary Ophthalmology, St Petersburg, Russia
| | - Maya Ross
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Alexey Obolensky
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Eyal Banin
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ron Ofri
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
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33
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The cognitive nuances of surprising events: exposure to unexpected stimuli elicits firing variations in neurons of the dorsal CA1 hippocampus. Brain Struct Funct 2018; 223:3183-3211. [PMID: 29789932 PMCID: PMC6132666 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-018-1681-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2017] [Accepted: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
The ability to recognize novel situations is among the most fascinating and vital of the brain functions. A hypothesis posits that encoding of novelty is prompted by failures in expectancy, according to computation matching incoming information with stored events. Thus, unexpected changes in context are detected within the hippocampus and transferred to downstream structures, eliciting the arousal of the dopamine system. Nevertheless, the precise locus of detection is a matter of debate. The dorsal CA1 hippocampus (dCA1) appears as an ideal candidate for operating a mismatch computation and discriminating the occurrence of diverse stimuli within the same environment. In this study, we sought to determine dCA1 neuronal firing during the experience of novel stimuli embedded in familiar contexts. We performed population recordings while head-fixed mice navigated virtual environments. Three stimuli were employed, namely a novel pattern of visual cues, an odor, and a reward with enhanced valence. The encounter of unexpected events elicited profound variations in dCA1 that were assessed both as opposite rate directions and altered network connectivity. When experienced in sequence, novel stimuli elicited specific responses that often exhibited cross-sensitization. Short-latency, event-triggered responses were in accordance with the detection of novelty being computed within dCA1. We postulate that firing variations trigger neuronal disinhibition, and constitute a fundamental mechanism in the processing of unexpected events and in learning. Elucidating the mechanisms underlying detection and computation of novelty might help in understanding hippocampal-dependent cognitive dysfunctions associated with neuropathologies and psychiatric conditions.
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Virtual reality method to analyze visual recognition in mice. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0196563. [PMID: 29768429 PMCID: PMC5955493 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0196563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioral tests have been extensively used to measure the visual function of mice. To determine how precisely mice perceive certain visual cues, it is necessary to have a quantifiable measurement of their behavioral responses. Recently, virtual reality tests have been utilized for a variety of purposes, from analyzing hippocampal cell functionality to identifying visual acuity. Despite the widespread use of these tests, the training requirement for the recognition of a variety of different visual targets, and the performance of the behavioral tests has not been thoroughly characterized. We have developed a virtual reality behavior testing approach that can essay a variety of different aspects of visual perception, including color/luminance and motion detection. When tested for the ability to detect a color/luminance target or a moving target, mice were able to discern the designated target after 9 days of continuous training. However, the quality of their performance is significantly affected by the complexity of the visual target, and their ability to navigate on a spherical treadmill. Importantly, mice retained memory of their visual recognition for at least three weeks after the end of their behavioral training.
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Dresp-Langley B, Reeves A. Colour for Behavioural Success. Iperception 2018; 9:2041669518767171. [PMID: 29770183 PMCID: PMC5946649 DOI: 10.1177/2041669518767171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 03/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Colour information not only helps sustain the survival of animal species by guiding sexual selection and foraging behaviour but also is an important factor in the cultural and technological development of our own species. This is illustrated by examples from the visual arts and from state-of-the-art imaging technology, where the strategic use of colour has become a powerful tool for guiding the planning and execution of interventional procedures. The functional role of colour information in terms of its potential benefits to behavioural success across the species is addressed in the introduction here to clarify why colour perception may have evolved to generate behavioural success. It is argued that evolutionary and environmental pressures influence not only colour trait production in the different species but also their ability to process and exploit colour information for goal-specific purposes. We then leap straight to the human primate with insight from current research on the facilitating role of colour cues on performance training with precision technology for image-guided surgical planning and intervention. It is shown that local colour cues in two-dimensional images generated by a surgical fisheye camera help individuals become more precise rapidly across a limited number of trial sets in simulator training for specific manual gestures with a tool. This facilitating effect of a local colour cue on performance evolution in a video-controlled simulator (pick-and-place) task can be explained in terms of colour-based figure-ground segregation facilitating attention to local image parts when more than two layers of subjective surface depth are present, as in all natural and surgical images.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birgitta Dresp-Langley
