1
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Brown TC, Crouse EC, Attaway CA, Oakes DK, Minton SW, Borghuis BG, McGee AW. Microglia are dispensable for experience-dependent refinement of mouse visual circuitry. Nat Neurosci 2024:10.1038/s41593-024-01706-3. [PMID: 38977886 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-024-01706-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
To test the hypothesized crucial role of microglia in the developmental refinement of neural circuitry, we depleted microglia from mice of both sexes with PLX5622 and examined the experience-dependent maturation of visual circuitry and function. We assessed retinal function, receptive field tuning of visual cortex neurons, acuity and experience-dependent plasticity. None of these measurements detectibly differed in the absence of microglia, challenging the role of microglia in sculpting neural circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas C Brown
- Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, The University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Emily C Crouse
- Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, The University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Cecilia A Attaway
- Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, The University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Dana K Oakes
- Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, The University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Sarah W Minton
- Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, The University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Bart G Borghuis
- Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, The University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Aaron W McGee
- Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, The University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY, USA.
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ, USA.
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2
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Pádua MS, Guil-Guerrero JL, Lopes PA. Behaviour Hallmarks in Alzheimer's Disease 5xFAD Mouse Model. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6766. [PMID: 38928472 PMCID: PMC11204382 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2024] [Revised: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The 5xFAD transgenic mouse model widely used in Alzheimer's disease (AD) research recapitulates many AD-related phenotypes with a relatively early onset and aggressive age-dependent progression. Besides developing amyloid peptide deposits alongside neuroinflammation by the age of 2 months, as well as exhibiting neuronal decline by the age of 4 months that intensifies by the age of 9 months, these mice manifest a broad spectrum of behavioural impairments. In this review, we present the extensive repertoire of behavioural dysfunctions in 5xFAD mice, organised into four categories: motor skills, sensory function, learning and memory abilities, and neuropsychiatric-like symptoms. The motor problems, associated with agility and reflex movements, as well as balance and coordination, and skeletal muscle function, typically arise by the time mice reach 9 months of age. The sensory function (such as taste, smell, hearing, and vision) starts to deteriorate when amyloid peptide buildups and neuroinflammation spread into related anatomical structures. The cognitive functions, encompassing learning and memory abilities, such as visual recognition, associative, spatial working, reference learning, and memory show signs of decline from 4 to 6 months of age. Concerning neuropsychiatric-like symptoms, comprising apathy, anxiety and depression, and the willingness for exploratory behaviour, it is believed that motivational changes emerge by approximately 6 months of age. Unfortunately, numerous studies from different laboratories are often contradictory on the conclusions drawn and the identification of onset age, making preclinical studies in rodent models not easily translatable to humans. This variability is likely due to a range of factors associated with animals themselves, housing and husbandry conditions, and experimental settings. In the forthcoming studies, greater clarity in experimental details when conducting behavioural testing in 5xFAD transgenic mice could minimise the inconsistencies and could ensure the reliability and the reproducibility of the results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mafalda Soares Pádua
- CIISA—Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal;
- Laboratório Associado para Ciência Animal e Veterinária (AL4AnimalS), Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - José L. Guil-Guerrero
- Departamento de Tecnología de Alimentos, Universidad de Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain;
| | - Paula Alexandra Lopes
- CIISA—Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal;
- Laboratório Associado para Ciência Animal e Veterinária (AL4AnimalS), Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal
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3
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Riau AK, Look Z, Yam GHF, Boote C, Ma Q, Han EJY, Binte M Yusoff NZ, Ong HS, Goh TW, Binte Halim NSH, Mehta JS. Impact of keratocyte differentiation on corneal opacity resolution and visual function recovery in male rats. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4959. [PMID: 38862465 PMCID: PMC11166667 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49008-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Intrastromal cell therapy utilizing quiescent corneal stromal keratocytes (qCSKs) from human donor corneas emerges as a promising treatment for corneal opacities, aiming to overcome limitations of traditional surgeries by reducing procedural complexity and donor dependency. This investigation demonstrates the therapeutic efficacy of qCSKs in a male rat model of corneal stromal opacity, underscoring the significance of cell-delivery quality and keratocyte differentiation in mediating corneal opacity resolution and visual function recovery. Quiescent CSKs-treated rats display improvements in escape latency and efficiency compared to wounded, non-treated rats in a Morris water maze, demonstrating improved visual acuity, while stromal fibroblasts-treated rats do not. Advanced imaging, including multiphoton microscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering, and transmission electron microscopy, revealed that qCSK therapy replicates the native cornea's collagen fibril morphometry, matrix order, and ultrastructural architecture. These findings, supported by the expression of keratan sulfate proteoglycans, validate qCSKs as a potential therapeutic solution for corneal opacities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andri K Riau
- Tissue Engineering and Cell Therapy Group, Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, 169856, Singapore
- Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Academic Clinical Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, 169857, Singapore
| | - Zhuojian Look
- Tissue Engineering and Cell Therapy Group, Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, 169856, Singapore
- Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Academic Clinical Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, 169857, Singapore
| | - Gary H F Yam
- Tissue Engineering and Cell Therapy Group, Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, 169856, Singapore
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Craig Boote
- School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - Qian Ma
- School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - Evelina J Y Han
- Tissue Engineering and Cell Therapy Group, Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, 169856, Singapore
| | - Nur Zahirah Binte M Yusoff
- Tissue Engineering and Cell Therapy Group, Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, 169856, Singapore
| | - Hon Shing Ong
- Tissue Engineering and Cell Therapy Group, Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, 169856, Singapore
- Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Academic Clinical Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, 169857, Singapore
- Corneal and External Eye Disease Department, Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, 168751, Singapore
| | - Tze-Wei Goh
- Tissue Engineering and Cell Therapy Group, Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, 169856, Singapore
| | | | - Jodhbir S Mehta
- Tissue Engineering and Cell Therapy Group, Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, 169856, Singapore.
- Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Academic Clinical Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, 169857, Singapore.
- Corneal and External Eye Disease Department, Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, 168751, Singapore.
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4
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Fitzpatrick MJ, Krizan J, Hsiang JC, Shen N, Kerschensteiner D. A pupillary contrast response in mice and humans: Neural mechanisms and visual functions. Neuron 2024:S0896-6273(24)00273-3. [PMID: 38697114 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024]
Abstract
In the pupillary light response (PLR), increases in ambient light constrict the pupil to dampen increases in retinal illuminance. Here, we report that the pupillary reflex arc implements a second input-output transformation; it senses temporal contrast to enhance spatial contrast in the retinal image and increase visual acuity. The pupillary contrast response (PCoR) is driven by rod photoreceptors via type 6 bipolar cells and M1 ganglion cells. Temporal contrast is transformed into sustained pupil constriction by the M1's conversion of excitatory input into spike output. Computational modeling explains how the PCoR shapes retinal images. Pupil constriction improves acuity in gaze stabilization and predation in mice. Humans exhibit a PCoR with similar tuning properties to mice, which interacts with eye movements to optimize the statistics of the visual input for retinal encoding. Thus, we uncover a conserved component of active vision, its cell-type-specific pathway, computational mechanisms, and optical and behavioral significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Fitzpatrick
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Jenna Krizan
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Jen-Chun Hsiang
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Ning Shen
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Daniel Kerschensteiner
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
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5
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Nivinsky Margalit S, Slovin H. Encoding luminance surfaces in the visual cortex of mice and monkeys: difference in responses to edge and center. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae165. [PMID: 38652553 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Luminance and spatial contrast provide information on the surfaces and edges of objects. We investigated neural responses to black and white surfaces in the primary visual cortex (V1) of mice and monkeys. Unlike primates that use their fovea to inspect objects with high acuity, mice lack a fovea and have low visual acuity. It thus remains unclear whether monkeys and mice share similar neural mechanisms to process surfaces. The animals were presented with white or black surfaces and the population responses were measured at high spatial and temporal resolution using voltage-sensitive dye imaging. In mice, the population response to the surface was not edge-dominated with a tendency to center-dominance, whereas in monkeys the response was edge-dominated with a "hole" in the center of the surface. The population response to the surfaces in both species exhibited suppression relative to a grating stimulus. These results reveal the differences in spatial patterns to luminance surfaces in the V1 of mice and monkeys and provide evidence for a shared suppression process relative to grating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shany Nivinsky Margalit
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Hamutal Slovin
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel
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6
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Meneghetti N, Vannini E, Mazzoni A. Rodents' visual gamma as a biomarker of pathological neural conditions. J Physiol 2024; 602:1017-1048. [PMID: 38372352 DOI: 10.1113/jp283858] [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: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Neural gamma oscillations (indicatively 30-100 Hz) are ubiquitous: they are associated with a broad range of functions in multiple cortical areas and across many animal species. Experimental and computational works established gamma rhythms as a global emergent property of neuronal networks generated by the balanced and coordinated interaction of excitation and inhibition. Coherently, gamma activity is strongly influenced by the alterations of synaptic dynamics which are often associated with pathological neural dysfunctions. We argue therefore that these oscillations are an optimal biomarker for probing the mechanism of cortical dysfunctions. Gamma oscillations are also highly sensitive to external stimuli in sensory cortices, especially the primary visual cortex (V1), where the stimulus dependence of gamma oscillations has been thoroughly investigated. Gamma manipulation by visual stimuli tuning is particularly easy in rodents, which have become a standard animal model for investigating the effects of network alterations on gamma oscillations. Overall, gamma in the rodents' visual cortex offers an accessible probe on dysfunctional information processing in pathological conditions. Beyond vision-related dysfunctions, alterations of gamma oscillations in rodents were indeed also reported in neural deficits such as migraine, epilepsy and neurodegenerative or neuropsychiatric conditions such as Alzheimer's, schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders. Altogether, the connections between visual cortical gamma activity and physio-pathological conditions in rodent models underscore the potential of gamma oscillations as markers of neuronal (dys)functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolò Meneghetti
- The Biorobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy
- Department of Excellence for Robotics and AI, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy
| | - Eleonora Vannini
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council (CNR), Pisa, Italy
| | - Alberto Mazzoni
- The Biorobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy
- Department of Excellence for Robotics and AI, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy
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7
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Katsu N, Okanoya K. Examination of the joint Simon effect in rats: Changes in task performance based on actions of the partner. Behav Processes 2024; 216:105005. [PMID: 38365010 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 02/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
Nonhuman animals have demonstrated various cooperative behaviors; however, many examples can be interpreted as individual contributions to a task rather than true behavioral coordination. In this study, we used the joint Simon task in rats to determine whether the presence of and task sharing with a partner affected performance in a joint activity. Rats were trained to discriminate between two auditory stimuli (3 and 12 kHz tones) and individually performed an auditory Simon task. They were paired with another rat and tested to perform half of the task, while the other rat performed the other half (joint task condition). The Simon effect was confirmed when the two rats completed half of a joint task. In contrast, when they were placed side by side but only one rat completed half of the task, the Simon effect was not observed. Further analyses revealed that the Simon effect observed in the joint task could not be explained by the simple addition of the two half tasks. In conclusion, task sharing affected individual performance in rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noriko Katsu
- Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Megruo, Tokyo, Japan; Graduate School of Human Sciences, Osaka University, 1-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, Japan.
| | - Kazuo Okanoya
- Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Megruo, Tokyo, Japan; Advanced Comprehensive Research Organization, Teikyo University, 2-21-1, Kaga, Itabashi, Tokyo, Japan
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8
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Nikbakht N. More Than the Sum of Its Parts: Visual-Tactile Integration in the Behaving Rat. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2024; 1437:37-58. [PMID: 38270852 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-99-7611-9_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
We experience the world by constantly integrating cues from multiple modalities to form unified sensory percepts. Once familiar with multimodal properties of an object, we can recognize it regardless of the modality involved. In this chapter we will examine the case of a visual-tactile orientation categorization experiment in rats. We will explore the involvement of the cerebral cortex in recognizing objects through multiple sensory modalities. In the orientation categorization task, rats learned to examine and judge the orientation of a raised, black and white grating using touch, vision, or both. Their multisensory performance was better than the predictions of linear models for cue combination, indicating synergy between the two sensory channels. Neural recordings made from a candidate associative cortical area, the posterior parietal cortex (PPC), reflected the principal neuronal correlates of the behavioral results: PPC neurons encoded both graded information about the object and categorical information about the animal's decision. Intriguingly single neurons showed identical responses under each of the three modality conditions providing a substrate for a neural circuit in the cortex that is involved in modality-invariant processing of objects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nader Nikbakht
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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9
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Loiseau A, Raîche-Marcoux G, Maranda C, Bertrand N, Boisselier E. Animal Models in Eye Research: Focus on Corneal Pathologies. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16661. [PMID: 38068983 PMCID: PMC10706114 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242316661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The eye is a complex sensory organ that enables visual perception of the world. The dysfunction of any of these tissues can impair vision. Conduction studies on laboratory animals are essential to ensure the safety of therapeutic products directly applied or injected into the eye to treat ocular diseases before eventually proceeding to clinical trials. Among these tissues, the cornea has unique homeostatic and regenerative mechanisms for maintaining transparency and refraction of external light, which are essential for vision. However, being the outermost tissue of the eye and directly exposed to the external environment, the cornea is particularly susceptible to injury and diseases. This review highlights the evidence for selecting appropriate animals to better understand and treat corneal diseases, which rank as the fifth leading cause of blindness worldwide. The development of reliable and human-relevant animal models is, therefore, a valuable research tool for understanding and translating fundamental mechanistic findings, as well as for assessing therapeutic potential in humans. First, this review emphasizes the unique characteristics of animal models used in ocular research. Subsequently, it discusses current animal models associated with human corneal pathologies, their utility in understanding ocular disease mechanisms, and their role as translational models for patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis Loiseau
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, CHU de Québec Research Center, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1S 4L8, Canada; (G.R.-M.); (C.M.)
| | - Gabrielle Raîche-Marcoux
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, CHU de Québec Research Center, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1S 4L8, Canada; (G.R.-M.); (C.M.)
| | - Cloé Maranda
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, CHU de Québec Research Center, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1S 4L8, Canada; (G.R.-M.); (C.M.)
| | - Nicolas Bertrand
- Faculty of Pharmacy, CHU de Quebec Research Center, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 4G2, Canada;
| | - Elodie Boisselier
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, CHU de Québec Research Center, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1S 4L8, Canada; (G.R.-M.); (C.M.)
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10
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Yang R, Zhao P, Wang L, Feng C, Peng C, Wang Z, Zhang Y, Shen M, Shi K, Weng S, Dong C, Zeng F, Zhang T, Chen X, Wang S, Wang Y, Luo Y, Chen Q, Chen Y, Jiang C, Jia S, Yu Z, Liu J, Wang F, Jiang S, Xu W, Li L, Wang G, Mo X, Zheng G, Chen A, Zhou X, Jiang C, Yuan Y, Yan B, Zhang J. Assessment of visual function in blind mice and monkeys with subretinally implanted nanowire arrays as artificial photoreceptors. Nat Biomed Eng 2023:10.1038/s41551-023-01137-8. [PMID: 37996614 DOI: 10.1038/s41551-023-01137-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
Retinal prostheses could restore image-forming vision in conditions of photoreceptor degeneration. However, contrast sensitivity and visual acuity are often insufficient. Here we report the performance, in mice and monkeys with induced photoreceptor degeneration, of subretinally implanted gold-nanoparticle-coated titania nanowire arrays providing a spatial resolution of 77.5 μm and a temporal resolution of 3.92 Hz in ex vivo retinas (as determined by patch-clamp recording of retinal ganglion cells). In blind mice, the arrays allowed for the detection of drifting gratings and flashing objects at light-intensity thresholds of 15.70-18.09 μW mm-2, and offered visual acuities of 0.3-0.4 cycles per degree, as determined by recordings of visually evoked potentials and optomotor-response tests. In monkeys, the arrays were stable for 54 weeks, allowed for the detection of a 10-μW mm-2 beam of light (0.5° in beam angle) in visually guided saccade experiments, and induced plastic changes in the primary visual cortex, as indicated by long-term in vivo calcium imaging. Nanomaterials as artificial photoreceptors may ameliorate visual deficits in patients with photoreceptor degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruyi Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Institute for Medical and Engineering Innovation, Department of Ophthalmology, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Peng Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Institute for Medical and Engineering Innovation, Department of Ophthalmology, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Liyang Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Chenli Feng
- Department of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Chen Peng
- Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Zhexuan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Institute for Medical and Engineering Innovation, Department of Ophthalmology, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Yingying Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education), East China Normal University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Minqian Shen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Kaiwen Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Institute for Medical and Engineering Innovation, Department of Ophthalmology, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Shijun Weng
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Institute for Medical and Engineering Innovation, Department of Ophthalmology, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Chunqiong Dong
- Department of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Fu Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education), East China Normal University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Tianyun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Institute for Medical and Engineering Innovation, Department of Ophthalmology, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Xingdong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Institute for Medical and Engineering Innovation, Department of Ophthalmology, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Shuiyuan Wang
- Shanghai Key Lab for Future Computing Hardware and System, School of Microelectronics, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Yiheng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Institute for Medical and Engineering Innovation, Department of Ophthalmology, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Yuanyuan Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Institute for Medical and Engineering Innovation, Department of Ophthalmology, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Qingyuan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Institute for Medical and Engineering Innovation, Department of Ophthalmology, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Yuqing Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Institute for Medical and Engineering Innovation, Department of Ophthalmology, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Chengyong Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Institute for Medical and Engineering Innovation, Department of Ophthalmology, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Shanshan Jia
- School of Computer Science, Institute for Artificial Intelligence, Peking University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Zhaofei Yu
- School of Computer Science, Institute for Artificial Intelligence, Peking University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Jian Liu
- School of Computer Science, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Fei Wang
- Department of Hand Surgery, the National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Su Jiang
- Department of Hand Surgery, the National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Wendong Xu
- Department of Hand Surgery, the National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
- Department of Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery, Jing'an District Central Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Liang Li
- Center of Brain Sciences, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Gang Wang
- Center of Brain Sciences, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Xiaofen Mo
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Institute for Medical and Engineering Innovation, Department of Ophthalmology, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Gengfeng Zheng
- Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Aihua Chen
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education), East China Normal University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Xingtao Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Institute for Medical and Engineering Innovation, Department of Ophthalmology, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Chunhui Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Institute for Medical and Engineering Innovation, Department of Ophthalmology, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China.
| | - Yuanzhi Yuan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China.
- Zhongshan Hospital (Xiamen), Fudan University, Xiamen, P.R. China.
| | - Biao Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Institute for Medical and Engineering Innovation, Department of Ophthalmology, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China.
| | - Jiayi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Institute for Medical and Engineering Innovation, Department of Ophthalmology, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China.
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11
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Wang G, Hou P, Tu Y, Zheng J, Li P, Liu L. Activation of p38 MAPK hinders the reactivation of visual cortical plasticity in adult amblyopic mice. Exp Eye Res 2023; 236:109651. [PMID: 37748716 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2023.109651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the impact of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling on reactivating visual cortical plasticity in adult amblyopic mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS Reverse suture (RS), environment enrichment (EE), and combined with left intracerebroventricular injection of p38 MAPK inhibitor (SB203580, SB) or p38 MAPK agonist (dehydrocorydaline hydrochloride, DHC) were utilized to treat adult amblyopic mice with monocular deprivation (MD). The visual water task, visual cliff test, and Flash visual-evoked potential were used to measure the visual function. Then, Golgi staining and transmission electron microscopy were used to assess the reactivation of structural plasticity in adult amblyopic mice. Western blot and immunohistochemistry detected the expression of ATF2, PSD-95, p38 MAPK, and phospho-p38 MAPK in the left visual cortex. RESULTS No statistically significant difference was observed in the visual function in each pre-intervention group. Compared to pre-intervention, the visual acuity of deprived eyes was improved significantly, the impairment of visual depth perception was alleviated, and the P wave amplitude and C/I ratio were increased in the EE + RS, the EE + RS + SB, and the EE + RS + DMSO groups, but no significant difference was detected in the EE + RS + DHC group. Compared to EE + RS + DHC group, the density of dendritic spines was significantly higher, the synaptic density of the left visual cortex increased significantly, the length of the active synaptic zone increased, and the thickness of post-synaptic density (PSD) thickened in the left visual cortex of EE + RS, EE + RS + SB, and EE + RS + DMSO groups. And that, the protein expression of p-p38 MAPK increased while that of PSD-95 and ATF2 decreased significantly in the left visual cortex of the EE + RS + DHC group mice. CONCLUSION RS and EE intervention improved the visual function and synaptic plasticity of the visual cortex in adult amblyopic mice. However, activating p38 MAPK hinders the recovery of visual function by upregulating the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and decreasing the ATF2 protein expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guiqu Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, 37 Guoxue Xiang, Chengdu, 610041, China; Department of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, 25 Taiping Street, Luzhou, 646000, China