- ICube UMR 7357, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, University of Strasbourg, France
| | - Adam Reeves
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
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Savelli I, Novales Flamarique I, Iwanicki T, Taylor JS. Parallel opsin switches in multiple cone types of the starry flounder retina: tuning visual pigment composition for a demersal life style. Sci Rep 2018; 8:4763. [PMID: 29555918 PMCID: PMC5859124 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-23008-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2017] [Accepted: 03/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Variable expression of visual pigment proteins (opsins) in cone photoreceptors of the vertebrate retina is a primary determinant of vision plasticity. Switches in opsin expression or variable co-expression of opsins within differentiated cones have been documented for a few rodents and fishes, but the extent of photoreceptor types affected and potential functional significance are largely unknown. Here, we show that both single and double cones in the retina of a flatfish, the starry flounder (Platichthys stellatus), undergo visual pigment changes through opsin switches or variable opsin co-expression. As the post-metamorphic juvenile (i.e., the young asymmetric flatfish with both eyes on one side of the body) grows from ~5 g to ~196 g, some single cones and one member of unequal double cones switched from a visual pigment with maximum wavelength of absorbance, λmax, at shorter wavelengths (437 nm and 527 nm) to one with longer λmax (456 nm and 545 nm, respectively) whereas other cones had intermediate visual pigments (λmax at 445 nm or 536 nm) suggesting co-expression of two opsins. The shift toward longer wavelength absorbing visual pigments was in line with maximizing sensitivity to the restricted light spectrum at greater depths and achromatic detection of overhead targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Savelli
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Iñigo Novales Flamarique
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, V5A 1S6, Canada. .,Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, V8W 2Y2, Canada.
| | - Tom Iwanicki
- Department of Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mãnoa, Honolulu, Hawai'i, 96822, USA
| | - John S Taylor
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, V8W 2Y2, Canada
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Axogenic mechanism enhances retinal ganglion cell excitability during early progression in glaucoma. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:E2393-E2402. [PMID: 29463759 PMCID: PMC5877940 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1714888115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying new therapies for neurodegenerative disease requires understanding how neurons respond to stress and whether this response includes adaptation to slow progression. Because neurodegeneration affects both axons and dendrites, with their synaptic contacts, adaptation could involve both compartments. We investigated this question in experimental glaucoma, the world’s leading cause of irreversible vision loss. Glaucoma attacks retinal ganglion cell neurons and their axons, which comprise the optic nerve. We found that elevations in ocular pressure, a prominent risk factor for glaucoma, caused a paradoxical increase in ganglion cell excitability, including response to light, even in cells with substantial dendritic pruning. This adaptation arose from voltage-dependent mechanisms in the axon and may help maintain signaling to the brain to preserve vision. Diseases of the brain involve early axon dysfunction that often precedes outright degeneration. Pruning of dendrites and their synapses represents a potential driver of axonopathy by reducing activity. Optic nerve degeneration in glaucoma, the world’s leading cause of irreversible blindness, involves early stress to retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axons from sensitivity to intraocular pressure (IOP). This sensitivity also influences survival of RGC dendrites and excitatory synapses in the retina. Here we tested in individual RGCs identified by type the relationship between dendritic organization and axon signaling to light following modest, short-term elevations in pressure. We found dendritic pruning occurred early, by 2 wk of elevation, and independent of whether the RGC responded to light onset (ON cells) or offset (OFF cells). Pruning was similarly independent of ON and OFF in the DBA/2J mouse, a chronic glaucoma model. Paradoxically, all RGCs, even those with significant pruning, demonstrated a transient increase in axon firing in response to the preferred light stimulus that occurred on a backdrop of generally enhanced excitability. The increased response was not through conventional presynaptic signaling, but rather depended on voltage-sensitive sodium channels that increased transiently in the axon. Pruning, axon dysfunction, and deficits in visual acuity did not progress between 2 and 4 wk of elevation. These results suggest neurodegeneration in glaucoma involves an early axogenic response that counters IOP-related stress to excitatory dendritic architecture to slow progression and maintain signaling to the brain. Thus, short-term exposure to elevated IOP may precondition the neural system to further insult.