| | - Peixian Hou
- Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, 37 Guoxue Xiang, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Yanqiong Tu
- Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, 37 Guoxue Xiang, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Jing Zheng
- Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, 37 Guoxue Xiang, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Pinxiong Li
- Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, 25 Taiping Street, Luzhou, 646000, China
| | - Longqian Liu
- Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, 37 Guoxue Xiang, Chengdu, 610041, China; Department of Optometry and Visual Science, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
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12
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Chen J, Gish CM, Fransen JW, Salazar-Gatzimas E, Clark DA, Borghuis BG. Direct comparison reveals algorithmic similarities in fly and mouse visual motion detection. iScience 2023; 26:107928. [PMID: 37810236 PMCID: PMC10550730 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Evolution has equipped vertebrates and invertebrates with neural circuits that selectively encode visual motion. While similarities in the computations performed by these circuits in mouse and fruit fly have been noted, direct experimental comparisons have been lacking. Because molecular mechanisms and neuronal morphology in the two species are distinct, we directly compared motion encoding in these two species at the algorithmic level, using matched stimuli and focusing on a pair of analogous neurons, the mouse ON starburst amacrine cell (ON SAC) and Drosophila T4 neurons. We find that the cells share similar spatiotemporal receptive field structures, sensitivity to spatiotemporal correlations, and tuning to sinusoidal drifting gratings, but differ in their responses to apparent motion stimuli. Both neuron types showed a response to summed sinusoids that deviates from models for motion processing in these cells, underscoring the similarities in their processing and identifying response features that remain to be explained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juyue Chen
- Interdepartmental Neurosciences Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Caitlin M Gish
- Department of Physics, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - James W Fransen
- Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | | | - Damon A Clark
- Interdepartmental Neurosciences Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Department of Physics, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Bart G Borghuis
- Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
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13
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Brown TC, Crouse EC, Attaway CA, Oakes DK, Minton SW, Borghuis BG, McGee AW. Microglia are dispensable for experience-dependent refinement of visual circuitry. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.17.562708. [PMID: 37905138 PMCID: PMC10614920 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.17.562708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Microglia are proposed to be critical for the refinement of developing neural circuitry. However, evidence identifying specific roles for microglia has been limited and often indirect. Here we examined whether microglia are required for the experience-dependent refinement of visual circuitry and visual function during development. We ablated microglia by administering the colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) inhibitor PLX5622, and then examined the consequences for retinal function, receptive field tuning of neurons in primary visual cortex (V1), visual acuity, and experience-dependent plasticity in visual circuitry. Eradicating microglia by treating mice with PLX5622 beginning at postnatal day (P) 14 did not alter visual response properties of retinal ganglion cells examined three or more weeks later. Mice treated with PLX5622 from P14 lacked more than 95% of microglia in V1 by P18, prior to the opening of the critical period. Despite the absence of microglia, the receptive field tuning properties of neurons in V1 were normal at P32. Similarly, eradicating microglia did not affect the maturation of visual acuity. Mice treated with PLX5622 displayed typical ocular dominance plasticity in response to brief monocular deprivation. Thus, none of these principal measurements of visual circuit development and function detectibly differed in the absence of microglia. We conclude that microglia are dispensable for experience-dependent refinement of visual circuitry. These findings challenge the proposed critical role of microglia in refining neural circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas C. Brown
- Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, School of Medicine; University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, 40202
| | - Emily C. Crouse
- Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, School of Medicine; University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, 40202
| | - Cecilia A. Attaway
- Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, School of Medicine; University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, 40202
| | - Dana K. Oakes
- Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, School of Medicine; University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, 40202
| | - Sarah W. Minton
- Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, School of Medicine; University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, 40202
| | - Bart G. Borghuis
- Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, School of Medicine; University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, 40202
| | - Aaron W. McGee
- Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, School of Medicine; University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, 40202
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14
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Bhuckory MB, Wang BY, Chen ZC, Shin A, Huang T, Galambos L, Vounotrypidis E, Mathieson K, Kamins T, Palanker D. Cellular migration into a subretinal honeycomb-shaped prosthesis for high-resolution prosthetic vision. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2307380120. [PMID: 37831740 PMCID: PMC10589669 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2307380120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
In patients blinded by geographic atrophy, a subretinal photovoltaic implant with 100 µm pixels provided visual acuity closely matching the pixel pitch. However, such flat bipolar pixels cannot be scaled below 75 µm, limiting the attainable visual acuity. This limitation can be overcome by shaping the electric field with 3-dimensional (3-D) electrodes. In particular, elevating the return electrode on top of the honeycomb-shaped vertical walls surrounding each pixel extends the electric field vertically and decouples its penetration into tissue from the pixel width. This approach relies on migration of the retinal cells into the honeycomb wells. Here, we demonstrate that majority of the inner retinal neurons migrate into the 25 µm deep wells, leaving the third-order neurons, such as amacrine and ganglion cells, outside. This enables selective stimulation of the second-order neurons inside the wells, thus preserving the intraretinal signal processing in prosthetic vision. Comparable glial response to that with flat implants suggests that migration and separation of the retinal cells by the walls does not cause additional stress. Furthermore, retinal migration into the honeycombs does not negatively affect its electrical excitability, while grating acuity matches the pixel pitch down to 40 μm and reaches the 27 μm limit of natural resolution in rats with 20 μm pixels. These findings pave the way for 3-D subretinal prostheses with pixel sizes of cellular dimensions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohajeet B. Bhuckory
- Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Bing-Yi Wang
- Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Zhijie Charles Chen
- Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Andrew Shin
- Department of Material Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Tiffany Huang
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Ludwig Galambos
- Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | | | - Keith Mathieson
- Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, G1 1XQGlasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Theodore Kamins
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Daniel Palanker
- Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
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15
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Matmat K, Conart JB, Graindorge PH, El Kouche S, Hassan Z, Siblini Y, Umoret R, Safar R, Baspinar O, Robert A, Alberto JM, Oussalah A, Coelho D, Guéant JL, Guéant-Rodriguez RM. A transgenic mice model of retinopathy of cblG-type inherited disorder of one-carbon metabolism highlights epigenome-wide alterations related to cone photoreceptor cells development and retinal metabolism. Clin Epigenetics 2023; 15:158. [PMID: 37798757 PMCID: PMC10557304 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-023-01567-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND MTR gene encodes the cytoplasmic enzyme methionine synthase, which plays a pivotal role in the methionine cycle of one-carbon metabolism. This cycle holds a significant importance in generating S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) and S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH), the respective universal methyl donor and end-product of epigenetic transmethylation reactions. cblG type of inherited disorders of vitamin B12 metabolism due to mutations in MTR gene exhibits a wide spectrum of symptoms, including a retinopathy unresponsive to conventional therapies. METHODS To unveil the underlying epigenetic pathological mechanisms, we conducted a comprehensive study of epigenomic-wide alterations of DNA methylation by NGS of bisulfited retinal DNA in an original murine model with conditional Mtr deletion in retinal tissue. Our focus was on postnatal day 21, a critical developmental juncture for ocular structure refinement and functional maturation. RESULTS We observed delayed eye opening and impaired visual acuity and alterations in the one-carbon metabolomic profile, with a notable dramatic decline in SAM/SAH ratio predicted to impair DNA methylation. This metabolic disruption led to epigenome-wide changes in genes involved in eye development, synaptic plasticity, and retinoid metabolism, including promoter hypermethylation of Rarα, a regulator of Lrat expression. Consistently, we observed a decline in cone photoreceptor cells and reduced expression of Lrat, Rpe65, and Rdh5, three pivotal genes of eye retinoid metabolism. CONCLUSION We introduced an original in vivo model for studying cblG retinopathy, which highlighted the pivotal role of altered DNA methylation in eye development, cone differentiation, and retinoid metabolism. This model can be used for preclinical studies of novel therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karim Matmat
- Inserm UMRS 1256 NGERE - Nutrition, Genetics, and Environmental Risk Exposure, University of Lorraine, 54500, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France
| | - Jean-Baptiste Conart
- Inserm UMRS 1256 NGERE - Nutrition, Genetics, and Environmental Risk Exposure, University of Lorraine, 54500, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Regional Hospital Center of Nancy, 54000, Nancy, France
| | - Paul-Henri Graindorge
- Inserm UMRS 1256 NGERE - Nutrition, Genetics, and Environmental Risk Exposure, University of Lorraine, 54500, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France
| | - Sandra El Kouche
- Inserm UMRS 1256 NGERE - Nutrition, Genetics, and Environmental Risk Exposure, University of Lorraine, 54500, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France
| | - Ziad Hassan
- Inserm UMRS 1256 NGERE - Nutrition, Genetics, and Environmental Risk Exposure, University of Lorraine, 54500, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France
| | - Youssef Siblini
- Inserm UMRS 1256 NGERE - Nutrition, Genetics, and Environmental Risk Exposure, University of Lorraine, 54500, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France
| | - Rémy Umoret
- Inserm UMRS 1256 NGERE - Nutrition, Genetics, and Environmental Risk Exposure, University of Lorraine, 54500, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France
| | - Ramia Safar
- Inserm UMRS 1256 NGERE - Nutrition, Genetics, and Environmental Risk Exposure, University of Lorraine, 54500, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France
| | - Okan Baspinar
- Inserm UMRS 1256 NGERE - Nutrition, Genetics, and Environmental Risk Exposure, University of Lorraine, 54500, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France
| | - Aurélie Robert
- Inserm UMRS 1256 NGERE - Nutrition, Genetics, and Environmental Risk Exposure, University of Lorraine, 54500, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France
| | - Jean-Marc Alberto
- Inserm UMRS 1256 NGERE - Nutrition, Genetics, and Environmental Risk Exposure, University of Lorraine, 54500, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France
| | - Abderrahim Oussalah
- Inserm UMRS 1256 NGERE - Nutrition, Genetics, and Environmental Risk Exposure, University of Lorraine, 54500, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France
| | - David Coelho
- Inserm UMRS 1256 NGERE - Nutrition, Genetics, and Environmental Risk Exposure, University of Lorraine, 54500, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France
- National Center of Inborn Errors of Metabolism, University Regional Hospital Center of Nancy, 54000, Nancy, France
| | - Jean-Louis Guéant
- Inserm UMRS 1256 NGERE - Nutrition, Genetics, and Environmental Risk Exposure, University of Lorraine, 54500, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France.
- National Center of Inborn Errors of Metabolism, University Regional Hospital Center of Nancy, 54000, Nancy, France.
- Faculté de Médecine, Bâtiment C 2Ème Étage, 9 Avenue de La Forêt de Haye, 54505, Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France.
| | - Rosa-Maria Guéant-Rodriguez
- Inserm UMRS 1256 NGERE - Nutrition, Genetics, and Environmental Risk Exposure, University of Lorraine, 54500, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France.
- National Center of Inborn Errors of Metabolism, University Regional Hospital Center of Nancy, 54000, Nancy, France.
- Faculté de Médecine, Bâtiment C 2Ème Étage, 9 Avenue de La Forêt de Haye, 54505, Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France.