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Yüzgeç Ö, Prsa M, Zimmermann R, Huber D. Pupil Size Coupling to Cortical States Protects the Stability of Deep Sleep via Parasympathetic Modulation. Curr Biol 2018; 28:392-400.e3. [PMID: 29358069 PMCID: PMC5807087 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.12.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2017] [Revised: 12/01/2017] [Accepted: 12/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
During wakefulness, pupil diameter can reflect changes in attention, vigilance, and cortical states. How pupil size relates to cortical activity during sleep, however, remains unknown. Pupillometry during natural sleep is inherently challenging since the eyelids are usually closed. Here, we present a novel head-fixed sleep paradigm in combination with infrared back-illumination pupillometry (iBip) allowing robust tracking of pupil diameter in sleeping mice. We found that pupil size can be used as a reliable indicator of sleep states and that cortical activity becomes tightly coupled to pupil size fluctuations during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. Pharmacological blocking experiments indicate that the observed pupil size changes during sleep are mediated via the parasympathetic system. We furthermore found that constrictions of the pupil during NREM episodes might play a protective role for stability of sleep depth. These findings reveal a fundamental relationship between cortical activity and pupil size, which has so far been hidden behind closed eyelids. Infrared back-illumination allows accurate pupillometry in sleeping mice Brain activity and pupil diameter are tightly coupled during sleep The parasympathetic system is the main driver of pupillary changes during NREM sleep Pupillary constrictions might have a protective function to stabilize deep sleep
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Affiliation(s)
- Özge Yüzgeç
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Mario Prsa
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Robert Zimmermann
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Huber
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
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Denman DJ, Luviano JA, Ollerenshaw DR, Cross S, Williams D, Buice MA, Olsen SR, Reid RC. Mouse color and wavelength-specific luminance contrast sensitivity are non-uniform across visual space. eLife 2018; 7:e31209. [PMID: 29319502 PMCID: PMC5762155 DOI: 10.7554/elife.31209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2017] [Accepted: 12/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Mammalian visual behaviors, as well as responses in the neural systems underlying these behaviors, are driven by luminance and color contrast. With constantly improving tools for measuring activity in cell-type-specific populations in the mouse during visual behavior, it is important to define the extent of luminance and color information that is behaviorally accessible to the mouse. A non-uniform distribution of cone opsins in the mouse retina potentially complicates both luminance and color sensitivity; opposing gradients of short (UV-shifted) and middle (blue/green) cone opsins suggest that color discrimination and wavelength-specific luminance contrast sensitivity may differ with retinotopic location. Here we ask how well mice can discriminate color and wavelength-specific luminance changes across visuotopic space. We found that mice were able to discriminate color and were able to do so more broadly across visuotopic space than expected from the cone-opsin distribution. We also found wavelength-band-specific differences in luminance sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Sissy Cross
- Allen Institute for Brain ScienceSeattleUnited States
| | | | | | - Shawn R Olsen
- Allen Institute for Brain ScienceSeattleUnited States
| | - R Clay Reid
- Allen Institute for Brain ScienceSeattleUnited States
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40
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Stabio ME, Sabbah S, Quattrochi LE, Ilardi MC, Fogerson PM, Leyrer ML, Kim MT, Kim I, Schiel M, Renna JM, Briggman KL, Berson DM. The M5 Cell: A Color-Opponent Intrinsically Photosensitive Retinal Ganglion Cell. Neuron 2018; 97:150-163.e4. [PMID: 29249284 PMCID: PMC5757626 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2017.11.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2017] [Revised: 10/09/2017] [Accepted: 11/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) combine direct photosensitivity through melanopsin with synaptically mediated drive from classical photoreceptors through bipolar-cell input. Here, we sought to provide a fuller description of the least understood ipRGC type, the M5 cell, and discovered a distinctive functional characteristic-chromatic opponency (ultraviolet excitatory, green inhibitory). Serial electron microscopic reconstructions revealed that M5 cells receive selective UV-opsin drive from Type 9 cone bipolar cells but also mixed cone signals from bipolar Types 6, 7, and 8. Recordings suggest that both excitation and inhibition are driven by the ON channel and that chromatic opponency results from M-cone-driven surround inhibition mediated by wide-field spiking GABAergic amacrine cells. We show that M5 cells send axons to the dLGN and are thus positioned to provide chromatic signals to visual cortex. These findings underscore that melanopsin's influence extends beyond unconscious reflex functions to encompass cortical vision, perhaps including the perception of color.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maureen E Stabio
- Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
| | - Shai Sabbah
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | | | - Marissa C Ilardi
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | | | - Megan L Leyrer
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Min Tae Kim
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Inkyu Kim
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Matthew Schiel
- Circuit Dynamics and Connectivity Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jordan M Renna
- Department of Biology, University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA
| | - Kevin L Briggman
- Circuit Dynamics and Connectivity Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - David M Berson
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
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Nandamuri SP, Dalton BE, Carleton KL. Determination of the Genetic Architecture Underlying Short Wavelength Sensitivity in Lake Malawi Cichlids. J Hered 2017; 108:379-390. [PMID: 28498989 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esx020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2016] [Accepted: 02/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
African cichlids are an exemplary system to study organismal diversity and rapid speciation. Species differ in external morphology including jaw shape and body coloration, but also differ in sensory systems including vision. All cichlids have 7 cone opsin genes with species differing broadly in which opsins are expressed. The differential opsin expression results in closely related species with substantial differences in spectral sensitivity of their photoreceptors. In this work, we take a first step in determining the genetic basis of opsin expression in cichlids. Using a second generation cross between 2 species with different opsin expression patterns, we make a conservative estimate that short wavelength opsin expression is regulated by a few loci. Genetic mapping in 96 F2 hybrids provides clear evidence of a cis-regulatory region for SWS1 opsin that explains 34% of the variation in expression between the 2 species. Additionally, in situ hybridization has shown that SWS1 and SWS2B opsins are coexpressed in individual single cones in the retinas of F2 progeny. Results from this work will contribute to a better understanding of the genetic architecture underlying opsin expression. This knowledge will help answer long-standing questions about the evolutionary processes fundamental to opsin expression variation and how this contributes to adaptive cichlid divergence.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Brian E Dalton
- National & Environmental Sciences Department, Western State Colorado University, Gunnison, CO 81231
| | - Karen L Carleton
- From the Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742
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Contribution of Innate Cortical Mechanisms to the Maturation of Orientation Selectivity in Parvalbumin Interneurons. J Neurosci 2017; 37:820-829. [PMID: 28123018 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2386-16.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2016] [Revised: 11/30/2016] [Accepted: 12/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The maturation of cortical parvalbumin-positive (PV) interneurons depends on the interaction of innate and experience-dependent factors. Dark-rearing experiments suggest that visual experience determines when broad orientation selectivity emerges in visual cortical PV interneurons. Here, using neural transplantation and in vivo calcium imaging of mouse visual cortex, we investigated whether innate mechanisms contribute to the maturation of orientation selectivity in PV interneurons. First, we confirmed earlier findings showing that broad orientation selectivity emerges in PV interneurons by 2 weeks after vision onset, ∼35 d after these cells are born. Next, we assessed the functional development of transplanted PV (tPV) interneurons. Surprisingly, 25 d after transplantation (DAT) and >2 weeks after vision onset, we found that tPV interneurons have not developed broad orientation selectivity. By 35 DAT, however, broad orientation selectivity emerges in tPV interneurons. Transplantation does not alter orientation selectivity in host interneurons, suggesting that the maturation of tPV interneurons occurs independently from their endogenous counterparts. Together, these results challenge the notion that the onset of vision solely determines when PV interneurons become broadly tuned. Our results reveal that an innate cortical mechanism contributes to the emergence of broad orientation selectivity in PV interneurons. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Early visual experience and innate developmental programs interact to shape cortical circuits. Visual-deprivation experiments have suggested that the onset of visual experience determines when interneurons mature in the visual cortex. Here we used neuronal transplantation and cellular imaging of visual responses to investigate the maturation of parvalbumin-positive (PV) interneurons. Our results suggest that the emergence of broad orientation selectivity in PV interneurons is innately timed.