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16
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Nayebi A, Kong NCL, Zhuang C, Gardner JL, Norcia AM, Yamins DLK. Mouse visual cortex as a limited resource system that self-learns an ecologically-general representation. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1011506. [PMID: 37782673 PMCID: PMC10569538 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies of the mouse visual system have revealed a variety of visual brain areas that are thought to support a multitude of behavioral capacities, ranging from stimulus-reward associations, to goal-directed navigation, and object-centric discriminations. However, an overall understanding of the mouse's visual cortex, and how it supports a range of behaviors, remains unknown. Here, we take a computational approach to help address these questions, providing a high-fidelity quantitative model of mouse visual cortex and identifying key structural and functional principles underlying that model's success. Structurally, we find that a comparatively shallow network structure with a low-resolution input is optimal for modeling mouse visual cortex. Our main finding is functional-that models trained with task-agnostic, self-supervised objective functions based on the concept of contrastive embeddings are much better matches to mouse cortex, than models trained on supervised objectives or alternative self-supervised methods. This result is very much unlike in primates where prior work showed that the two were roughly equivalent, naturally leading us to ask the question of why these self-supervised objectives are better matches than supervised ones in mouse. To this end, we show that the self-supervised, contrastive objective builds a general-purpose visual representation that enables the system to achieve better transfer on out-of-distribution visual scene understanding and reward-based navigation tasks. Our results suggest that mouse visual cortex is a low-resolution, shallow network that makes best use of the mouse's limited resources to create a light-weight, general-purpose visual system-in contrast to the deep, high-resolution, and more categorization-dominated visual system of primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aran Nayebi
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Neurosciences Ph.D. Program, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Nathan C. L. Kong
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Chengxu Zhuang
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Justin L. Gardner
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Anthony M. Norcia
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Daniel L. K. Yamins
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
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17
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Remlinger J, Bagnoud M, Meli I, Massy M, Hoepner R, Linington C, Chan A, Bennett JL, Enzmann V, Salmen A. Modeling MOG Antibody-Associated Disorder and Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder in Animal Models: Visual System Manifestations. NEUROLOGY(R) NEUROIMMUNOLOGY & NEUROINFLAMMATION 2023; 10:e200141. [PMID: 37429715 PMCID: PMC10691219 DOI: 10.1212/nxi.0000000000200141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Mechanisms of visual impairment in aquaporin 4 antibody (AQP4-IgG) seropositive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody (MOG-IgG)-associated disorder (MOGAD) are incompletely understood. The respective impact of optic nerve demyelination and primary and secondary retinal neurodegeneration are yet to be investigated in animal models. METHODS Active MOG35-55 experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) was induced in C57BL/6Jrj mice, and monoclonal MOG-IgG (8-18C5, murine), recombinant AQP4-IgG (rAb-53, human), or isotype-matched control IgG (Iso-IgG, human) was administered 10 days postimmunization. Mobility impairment was scored daily. Visual acuity by optomotor reflex and ganglion cell complex thickness (GCC, 3 innermost retinal layers) by optical coherence tomography (OCT) were longitudinally assessed. Histopathology of optic nerve and retina was investigated during presymptomatic, acute, and chronic disease phases for immune cells, demyelination, complement deposition, natural killer (NK) cell, AQP4, and astrocyte involvement, retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), and Müller cell activation. Groups were compared by nonparametric tests with a p value <0.05 indicating statistical significance. RESULTS Visual acuity decreased from baseline to chronic phase in MOG-IgG (mean ± standard error of the mean: 0.54 ± 0.01 to 0.46 ± 0.02 cycles/degree, p < 0.05) and AQP4-IgG EAE (0.54 ± 0.01 to 0.43 ± 0.02, cycles/degree, p < 0.05). Immune cell infiltration of optic nerves started in presymptomatic AQP4-IgG, but not in MOG-IgG EAE (5.85 ± 2.26 vs 0.13 ± 0.10 macrophages/region of interest [ROI] and 1.88 ± 0.63 vs 0.15 ± 0.06 T cells/ROI, both p < 0.05). Few NK cells, no complement deposition, and stable glial fibrillary acid protein and AQP4 fluorescence intensity characterized all EAE optic nerves. Lower GCC thickness (Spearman correlation coefficient r = -0.44, p < 0.05) and RGC counts (r = -0.47, p < 0.05) correlated with higher mobility impairment. RGCs decreased from presymptomatic to chronic disease phase in MOG-IgG (1,705 ± 51 vs 1,412 ± 45, p < 0.05) and AQP4-IgG EAE (1,758 ± 14 vs 1,526 ± 48, p < 0.01). Müller cell activation was not observed in either model. DISCUSSION In a multimodal longitudinal characterization of visual outcome in animal models of MOGAD and NMOSD, differential retinal injury and optic nerve involvement were not conclusively clarified. Yet optic nerve inflammation was earlier in AQP4-IgG-associated pathophysiology. Retinal atrophy determined by GCC thickness (OCT) and RGC counts correlating with mobility impairment in the chronic phase of MOG-IgG and AQP4-IgG EAE may serve as a generalizable marker of neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Remlinger
- From the Department of Neurology (J.R., M.B., I.M., M.M., R.H., A.C., A.S.), Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Switzerland; Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences (J.R., M.M.), University of Bern, Switzerland; Institute of Infection (C.L.), Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, UK; Departments of Neurology and Ophthalmology (J.L.B.), Programs in Neuroscience and Immunology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora; and Department of Ophthalmology (V.E.), Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Maud Bagnoud
- From the Department of Neurology (J.R., M.B., I.M., M.M., R.H., A.C., A.S.), Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Switzerland; Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences (J.R., M.M.), University of Bern, Switzerland; Institute of Infection (C.L.), Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, UK; Departments of Neurology and Ophthalmology (J.L.B.), Programs in Neuroscience and Immunology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora; and Department of Ophthalmology (V.E.), Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ivo Meli
- From the Department of Neurology (J.R., M.B., I.M., M.M., R.H., A.C., A.S.), Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Switzerland; Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences (J.R., M.M.), University of Bern, Switzerland; Institute of Infection (C.L.), Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, UK; Departments of Neurology and Ophthalmology (J.L.B.), Programs in Neuroscience and Immunology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora; and Department of Ophthalmology (V.E.), Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Marine Massy
- From the Department of Neurology (J.R., M.B., I.M., M.M., R.H., A.C., A.S.), Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Switzerland; Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences (J.R., M.M.), University of Bern, Switzerland; Institute of Infection (C.L.), Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, UK; Departments of Neurology and Ophthalmology (J.L.B.), Programs in Neuroscience and Immunology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora; and Department of Ophthalmology (V.E.), Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Robert Hoepner
- From the Department of Neurology (J.R., M.B., I.M., M.M., R.H., A.C., A.S.), Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Switzerland; Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences (J.R., M.M.), University of Bern, Switzerland; Institute of Infection (C.L.), Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, UK; Departments of Neurology and Ophthalmology (J.L.B.), Programs in Neuroscience and Immunology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora; and Department of Ophthalmology (V.E.), Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Christopher Linington
- From the Department of Neurology (J.R., M.B., I.M., M.M., R.H., A.C., A.S.), Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Switzerland; Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences (J.R., M.M.), University of Bern, Switzerland; Institute of Infection (C.L.), Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, UK; Departments of Neurology and Ophthalmology (J.L.B.), Programs in Neuroscience and Immunology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora; and Department of Ophthalmology (V.E.), Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Andrew Chan
- From the Department of Neurology (J.R., M.B., I.M., M.M., R.H., A.C., A.S.), Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Switzerland; Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences (J.R., M.M.), University of Bern, Switzerland; Institute of Infection (C.L.), Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, UK; Departments of Neurology and Ophthalmology (J.L.B.), Programs in Neuroscience and Immunology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora; and Department of Ophthalmology (V.E.), Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Jeffrey L Bennett
- From the Department of Neurology (J.R., M.B., I.M., M.M., R.H., A.C., A.S.), Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Switzerland; Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences (J.R., M.M.), University of Bern, Switzerland; Institute of Infection (C.L.), Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, UK; Departments of Neurology and Ophthalmology (J.L.B.), Programs in Neuroscience and Immunology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora; and Department of Ophthalmology (V.E.), Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Volker Enzmann
- From the Department of Neurology (J.R., M.B., I.M., M.M., R.H., A.C., A.S.), Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Switzerland; Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences (J.R., M.M.), University of Bern, Switzerland; Institute of Infection (C.L.), Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, UK; Departments of Neurology and Ophthalmology (J.L.B.), Programs in Neuroscience and Immunology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora; and Department of Ophthalmology (V.E.), Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Anke Salmen
- From the Department of Neurology (J.R., M.B., I.M., M.M., R.H., A.C., A.S.), Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Switzerland; Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences (J.R., M.M.), University of Bern, Switzerland; Institute of Infection (C.L.), Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, UK; Departments of Neurology and Ophthalmology (J.L.B.), Programs in Neuroscience and Immunology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora; and Department of Ophthalmology (V.E.), Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Switzerland.
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Umar MS, Ibrahim BM. Vitamin A and vitamin D3 protect the visual apparatus during the development of dopamine-2 receptor knockout mouse model of Parkinsonism. JOURNAL OF COMPLEMENTARY & INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE 2023; 20:577-589. [PMID: 37311120 DOI: 10.1515/jcim-2023-0053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Dopamine-related movement disorders are associated with a loss of visual acuity. Studies have shown that chemical stimulation of the vitamin D3 receptor (VDR) ameliorates movement disorders; however, the chemical stimulation is not effective when there is a deficiency of vitamin A in the cells. In the study, we examine the role of VDR and its interplay with vitamin A in impaired visual function in the dopamine deficit model. METHODS Thirty (30) male mice with an average weight of 26 g ± (2) were divided into six group (NS,-D2,-D2 + VD D2 + VD, -D2 + VA, -D2 + (VD + VA) and -D2 + D2 groups). Dopamine deficit models of movement disorders were created using 15 mg/kg of haloperidol (-D2) injected intraperitoneally daily for 21 days. In the -D2 + (VD + VA) group, 800 IU/day of vitamin D3 (VD) and 1000 IU/day of vitamin A were concurrently used, while in the -D2 + D2 group, bromocriptine (+D2) was used as the standard treatment of the model. At the end of the treatment phase, the animals were subjected to visual water box test for visual acuity. The level of oxidative stress was measured using Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the retina and visual cortex. The level of cytotoxicity in these tissues was measured using Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay, while the structural integrity of these tissues was assessed using a light microscope by assessing slide mounted sections that were stained with haematoxylin and eosin. RESULTS A significant decline in time taken to reach the escape platform in the visual water box test was observed in the -D2 (p<0.005) and -D2 + D2 (p<0.05) group. In the retina and the visual cortex, a significant increase in LDH, MDA and the density of degenerating neurons was observed in the -D2 and -D2 + D2 groups. LDH level in the retina was also found to be significantly increased in (-D2 + VD, -D2 + VA, -D2 + (VD + VA). A Significant decrease in SOD was found in the retina and visual cortex of -D2 and -D2 + D2 group. In the histology of the retina, thinning of the retina, retinal fold, distortion and retinal detachment were all seen in the -D2 group. These structural alterations were not seen in other groups. Histological hallmarks of degeneration were observed in the visual cortex of the mice from the -D2 (p<0.001), -D2 + D2 (p<0.005) and -D2 + VD (p<0.05) groups only. CONCLUSIONS Dopamine-deficient models of movement disorders are associated with loss of visual functions, especially due to thinning of the retina, retinal fold, retinal detachment, and neurodegeneration in the visual cortex. Supplementation during the development of the model with vitamin D3 and vitamin A prevented the deterioration of the retina and visual cortex by reducing the degree of oxidative stress and cytotoxicity.