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Leinonen H, Tanila H. Vision in laboratory rodents-Tools to measure it and implications for behavioral research. Behav Brain Res 2017; 352:172-182. [PMID: 28760697 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.07.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2017] [Revised: 07/17/2017] [Accepted: 07/27/2017] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
Mice and rats are nocturnal mammals and their vision is specialized for detection of motion and contrast in dim light conditions. These species possess a large proportion of UV-sensitive cones in their retinas and the majority of their optic nerve axons target superior colliculus rather than visual cortex. Therefore, it was a widely held belief that laboratory rodents hardly utilize vision during day-time behavior. This dogma is being questioned as accumulating evidence suggests that laboratory rodents are able to perform complex visual functions, such as perceiving subjective contours, and that declined vision may affect their performance in many behavioral tasks. For instance, genetic engineering may have unexpected consequences on vision as mouse models of Alzheimer's and Huntington's diseases have declined visual function. Rodent vision can be tested in numerous ways using operant training or reflex-based behavioral tasks, or alternatively using electrophysiological recordings. In this article, we will first provide a summary of visual system and explain its characteristics unique to rodents. Then, we present well-established techniques to test rodent vision, with an emphasis on pattern vision: visual water test, optomotor reflex test, pattern electroretinography and pattern visual evoked potentials. Finally, we highlight the importance of visual phenotyping in rodents. As the number of genetically engineered rodent models and volume of behavioral testing increase simultaneously, the possibility of visual dysfunctions needs to be addressed. Neglect in this matter potentially leads to crude biases in the field of neuroscience and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henri Leinonen
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, Neulaniementie 2, 70211 Kuopio, Finland.
| | - Heikki Tanila
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, Neulaniementie 2, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW This study aims to discuss possible reasons why research to date has not forged direct links between light at night, acute melatonin suppression or circadian disruption, and risks for disease. RECENT FINDINGS Data suggest that irregular light-dark patterns or light exposures at the wrong circadian time can lead to circadian disruption and disease risks. However, there remains an urgent need to: (1) specify light stimulus in terms of circadian rather than visual response; (2) when translating research from animals to humans, consider species-specific spectral and absolute sensitivities to light; (3) relate the characteristics of photometric measurement of light at night to the operational characteristics of the circadian system; and (4) examine how humans may be experiencing too little daytime light, not just too much light at night. SUMMARY To understand the health effects of light-induced circadian disruption, we need to measure and control light stimulus during the day and at night.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana G Figueiro
- Lighting Research Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, 12180,
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45
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Spitschan M, Lucas RJ, Brown TM. Chromatic clocks: Color opponency in non-image-forming visual function. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 78:24-33. [PMID: 28442402 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2017] [Revised: 03/30/2017] [Accepted: 04/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
During dusk and dawn, the ambient illumination undergoes drastic changes in irradiance (or intensity) and spectrum (or color). While the former is a well-studied factor in synchronizing behavior and physiology to the earth's 24-h rotation, color sensitivity in the regulation of circadian rhythms has not been systematically studied. Drawing on the concept of color opponency, a well-known property of image-forming vision in many vertebrates (including humans), we consider how the spectral shifts during twilight are encoded by a color-opponent sensory system for non-image-forming (NIF) visual functions, including phase shifting and melatonin suppression. We review electrophysiological evidence for color sensitivity in the pineal/parietal organs of fish, amphibians and reptiles, color coding in neurons in the circadian pacemaker in mice as well as sporadic evidence for color sensitivity in NIF visual functions in birds and mammals. Together, these studies suggest that color opponency may be an important modulator of light-driven physiological and behavioral responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Spitschan
- Stanford University, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford, CA, USA; VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, Palo Alto, CA, USA.