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19
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Kralik J, van Wyk M, Leonardon B, Schilardi G, Schneider S, Kleinlogel S. The Bovine Ex Vivo Retina: A Versatile Model for Retinal Neuroscience. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2023; 64:29. [PMID: 37610761 PMCID: PMC10461644 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.64.11.29] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose The isolated ex vivo retina is the standard model in retinal physiology and neuroscience. During isolation, the retina is peeled from the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), which plays a key role in the visual cycle. Here we introduce the choroid-attached bovine retina as an in vivo-like model for retinal physiology. We find that-in the bovine eye-the choroid and retina can be peeled from the sclera as a single thin sheet. Importantly, the retina remains tightly associated with the RPE, which is sandwiched between the retina and the choroid. Furthermore, bovine tissue is readily available and cheap, and there are no ethical concerns related to the use of animals solely for research purposes. Methods We combine multi-electrode array and single-cell patch-clamp recordings to characterize light responses in the choroid-attached bovine ex vivo retina. Results We demonstrate robust and consistent light responses in choroid-attached preparations. Importantly, light responses adapt to different levels of background illumination and rapidly recover from photobleaching. The choroid-attached retina is also thin enough to permit targeted electrophysiological recording from individual retinal neurons using standard differential interference contrast microscopy. We also characterize light responses and membrane properties of bovine retinal ganglion cells and compare data obtained from bovine and murine retinas. Conclusions The choroid-attached retinal model retains the advantages of the isolated retina but with an intact visual cycle and represents a useful tool to elucidate retinal physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Kralik
- Institute of Physiology and Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Michiel van Wyk
- Institute of Physiology and Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Benjamin Leonardon
- Institute of Physiology and Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Giulia Schilardi
- Institute of Physiology and Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Sabine Schneider
- Institute of Physiology and Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Sonja Kleinlogel
- Institute of Physiology and Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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20
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Ahn SY, Jung EH, Ahn H, Lee JS, Bak JH, Kim ED, Song JH, Shin HS, Jamiyansharav M, Seo KY. Automatic measurement of mouse visual acuity based on optomotor response: SKY optomotry. Lab Anim 2023; 57:412-423. [PMID: 36708198 DOI: 10.1177/00236772221148576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
In the field of visual science study using rodents, several assessment methods have been developed for measuring visual function. However, methods such as electroretinograms tests, visual evoked potentials tests and maze tests have limitations in that they measure function of only a specific type of cells, are difficult to quantify or require sufficient training time. The method which uses an optokinetic reflex and optomotor response, a compensatory eye and head movement in response to changes in the visual scene, became the most widely used method. However, this method requires highly trained experimenters and is time consuming. We showed that measured visual acuity values are significantly different between beginner and expert. Here we suggest an automated optometry program, 'SKY optomotry', which automatically tracks rodents' optomotor response to overcome subjectivity and the lengthy scoring procedure of the existing method. To evaluate the performance of SKY optomotry using 8-12-week-old C57BL/6 mice we compared the binomial decision of SKY optomotry with a skilled expert, and the area under the curve of SKY optomotry was 0.845. Comparing the final visual acuity, the intraclass correlation coefficient value between SKY optomotry and an expert was 0.860 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.709-0.928), whereas that between an expert and a beginner was 0.642 (95% CI 0.292-0.811). SKY optomotry showed an excellent level of performance with good inter-rater agreements based on the visual acuity measured by an expert. With the use of our application, researchers will be able to test an experimental animal's eyesight more accurately while saving time on specialized training.
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Affiliation(s)
- So Yeon Ahn
- Department of Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun Hye Jung
- Department of Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyunmin Ahn
- Department of Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Republic of Korea
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Institute of Vision Research, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Republic of Korea
| | - Jihei Sara Lee
- Department of Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Republic of Korea
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Institute of Vision Research, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeong Hyeon Bak
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hanyang University, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun-do Kim
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, USA
| | - Ja-Hyun Song
- Korea Mouse Sensory Phenotyping Center (KMSPC), Yonsei University College of Medicine, Republic of Korea
| | - Hae-Sol Shin
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Institute of Vision Research, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Republic of Korea
- Korea Mouse Sensory Phenotyping Center (KMSPC), Yonsei University College of Medicine, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Kyoung Yul Seo
- Department of Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Republic of Korea
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Institute of Vision Research, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Republic of Korea
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21
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Lian Y, Williams S, Alexander AS, Hasselmo ME, Burkitt AN. Learning the Vector Coding of Egocentric Boundary Cells from Visual Data. J Neurosci 2023; 43:5180-5190. [PMID: 37286350 PMCID: PMC10342228 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1071-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The use of spatial maps to navigate through the world requires a complex ongoing transformation of egocentric views of the environment into position within the allocentric map. Recent research has discovered neurons in retrosplenial cortex and other structures that could mediate the transformation from egocentric views to allocentric views. These egocentric boundary cells respond to the egocentric direction and distance of barriers relative to an animal's point of view. This egocentric coding based on the visual features of barriers would seem to require complex dynamics of cortical interactions. However, computational models presented here show that egocentric boundary cells can be generated with a remarkably simple synaptic learning rule that forms a sparse representation of visual input as an animal explores the environment. Simulation of this simple sparse synaptic modification generates a population of egocentric boundary cells with distributions of direction and distance coding that strikingly resemble those observed within the retrosplenial cortex. Furthermore, some egocentric boundary cells learnt by the model can still function in new environments without retraining. This provides a framework for understanding the properties of neuronal populations in the retrosplenial cortex that may be essential for interfacing egocentric sensory information with allocentric spatial maps of the world formed by neurons in downstream areas, including the grid cells in entorhinal cortex and place cells in the hippocampus.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The computational model presented here demonstrates that the recently discovered egocentric boundary cells in retrosplenial cortex can be generated with a remarkably simple synaptic learning rule that forms a sparse representation of visual input as an animal explores the environment. Additionally, our model generates a population of egocentric boundary cells with distributions of direction and distance coding that strikingly resemble those observed within the retrosplenial cortex. This transformation between sensory input and egocentric representation in the navigational system could have implications for the way in which egocentric and allocentric representations interface in other brain areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanbo Lian
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Simon Williams
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Andrew S Alexander
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215
| | - Michael E Hasselmo
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215
| | - Anthony N Burkitt
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
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22
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Wang G, Tu Y, Hou P, Li P, Liu L. Regulatory role of the p38 MAPK/ATF2 signaling pathway in visual function and visual cortical plasticity in mice with monocular deprivation. Neurosci Lett 2023:137353. [PMID: 37393009 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2023.137353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study aimed to examine the role of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/ activating transcription factor 2 (ATF2) signaling in visual function impairment and visual cortical plasticity in mice with monocular deprivation (MD). METHODS Visual behavioral tests, including visual water task, visual cliff test, and flash visual evoked potential, were performed on each group. We studied the density of dendritic spines and the synaptic ultrastructure by Golgi staining and transmission electron microscope. We performed Western blot and immunohistochemistry and detected the expression of ATF2, PSD-95, p38 MAPK, and phosphor-p38 MAPK in the left visual cortex. RESULTS In the MD + SB group, the visual acuity in deprived eyes substantially improved, the impairment of visual depth perception was alleviated, and the P wave amplitude and C/I ratio increased. The density of dendritic spines and the numerical density of synapses increased significantly, the width of the synaptic cleft decreased significantly, and the length of the active synaptic zone and the thickness of post-synaptic density (PSD) increased substantially. The protein expression of phosphor-p38 MAPK decreased, whereas that of PSD-95 and ATF2 increased significantly. CONCLUSIONS Inhibiting the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and negative feedback upregulated ATF2 expression, alleviated damage to visual function, and protected against synaptic plasticity in mice with MD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guiqu Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, 37 Guoxue Xiang, Chengdu, 610041, China; Department of Ophthalmology, the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, 25 Taiping Street, Luzhou, 646000, China
| | - Yanqiong Tu
- Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, 37 Guoxue Xiang, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Peixian Hou
- Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, 37 Guoxue Xiang, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Pinxiong Li
- Department of Radiology, the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, 25 Taiping Street, Luzhou 646000, China
| | - Longqian Liu
- Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, 37 Guoxue Xiang, Chengdu, 610041, China; Department of Optometry and Visual Science, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
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23
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Idzhilova OS, Kolotova DE, Smirnova GR, Abonakour A, Dolgikh DA, Petrovskaya LE, Kirpichnikov MP, Ostrovsky MA, Malyshev AY. Nonselective Expression of Short-Wavelength Cone Opsin Improves Learning in Mice with Retinal Degeneration in a Visually Guided Task. DOKLADY BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES : PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE USSR, BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES SECTIONS 2023; 510:167-171. [PMID: 37582993 DOI: 10.1134/s0012496623700369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023]
Abstract
The study explored the potential of an animal opsin nonselectively expressed in various neuronal elements of the degenerative retina to restore the impaired visual function. A knockout murine model of inherited retinal dystrophy was used. Mice were injected intravitreally with either a virus carrying the gene of short-wavelength cone opsin associated with a reporter fluorescent protein or a control virus carrying the sequence of a modified fluorescent protein with enhanced membrane tropism. Viral transduction induced pronounced opsin expression in ganglion, bipolar, and horizontal retinal neurons. Behavioral testing included the visually guided task in the trapezoid Morris water maze and showed a partial recovery of the learning ability in the mice whose retinas had been transduced with cone opsin.
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Affiliation(s)
- O S Idzhilova
- Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Emanuel Institute of Biochemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - D E Kolotova
- Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Emanuel Institute of Biochemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - G R Smirnova
- Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Emanuel Institute of Biochemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - A Abonakour
- Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (National Research University), Dolgoprudny, Moscow Oblast, Russia
| | - D A Dolgikh
- Emanuel Institute of Biochemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Biological Faculty, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - L E Petrovskaya
- Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - M P Kirpichnikov
- Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Biological Faculty, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - M A Ostrovsky
- Emanuel Institute of Biochemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Biological Faculty, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - A Yu Malyshev
- Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.
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24
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Xu A, Hou Y, Niell CM, Beyeler M. Multimodal Deep Learning Model Unveils Behavioral Dynamics of V1 Activity in Freely Moving Mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.30.542912. [PMID: 37398256 PMCID: PMC10312557 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.30.542912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Despite their immense success as a model of macaque visual cortex, deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have struggled to predict activity in visual cortex of the mouse, which is thought to be strongly dependent on the animal's behavioral state. Furthermore, most computational models focus on predicting neural responses to static images presented under head fixation, which are dramatically different from the dynamic, continuous visual stimuli that arise during movement in the real world. Consequently, it is still unknown how natural visual input and different behavioral variables may integrate over time to generate responses in primary visual cortex (V1). To address this, we introduce a multimodal recurrent neural network that integrates gaze-contingent visual input with behavioral and temporal dynamics to explain V1 activity in freely moving mice. We show that the model achieves state-of-the-art predictions of V1 activity during free exploration and demonstrate the importance of each component in an extensive ablation study. Analyzing our model using maximally activating stimuli and saliency maps, we reveal new insights into cortical function, including the prevalence of mixed selectivity for behavioral variables in mouse V1. In summary, our model offers a comprehensive deep-learning framework for exploring the computational principles underlying V1 neurons in freely-moving animals engaged in natural behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aiwen Xu
- Department of Computer Science University of California, Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 93117
| | - Yuchen Hou
- Department of Computer Science University of California, Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 93117
| | - Cristopher M Niell
- Department of Biology, Institute of Neuroscience University of Oregon Eugene, OR 97403
| | - Michael Beyeler
- Department of Computer Science, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences University of California, Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 93117
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25
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Feng G, Joseph A, Dholakia K, Shang F, Pfeifer CW, Power D, Padmanabhan K, Schallek J. High-resolution structural and functional retinal imaging in the awake behaving mouse. Commun Biol 2023; 6:572. [PMID: 37248385 PMCID: PMC10227058 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04896-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The laboratory mouse has provided tremendous insight to the underpinnings of mammalian central nervous system physiology. In recent years, it has become possible to image single neurons, glia and vascular cells in vivo by using head-fixed preparations combined with cranial windows to study local networks of activity in the living brain. Such approaches have also succeeded without the use of general anesthesia providing insights to the natural behaviors of the central nervous system. However, the same has not yet been developed for the eye, which is constantly in motion. Here we characterize a novel head-fixed preparation that enables high-resolution adaptive optics retinal imaging at the single-cell level in awake-behaving mice. We reveal three new functional attributes of the normal eye that are overlooked by anesthesia: 1) High-frequency, low-amplitude eye motion of the mouse that is only present in the awake state 2) Single-cell blood flow in the mouse retina is reduced under anesthesia and 3) Mouse retinae thicken in response to ketamine/xylazine anesthesia. Here we show key benefits of the awake-behaving preparation that enables study of retinal physiology without anesthesia to study the normal retinal physiology in the mouse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanping Feng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14620, USA
- Center for Visual Science, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | - Aby Joseph
- Center for Visual Science, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
- The Institute of Optics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14620, USA
| | - Kosha Dholakia
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14620, USA
- Center for Visual Science, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | - Fei Shang
- Center for Visual Science, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Charles W Pfeifer
- Center for Visual Science, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
- Flaum Eye Institute, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Derek Power
- Center for Visual Science, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | - Krishnan Padmanabhan
- Center for Visual Science, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Jesse Schallek
- Center for Visual Science, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA.