| | - Robert J Lucas
- University of Manchester, Faculty of Life Sciences, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Timothy M Brown
- University of Manchester, Faculty of Life Sciences, Manchester, United Kingdom
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Peirson SN, Brown LA, Pothecary CA, Benson LA, Fisk AS. Light and the laboratory mouse. J Neurosci Methods 2017; 300:26-36. [PMID: 28414048 PMCID: PMC5909038 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2017.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2017] [Revised: 04/10/2017] [Accepted: 04/11/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Light exerts widespread effects on physiology and behaviour. As well as the widely-appreciated role of light in vision, light also plays a critical role in many non-visual responses, including regulating circadian rhythms, sleep, pupil constriction, heart rate, hormone release and learning and memory. In mammals, responses to light are all mediated via retinal photoreceptors, including the classical rods and cones involved in vision as well as the recently identified melanopsin-expressing photoreceptive retinal ganglion cells (pRGCs). Understanding the effects of light on the laboratory mouse therefore depends upon an appreciation of the physiology of these retinal photoreceptors, including their differing sens itivities to absolute light levels and wavelengths. The signals from these photoreceptors are often integrated, with different responses involving distinct retinal projections, making generalisations challenging. Furthermore, many commonly used laboratory mouse strains carry mutations that affect visual or non-visual physiology, ranging from inherited retinal degeneration to genetic differences in sleep and circadian rhythms. Here we provide an overview of the visual and non-visual systems before discussing practical considerations for the use of light for researchers and animal facility staff working with laboratory mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart N Peirson
- Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute (SCNi), Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford Molecular Pathology Institute, Dunn School of Pathology, South Parks Road, Oxford, United Kingdom.
| | - Laurence A Brown
- Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute (SCNi), Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford Molecular Pathology Institute, Dunn School of Pathology, South Parks Road, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Carina A Pothecary
- Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute (SCNi), Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford Molecular Pathology Institute, Dunn School of Pathology, South Parks Road, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Lindsay A Benson
- Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute (SCNi), Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford Molecular Pathology Institute, Dunn School of Pathology, South Parks Road, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Angus S Fisk
- Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute (SCNi), Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford Molecular Pathology Institute, Dunn School of Pathology, South Parks Road, Oxford, United Kingdom
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47
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Aggression in group-housed laboratory mice: why can't we solve the problem? Lab Anim (NY) 2017; 46:157-161. [DOI: 10.1038/laban.1219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2016] [Accepted: 01/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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48
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Aihara S, Yoshida T, Hashimoto T, Ohki K. Color Representation Is Retinotopically Biased but Locally Intermingled in Mouse V1. Front Neural Circuits 2017; 11:22. [PMID: 28405186 PMCID: PMC5370321 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2017.00022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2016] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Dichromatic vision is common in many mammals. However, color processing in the primary visual cortex (V1) of dichromatic mammals is relatively unknown compared to the trichromatic primates. In this study, we investigated the functional organization of color processing in mouse V1. The mouse retina has a graded expression pattern of two opsins along its dorsoventral axis. However, it is not clear whether and how this expression pattern is reflected in the cortical representation at local (several hundred microns) and areal (V1) level. Using in vivo two-photon calcium (Ca2+) imaging and wide-field Ca2+ imaging, we revealed that V1 neurons responded to S (UV)- and M (green)-opsin isolating stimuli with slightly biased color preference depending on retinotopic position in V1. This was consistent with the distribution of retinal opsins. At the cellular level, preferences for S- and M-opsin isolating stimuli were intermingled in a local region encompassing several hundred microns. These results suggest that functional organizations of color information are locally intermingled, but slightly biased depending on the retinotopic position in mouse V1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuhei Aihara
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Takashi Yoshida
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu UniversityFukuoka, Japan; Department of Physiology, The University of Tokyo School of MedicineTokyo, Japan; Core Research for Evolutionary Science and Technology (CREST), Japan Science and Technology AgencyTokyo, Japan
| | - Takayuki Hashimoto
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Kenichi Ohki
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu UniversityFukuoka, Japan; Department of Physiology, The University of Tokyo School of MedicineTokyo, Japan; Core Research for Evolutionary Science and Technology (CREST), Japan Science and Technology AgencyTokyo, Japan
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Denman DJ, Siegle JH, Koch C, Reid RC, Blanche TJ. Spatial Organization of Chromatic Pathways in the Mouse Dorsal Lateral Geniculate Nucleus. J Neurosci 2017; 37:1102-1116. [PMID: 27986926 PMCID: PMC6596857 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1742-16.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2016] [Revised: 11/04/2016] [Accepted: 11/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In both dichromats and trichromats, cone opsin signals are maintained independently in cones and combined at the bipolar and retinal ganglion cell level, creating parallel color opponent pathways to the central visual system. Like other dichromats, the mouse retina expresses a short-wavelength (S) and a medium-wavelength (M) opsin, with the S-opsin shifted to peak sensitivity in the ultraviolet (UV) range. Unlike in primates, nonuniform opsin expression across the retina and coexpression in single cones creates a mostly mixed chromatic signal. Here, we describe the visuotopic and chromatic organization of spiking responses in the dorsal lateral geniculate and of the local field potentials in their recipient zone in primary visual cortex (V1). We used an immersive visual stimulus dome that allowed us to present spatiotemporally modulated UV and green luminance in any region of the visual field of an awake, head-fixed mouse. Consistent with retinal expression of opsins, we observed graded UV-to-green dominated responses from the upper to lower visual fields, with a smaller difference across azimuth. In addition, we identified a subpopulation of cells (<10%) that exhibited spectrally opponent responses along the S-M axis. Luminance signals of each wavelength and color signals project to the middle layers of V1. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT In natural environments, color information is useful for guiding behavior. How small terrestrial mammals such as mice use graded expression of cone opsins to extract visual information from their environments is not clear, even as the use of mice for studying visually guided behavior grows. In this study, we examined the color signals that the retina sends to the visual cortex via the lateral geniculate nucleus of the thalamus. We found that green dominated responses in the lower and nasal visual field and ultraviolet dominated responses in the upper visual field. We describe a subset of cells that exhibit color opponent responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Denman
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, Washington 98109
| | - Joshua H Siegle
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, Washington 98109
| | - Christof Koch
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, Washington 98109
| | - R Clay Reid
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, Washington 98109
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50
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Rhim I, Coello-Reyes G, Ko HK, Nauhaus I. Maps of cone opsin input to mouse V1 and higher visual areas. J Neurophysiol 2017; 117:1674-1682. [PMID: 28100658 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00849.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2016] [Revised: 12/18/2016] [Accepted: 01/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies in the mouse retina have characterized the spatial distribution of an anisotropic ganglion cell and photoreceptor mosaic, which provides a solid foundation to study how the cortex pools from afferent parallel color channels. In particular, the mouse's retinal mosaic exhibits a gradient of wavelength sensitivity along its dorsoventral axis. Cones at the ventral extreme mainly express S opsin, which is sensitive to ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths. Then, moving toward the retina's dorsal extreme, there is a transition to M-opsin dominance. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the retina's opsin gradient is recapitulated in cortical visual areas as a functional map of wavelength sensitivity. We first identified visual areas in each mouse by mapping retinotopy with intrinsic signal imaging (ISI). Next, we measured ISI responses to stimuli along different directions of the S- and M-color plane to quantify the magnitude of S and M input to each location of the retinotopic maps in five visual cortical areas (V1, AL, LM, PM, and RL). The results illustrate a significant change in the S:M-opsin input ratio along the axis of vertical retinotopy that is consistent with the gradient along the dorsoventral axis of the retina. In particular, V1 populations encoding the upper visual field responded to S-opsin contrast with 6.1-fold greater amplitude than to M-opsin contrast. V1 neurons encoding lower fields responded with 4.6-fold greater amplitude to M- than S-opsin contrast. The maps in V1 and higher visual areas (HVAs) underscore the significance of a wavelength sensitivity gradient for guiding the mouse's behavior.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Two elements of this study are particularly novel. For one, it is the first to quantify cone inputs to mouse visual cortex; we have measured cone input in five visual areas. Next, it is the first study to identify a feature map in the mouse visual cortex that is based on well-characterized anisotropy of cones in the retina; we have identified maps of opsin selectivity in five visual areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Issac Rhim
- Center for Perceptual Systems, University of Texas, Austin, Texas.,Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, Texas; and
| | - Gabriela Coello-Reyes
- Center for Perceptual Systems, University of Texas, Austin, Texas.,Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, Texas; and.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas, Austin, Texas
| | - Hee-Kyoung Ko
- Center for Perceptual Systems, University of Texas, Austin, Texas.,Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, Texas; and.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas, Austin, Texas
| | - Ian Nauhaus
- Center for Perceptual Systems, University of Texas, Austin, Texas; .,Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, Texas; and.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas, Austin, Texas
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