- Flaum Eye Institute, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA.
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26
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Qin H, Zhang W, Zhang S, Feng Y, Xu W, Qi J, Zhang Q, Xu C, Liu S, Zhang J, Lei Y, Liu W, Feng S, Wang J, Fu X, Xu Z, Li P, Yao K. Vision rescue via unconstrained in vivo prime editing in degenerating neural retinas. J Exp Med 2023; 220:e20220776. [PMID: 36930174 PMCID: PMC10037108 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20220776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is an inherited retinal dystrophy causing progressive and irreversible loss of retinal photoreceptors. Here, we developed a genome-editing tool characterized by the versatility of prime editors (PEs) and unconstrained PAM requirement of a SpCas9 variant (SpRY), referred to as PESpRY. The diseased retinas of Pde6b-associated RP mouse model were transduced via a dual AAV system packaging PESpRY for the in vivo genome editing through a non-NGG PAM (GTG). The progressing cell loss was reversed once the mutation was corrected, leading to substantial rescue of photoreceptors and production of functional PDE6β. The treated mice exhibited significant responses in electroretinogram and displayed good performance in both passive and active avoidance tests. Moreover, they presented an apparent improvement in visual stimuli-driven optomotor responses and efficiently completed visually guided water-maze tasks. Together, our study provides convincing evidence for the prevention of vision loss caused by RP-associated gene mutations via unconstrained in vivo prime editing in the degenerating retinas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Qin
- Institute of Visual Neuroscience and Stem Cell Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Wenliang Zhang
- Institute of Visual Neuroscience and Stem Cell Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Shiyao Zhang
- Institute of Visual Neuroscience and Stem Cell Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuan Feng
- Institute of Visual Neuroscience and Stem Cell Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Weihui Xu
- Institute of Visual Neuroscience and Stem Cell Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jia Qi
- Institute of Visual Neuroscience and Stem Cell Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Qian Zhang
- Institute of Visual Neuroscience and Stem Cell Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Chunxiu Xu
- Institute of Visual Neuroscience and Stem Cell Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Shanshan Liu
- Institute of Visual Neuroscience and Stem Cell Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jia Zhang
- Institute of Visual Neuroscience and Stem Cell Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yushuang Lei
- Institute of Visual Neuroscience and Stem Cell Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Wanqin Liu
- Institute of Visual Neuroscience and Stem Cell Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Shuyu Feng
- Institute of Visual Neuroscience and Stem Cell Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jingjing Wang
- Institute of Visual Neuroscience and Stem Cell Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xuefei Fu
- Institute of Visual Neuroscience and Stem Cell Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Zifen Xu
- Institute of Visual Neuroscience and Stem Cell Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Ping Li
- Institute of Visual Neuroscience and Stem Cell Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Kai Yao
- Institute of Visual Neuroscience and Stem Cell Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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Bibollet-Bahena O, Tissier S, Ho-Tran S, Rojewski A, Casanova C. Enriched environment exposure during development positively impacts the structure and function of the visual cortex in mice. Sci Rep 2023; 13:7020. [PMID: 37120630 PMCID: PMC10148800 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33951-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Optimal conditions of development have been of interest for decades, since genetics alone cannot fully explain how an individual matures. In the present study, we used optical brain imaging to investigate whether a relatively simple enrichment can positively influence the development of the visual cortex of mice. The enrichment paradigm was composed of larger cages housing multiple mice that contained several toys, hiding places, nesting material and a spinning wheel that were moved or replaced at regular intervals. We compared C57BL/6N adult mice (> P60) that had been raised either in an enriched environment (EE; n = 16) or a standard (ST; n = 12) environment from 1 week before birth to adulthood, encompassing all cortical developmental stages. Here, we report significant beneficial changes on the structure and function of the visual cortex following environmental enrichment throughout the lifespan. More specifically, retinotopic mapping through intrinsic signal optical imaging revealed that the size of the primary visual cortex was greater in mice reared in an EE compared to controls. In addition, the visual field coverage of EE mice was wider. Finally, the organization of the cortical representation of the visual field (as determined by cortical magnification) versus its eccentricity also differed between the two groups. We did not observe any significant differences between females and males within each group. Taken together, these data demonstrate specific benefits of an EE throughout development on the visual cortex, which suggests adaptation to their environmental realities.
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Affiliation(s)
- O Bibollet-Bahena
- Laboratoire des Neurosciences de la Vision, School of Optometry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - S Tissier
- Laboratoire des Neurosciences de la Vision, School of Optometry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - S Ho-Tran
- Laboratoire des Neurosciences de la Vision, School of Optometry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - A Rojewski
- Laboratoire des Neurosciences de la Vision, School of Optometry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - C Casanova
- Laboratoire des Neurosciences de la Vision, School of Optometry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
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Paramaswaran Y, Subramanian A, Paramakrishnan N, Ramesh M, Muthuraman A. Therapeutic Investigation of Palm Oil Mill Effluent-Derived Beta-Carotene in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Retinopathy via the Regulation of Blood-Retina Barrier Functions. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:ph16050647. [PMID: 37242430 DOI: 10.3390/ph16050647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) primarily progresses into retinal degeneration caused by microvascular dysfunction. The pathophysiology of DR progression is still uncertain. This study investigates the function of beta-carotene (PBC) originating from palm oil mill effluent in the treatment of diabetes in mice. An intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (35 mg/kg) was used to induce diabetes, which was then accelerated by an intravitreal (i.vit.) injection of STZ (20 µL on day 7). PBC (50 and 100 mg/kg) and dexamethasone (DEX: 10 mg/kg) were also administered orally (p.o.) for 21 days. At various time intervals, the optomotor response (OMR) and visual-cue function test (VCFT) responses were evaluated. Biomarkers, such as reduced glutathione (GSH), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARSs), and catalase activity were determined in retinal tissue samples. DR significantly lowers the spatial frequency threshold (SFT) and time spent in the target quadrant (TSTQ), increases the reaching time in the visual-cue platform (RVCP), lowers retinal GSH and catalase activity levels, and elevates TBARS levels. The treatments of PBC and DEX also ameliorate STZ-induced DR alterations. The potential ameliorative activity of PBC in DR is attributed to its anti-diabetic, anti-oxidative, and control of blood-retinal barrier layer properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yamunna Paramaswaran
- PG Research Scholar, Faculty of Pharmacy, AIMST University, Semeling, Bedong 08100, Kedah, Malaysia
| | | | - Nallupillai Paramakrishnan
- Department of Pharmacognosy, JSS College of Pharmacy, Mysore, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, Mysore 570015, Karnataka, India
| | - Muthusamy Ramesh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Omega College of Pharmacy, Hyderabad 501301, Telangana, India
| | - Arunachalam Muthuraman
- Unit of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, AIMST University, Bedong 08100, Kedah, Malaysia
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29
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Martinez JD, Donnelly MJ, Popke DS, Torres D, Wilson LG, Brancaleone WP, Sheskey S, Lin CM, Clawson BC, Jiang S, Aton SJ. Enriched binocular experience followed by sleep optimally restores binocular visual cortical responses in a mouse model of amblyopia. Commun Biol 2023; 6:408. [PMID: 37055505 PMCID: PMC10102075 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04798-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies of primary visual cortex have furthered our understanding of amblyopia, long-lasting visual impairment caused by imbalanced input from the two eyes during childhood, which is commonly treated by patching the dominant eye. However, the relative impacts of monocular vs. binocular visual experiences on recovery from amblyopia are unclear. Moreover, while sleep promotes visual cortex plasticity following loss of input from one eye, its role in recovering binocular visual function is unknown. Using monocular deprivation in juvenile male mice to model amblyopia, we compared recovery of cortical neurons' visual responses after identical-duration, identical-quality binocular or monocular visual experiences. We demonstrate that binocular experience is quantitatively superior in restoring binocular responses in visual cortex neurons. However, this recovery was seen only in freely-sleeping mice; post-experience sleep deprivation prevented functional recovery. Thus, both binocular visual experience and subsequent sleep help to optimally renormalize bV1 responses in a mouse model of amblyopia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessy D Martinez
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Marcus J Donnelly
- Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Donald S Popke
- Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Daniel Torres
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Lydia G Wilson
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Sarah Sheskey
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Cheng-Mao Lin
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Brittany C Clawson
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Sha Jiang
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Sara J Aton
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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Tomar M, Beros J, Meloni B, Rodger J. Interactions between Guidance Cues and Neuronal Activity: Therapeutic Insights from Mouse Models. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24086966. [PMID: 37108129 PMCID: PMC10138948 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24086966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2023] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Topographic mapping of neural circuits is fundamental in shaping the structural and functional organization of brain regions. This developmentally important process is crucial not only for the representation of different sensory inputs but also for their integration. Disruption of topographic organization has been associated with several neurodevelopmental disorders. The aim of this review is to highlight the mechanisms involved in creating and refining such well-defined maps in the brain with a focus on the Eph and ephrin families of axon guidance cues. We first describe the transgenic models where ephrin-A expression has been manipulated to understand the role of these guidance cues in defining topography in various sensory systems. We further describe the behavioral consequences of lacking ephrin-A guidance cues in these animal models. These studies have given us unexpected insight into how neuronal activity is equally important in refining neural circuits in different brain regions. We conclude the review by discussing studies that have used treatments such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to manipulate activity in the brain to compensate for the lack of guidance cues in ephrin-knockout animal models. We describe how rTMS could have therapeutic relevance in neurodevelopmental disorders with disrupted brain organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maitri Tomar
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Jamie Beros
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Bruno Meloni
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
- Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
- Department of Neurosurgery, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, QEII Medical Centre, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Jennifer Rodger
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
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31
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Luongo FJ, Liu L, Ho CLA, Hesse JK, Wekselblatt JB, Lanfranchi FF, Huber D, Tsao DY. Mice and primates use distinct strategies for visual segmentation. eLife 2023; 12:74394. [PMID: 36790170 PMCID: PMC9981152 DOI: 10.7554/elife.74394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The rodent visual system has attracted great interest in recent years due to its experimental tractability, but the fundamental mechanisms used by the mouse to represent the visual world remain unclear. In the primate, researchers have argued from both behavioral and neural evidence that a key step in visual representation is 'figure-ground segmentation', the delineation of figures as distinct from backgrounds. To determine if mice also show behavioral and neural signatures of figure-ground segmentation, we trained mice on a figure-ground segmentation task where figures were defined by gratings and naturalistic textures moving counterphase to the background. Unlike primates, mice were severely limited in their ability to segment figure from ground using the opponent motion cue, with segmentation behavior strongly dependent on the specific carrier pattern. Remarkably, when mice were forced to localize naturalistic patterns defined by opponent motion, they adopted a strategy of brute force memorization of texture patterns. In contrast, primates, including humans, macaques, and mouse lemurs, could readily segment figures independent of carrier pattern using the opponent motion cue. Consistent with mouse behavior, neural responses to the same stimuli recorded in mouse visual areas V1, RL, and LM also did not support texture-invariant segmentation of figures using opponent motion. Modeling revealed that the texture dependence of both the mouse's behavior and neural responses could be explained by a feedforward neural network lacking explicit segmentation capabilities. These findings reveal a fundamental limitation in the ability of mice to segment visual objects compared to primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco J Luongo
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of TechnologyPasadenaUnited States
| | - Lu Liu
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of TechnologyPasadenaUnited States
| | - Chun Lum Andy Ho
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Janis K Hesse
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of TechnologyPasadenaUnited States
- Computation and Neural Systems, California Institute of TechnologyPasadenaUnited States
- University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Joseph B Wekselblatt
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of TechnologyPasadenaUnited States
| | - Frank F Lanfranchi
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of TechnologyPasadenaUnited States
- Computation and Neural Systems, California Institute of TechnologyPasadenaUnited States
- University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Daniel Huber
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Doris Y Tsao
- University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteBerkeleyUnited States
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32
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Latina V, De Introna M, Caligiuri C, Loviglio A, Florio R, La Regina F, Pignataro A, Ammassari-Teule M, Calissano P, Amadoro G. Immunotherapy with Cleavage-Specific 12A12mAb Reduces the Tau Cleavage in Visual Cortex and Improves Visuo-Spatial Recognition Memory in Tg2576 AD Mouse Model. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:pharmaceutics15020509. [PMID: 36839831 PMCID: PMC9965010 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15020509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Tau-targeted immunotherapy is a promising approach for treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Beyond cognitive decline, AD features visual deficits consistent with the manifestation of Amyloid β-protein (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) in the eyes and higher visual centers, both in animal models and affected subjects. We reported that 12A12-a monoclonal cleavage-specific antibody (mAb) which in vivo neutralizes the neurotoxic, N-terminal 20-22 kDa tau fragment(s)-significantly reduces the retinal accumulation in Tg(HuAPP695Swe)2576 mice of both tau and APP/Aβ pathologies correlated with local inflammation and synaptic deterioration. Here, we report the occurrence of N-terminal tau cleavage in the primary visual cortex (V1 area) and the beneficial effect of 12A12mAb treatment on phenotype-associated visuo-spatial deficits in this AD animal model. We found out that non-invasive administration of 12 A12mAb markedly reduced the pathological accumulation of both truncated tau and Aβ in the V1 area, correlated to significant improvement in visual recognition memory performance along with local increase in two direct readouts of cortical synaptic plasticity, including the dendritic spine density and the expression level of activity-regulated cytoskeleton protein Arc/Arg3.1. Translation of these findings to clinical therapeutic interventions could offer an innovative tau-directed opportunity to delay or halt the visual impairments occurring during AD progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Latina
- European Brain Research Institute (EBRI), Viale Regina Elena 295, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Margherita De Introna
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology (IFT), National Research Council (CNR), Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation (FSL), Centro di Ricerca Europeo sul Cervello (CERC), Via Fosso del Fiorano 64-65, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Caligiuri
- IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation (FSL), Centro di Ricerca Europeo sul Cervello (CERC), Via Fosso del Fiorano 64-65, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - Alessia Loviglio
- European Brain Research Institute (EBRI), Viale Regina Elena 295, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Rita Florio
- European Brain Research Institute (EBRI), Viale Regina Elena 295, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Federico La Regina
- European Brain Research Institute (EBRI), Viale Regina Elena 295, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Annabella Pignataro
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology (IFT), National Research Council (CNR), Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation (FSL), Centro di Ricerca Europeo sul Cervello (CERC), Via Fosso del Fiorano 64-65, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - Martine Ammassari-Teule
- IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation (FSL), Centro di Ricerca Europeo sul Cervello (CERC), Via Fosso del Fiorano 64-65, 00143 Rome, Italy
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology (IBBC), National Research Council (CNR), Via Ercole Ramarini 32, 00015 Rome, Italy
| | - Pietro Calissano
- European Brain Research Institute (EBRI), Viale Regina Elena 295, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Amadoro
- European Brain Research Institute (EBRI), Viale Regina Elena 295, 00161 Rome, Italy
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology (IFT), National Research Council (CNR), Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-06-49255252
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33
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Tian Q, Tong P, Chen G, Deng M, Cai T, Tian R, Zhang Z, Xia K, Hu Z. GLRA2 gene mutations cause high myopia in humans and mice. J Med Genet 2023; 60:193-203. [PMID: 35396272 PMCID: PMC9887403 DOI: 10.1136/jmedgenet-2022-108425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND High myopia (HM) is a leading cause of blindness that has a strong genetic predisposition. However, its genetic and pathogenic mechanisms remain largely unknown. Thus, this study aims to determine the genetic profile of individuals from two large Chinese families with HM and 200 patients with familial/sporadic HM. We also explored the pathogenic mechanism of HM using HEK293 cells and a mouse model. METHODS The participants underwent genome-wide linkage analysis and exome sequencing. Visual acuity, electroretinogram response, refractive error, optical parameters and retinal rod cell genesis were measured in knockout mice. Immunofluorescent staining, biotin-labelled membrane protein isolation and electrophysiological characterisation were conducted in cells transfected with overexpression plasmids. RESULTS A novel HM locus on Xp22.2-p11.4 was identified. Variant c.539C>T (p.Pro180Leu) in GLRA2 gene was co-segregated with HM in the two families. Another variant, c.458G>A (p.Arg153Gln), was identified in a sporadic sample. The Glra2 knockout mice showed myopia-related phenotypes, decreased electroretinogram responses and impaired retinal rod cell genesis. Variants c.458G>A and c.539C>T altered the localisation of GlyRα2 on the cell membrane and decreased agonist sensitivity. CONCLUSION GLRA2 was identified as a novel HM-causing gene. Its variants would cause HM through altered visual experience by impairing photoperception and visual transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Tian
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China,Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China,Hunan Key Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Disease, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Ping Tong
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Gong Chen
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China,Hunan Key Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Disease, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China,Hunan Province Key Laboratory of Basic and Applied Hematology, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Meichun Deng
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China,Hunan Key Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Disease, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China,Hunan Province Key Laboratory of Basic and Applied Hematology, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Tian'e Cai
- Reproductive Center, Sanya Central Hospital, Sanya, Hainan, People's Republic of China
| | - Runyi Tian
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China,Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China,Hunan Key Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Disease, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Zimin Zhang
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China,Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China,Hunan Key Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Disease, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Kun Xia
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China .,Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Disease, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhengmao Hu
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China .,Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Disease, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China
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Babino D, Benster T, Laprell L, Van Gelder RN. Assessment of Murine Retinal Acuity Ex Vivo Using Multielectrode Array Recordings. Transl Vis Sci Technol 2023; 12:4. [PMID: 36598460 PMCID: PMC9832724 DOI: 10.1167/tvst.12.1.4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Visual acuity, measured by resolution of optotypes on a standard eye chart, is a critical clinical test for function of the visual system in humans. Behavioral tests in animals can be used to estimate visual acuity. However, such tests may be limited in the study of mutants or after synthetic vision restoration techniques. Because the total response of the retina to a visual scene is encoded in spiking patterns of retinal ganglion cells, it should be possible to estimate visual acuity in vitro from the retina by analyzing retinal ganglion cell output in response to test stimuli. Methods We created a method, EyeCandy, that combines a visual stimulus-generating engine with analysis of multielectrode array retinal recordings via a machine learning approach to measure murine retinal acuity in vitro. Visual stimuli included static checkerboards, drifting gratings, and letter optotypes. Results In retinas from wild-type C57Bl/6 mice, retinal acuity measurement for a drifting grating was 0.4 cycles per degree. In contrast, retinas from adult rd1 mice with outer retinal degeneration showed no detectable acuity. A comparison of acuities among different regions of the retina revealed substantial variation, with the inferior-nasal quadrant having highest RA. Letter classification accuracy of a projected Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy eye chart reached 99% accuracy for logMAR 3.0 letters. EyeCandy measured a restored RA of 0.05 and 0.08 cycles per degree for static and dynamic stimuli respectively from the retina of the rd1 mouse treated with the azobenzene photoswitch BENAQ. Conclusions Machine learning may be used to estimate retinal acuity. Translational Relevance The use of ex vivo retinal acuity measurement may allow determination of effects of mutations, drugs, injury, or other manipulations on retinal visual function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darwin Babino
- Departments of Ophthalmology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Tyler Benster
- Departments of Ophthalmology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
- Neurosciences Program, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Laura Laprell
- Departments of Ophthalmology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Russell N. Van Gelder
- Departments of Ophthalmology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
- Biological Structure, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
- Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
- Roger and Angie Karalis Johnson Retina Center, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
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35
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Baranauskas G, Rysevaite-Kyguoliene K, Sabeckis I, Pauza DH. Saturation of visual responses explains size tuning in rat collicular neurons. Eur J Neurosci 2023; 57:285-309. [PMID: 36451583 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
The receptive field of many visual neurons is composed of a central responsive area, the classical receptive field, and a non-classical receptive field, also called the "suppressive surround." A visual stimulus placed in the suppressive surround does not induce any response but modulates visual responses to stimuli within the classical receptive field, usually by suppressing them. Therefore, visual responses become smaller when stimuli exceed the classical receptive field size. The stimulus size inducing the maximal response is called the preferred stimulus size. In cortex, there is good correspondence between the sizes of the classical receptive field and the preferred stimulus. In contrast, in the rodent superior colliculus, the preferred size is often several fold smaller than the classical receptive field size. Here, we show that in the rat superior colliculus, the preferred stimulus size changes as a square root of the contrast inverse and the classical receptive field size is independent of contrast. In addition, responses to annulus were largely independent of the inner hole size. To explain these data, three models were tested: the divisive modulation of the gain by the suppressive surround (the "normalization" model), the difference of the Gaussians, and a divisive model that incorporates saturation to light flux. Despite the same number of free parameters, the model incorporating saturation to light performed the best. Thus, our data indicate that in rats, the saturation to light can be a dominant phenomenon even at relatively low illumination levels defining visual responses in the collicular neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gytis Baranauskas
- Neurophysiology Laboratory, Neuroscience Institute, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania
| | | | - Ignas Sabeckis
- Anatomy Institute, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Dainius H Pauza
- Anatomy Institute, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania
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36
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Blanchard DC. Are cognitive aspects of defense a core feature of anxiety and depression? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 144:104947. [PMID: 36343691 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Anxiety and depression are highly prevalent behavior disorders, particularly in women. Recent preclinical work using animal models has been suboptimal in predicting the efficacy of drugs targeted at these conditions, suggesting a potential discrepancy between such models and the human disorders. Notably female animals tend to be equal to, or less responsive than, males in these tasks. A number of analyses suggest that mammalian defense patterns are complex: In addition to relatively discrete and immediate fight, flight, and freezing responses, a risk assessment pattern may occur in response to threat stimuli or situations with ambiguous elements. This pattern combines defensiveness with a number of cognition-linked behaviors such as sensory attention and orientation, approach, contact, and investigation of the potential threat. Studies measuring elements of this pattern suggest that female rats, and perhaps female mice, show higher levels than equivalent males. Higher female involvement may also occur in tasks involving learning/generalization/extinction of defensiveness to conditioned stimuli. Such findings are consonant with recent analyses of "female survival strategies" based on differential adaptiveness of cognitive components of defensiveness in females, due to the necessity of female care of offspring until they are independent. These data suggest the value of additional behavioral and functional analyses of cognitive aspects of defensive behavior; contributing to both an understanding of their underlying mechanisms, and providing more sensitive measures of drug responsivity for use with animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Caroline Blanchard
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawaii, Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA; Institute of Biomedical Sciences at the University of São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
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37
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Kell AJ, Bokor SL, Jeon YN, Toosi T, Issa EB. Marmoset core visual object recognition behavior is comparable to that of macaques and humans. iScience 2022; 26:105788. [PMID: 36594035 PMCID: PMC9804140 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Among the smallest simian primates, the common marmoset offers promise as an experimentally tractable primate model for neuroscience with translational potential to humans. However, given its exceedingly small brain and body, the gap in perceptual and cognitive abilities between marmosets and humans requires study. Here, we performed a comparison of marmoset behavior to that of three other species in the domain of high-level vision. We first found that marmosets outperformed rats - a marmoset-sized rodent - on a simple recognition task, with marmosets robustly recognizing objects across views. On a more challenging invariant object recognition task used previously in humans, marmosets also achieved high performance. Notably, across hundreds of images, marmosets' image-by-image behavior was highly similar to that of humans - nearly as human-like as macaque behavior. Thus, core aspects of visual perception are conserved across monkeys and humans, and marmosets present salient behavioral advantages over other small model organisms for visual neuroscience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J.E. Kell
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA,Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Sophie L. Bokor
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA,Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - You-Nah Jeon
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA,Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Tahereh Toosi
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA,Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Elias B. Issa
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA,Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA,Corresponding author
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38
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Bernstein SL, Guo Y, Mehrabian Z, Miller NR. Neuroprotection and Neuroregeneration Strategies Using the rNAION Model: Theory, Histology, Problems, Results and Analytical Approaches. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232415604. [PMID: 36555246 PMCID: PMC9778957 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232415604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) is the most common cause of sudden optic nerve (ON)-related vision loss in humans. Study of this disease has been limited by the lack of available tissue and difficulties in evaluating both treatments and the window of effectiveness after symptom onset. The rodent nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy model (rNAION) closely resembles clinical NAION in its pathophysiological changes and physiological responses. The rNAION model enables analysis of the specific responses to sudden ischemic axonopathy and effectiveness of potential treatments. However, there are anatomic and genetic differences between human and rodent ON, and the inducing factors for the disease and the model are different. These variables can result in marked differences in lesion development between the two species, as well as in the possible responses to various treatments. These caveats are discussed in the current article, as well as some of the species-associated differences that may be related to ischemic lesion severity and responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven L. Bernstein
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Maryland at Baltimore School of Medicine, 10 S. Pine St., Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland at Baltimore School of Medicine, 10 S. Pine St., Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-410-706-3712
| | - Yan Guo
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Maryland at Baltimore School of Medicine, 10 S. Pine St., Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Zara Mehrabian
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Maryland at Baltimore School of Medicine, 10 S. Pine St., Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Neil R. Miller
- Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 N. Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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Lee SM, Shin J, Lee I. Significance of visual scene-based learning in the hippocampal systems across mammalian species. Hippocampus 2022; 33:505-521. [PMID: 36458555 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
The hippocampus and its associated cortical regions in the medial temporal lobe play essential roles when animals form a cognitive map and use it to achieve their goals. As the nature of map-making involves sampling different local views of the environment and putting them together in a spatially cohesive way, visual scenes are essential ingredients in the formative process of cognitive maps. Visual scenes also serve as important cues during information retrieval from the cognitive map. Research in humans has shown that there are regions in the brain that selectively process scenes and that the hippocampus is involved in scene-based memory tasks. The neurophysiological correlates of scene-based information processing in the hippocampus have been reported as "spatial view cells" in nonhuman primates. Like primates, it is widely accepted that rodents also use visual scenes in their background for spatial navigation and other kinds of problems. However, in rodents, it is not until recently that researchers examined the neural correlates of the hippocampus from the perspective of visual scene-based information processing. With the advent of virtual reality (VR) systems, it has been demonstrated that place cells in the hippocampus exhibit remarkably similar firing correlates in the VR environment compared with that of the real-world environment. Despite some limitations, the new trend of studying hippocampal functions in a visually controlled environment has the potential to allow investigation of the input-output relationships of network functions and experimental testing of traditional computational predictions more rigorously by providing well-defined visual stimuli. As scenes are essential for navigation and episodic memory in humans, further investigation of the rodents' hippocampal systems in scene-based tasks will provide a critical functional link across different mammalian species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su-Min Lee
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jhoseph Shin
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Inah Lee
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
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Cao Y, Fajardo D, Guerrero-Given D, Samuel MA, Ohtsuka T, Boye SE, Kamasawa N, Martemyanov KA. Post-developmental plasticity of the primary rod pathway allows restoration of visually guided behaviors. Curr Biol 2022; 32:4783-4796.e3. [PMID: 36179691 PMCID: PMC9691582 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The formation of neural circuits occurs in a programmed fashion, but proper activity in the circuit is essential for refining the organization necessary for driving complex behavioral tasks. In the retina, sensory deprivation during the critical period of development is well known to perturb the organization of the visual circuit making the animals unable to use vision for behavior. However, the extent of plasticity, molecular factors involved, and malleability of individual channels in the circuit to manipulations outside of the critical period are not well understood. In this study, we selectively disconnected and reconnected rod photoreceptors in mature animals after completion of the retina circuit development. We found that introducing synaptic rod photoreceptor input post-developmentally allowed their integration into the circuit both anatomically and functionally. Remarkably, adult mice with newly integrated rod photoreceptors gained high-sensitivity vision, even when it was absent from birth. These observations reveal plasticity of the retina circuit organization after closure of the critical period and encourage the development of vision restoration strategies for congenital blinding disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Cao
- Department of Neuroscience, UF Scripps Biomedical Research, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Diego Fajardo
- Division of Cellular and Molecular Therapy, Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Debbie Guerrero-Given
- The Imaging Center, Electron Microscopy Core Facility, Max Planck Florida Institute, 1 Max Planck Way, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Melanie A Samuel
- Department of Neuroscience, Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Toshihisa Ohtsuka
- Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi 409-3898, Japan
| | - Shannon E Boye
- Division of Cellular and Molecular Therapy, Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Naomi Kamasawa
- The Imaging Center, Electron Microscopy Core Facility, Max Planck Florida Institute, 1 Max Planck Way, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Kirill A Martemyanov
- Department of Neuroscience, UF Scripps Biomedical Research, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA.
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Wang BY, Chen ZC, Bhuckory M, Huang T, Shin A, Zuckerman V, Ho E, Rosenfeld E, Galambos L, Kamins T, Mathieson K, Palanker D. Electronic photoreceptors enable prosthetic visual acuity matching the natural resolution in rats. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6627. [PMID: 36333326 PMCID: PMC9636145 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34353-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Localized stimulation of the inner retinal neurons for high-acuity prosthetic vision requires small pixels and minimal crosstalk from the neighboring electrodes. Local return electrodes within each pixel limit the crosstalk, but they over-constrain the electric field, thus precluding the efficient stimulation with subretinal pixels smaller than 55 μm. Here we demonstrate a high-resolution prosthetic vision based on a novel design of a photovoltaic array, where field confinement is achieved dynamically, leveraging the adjustable conductivity of the diodes under forward bias to turn the designated pixels into transient returns. We validated the computational modeling of the field confinement in such an optically-controlled circuit by in-vitro and in-vivo measurements. Most importantly, using this strategy, we demonstrated that the grating acuity with 40 μm pixels matches the pixel pitch, while with 20 μm pixels, it reaches the 28 μm limit of the natural visual resolution in rats. This method enables customized field shaping based on individual retinal thickness and distance from the implant, paving the way to higher acuity of prosthetic vision in atrophic macular degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing-Yi Wang
- Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Zhijie Charles Chen
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Mohajeet Bhuckory
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA ,grid.168010.e0000000419368956Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Tiffany Huang
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Andrew Shin
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Department of Material Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Valentina Zuckerman
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Elton Ho
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA ,grid.168010.e0000000419368956Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Ethan Rosenfeld
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Ludwig Galambos
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Theodore Kamins
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA ,grid.168010.e0000000419368956Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Keith Mathieson
- grid.11984.350000000121138138Department of Physics, Institute of Photonics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland UK
| | - Daniel Palanker
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA ,grid.168010.e0000000419368956Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
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Tkatch T, Rysevaite-Kyguoliene K, Sabeckis I, Sabeckiene D, Pauza DH, Baranauskas G. An efficient rAAV vector for protein expression in cortical parvalbumin expressing interneurons. Sci Rep 2022; 12:17851. [PMID: 36284123 PMCID: PMC9596399 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21867-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAV) are extensively used in both research and clinical applications. Despite significant advances, there is a lack of short promoters able to drive the expression of virus delivered genes in specific classes of neurons. We designed an efficient rAAV vector suitable for the rAAV-mediated gene expression in cortical interneurons, mainly in the parvalbumin expressing cells. The vector includes a short parvalbumin promoter and a specialized poly(A) sequence. The degree of conservation of the parvalbumin gene adjoining non-coding regions was used in both the promoter design and the selection of the poly(A) sequence. The specificity was established by co-localizing the fluorescence of the virus delivered eGFP and the antibody for a neuronal marker. rAAV particles were injected in the visual cortex area V1/V2 of adult rats (2-4 months old). Neurons expressing the virus delivered eGFP were mainly positive for interneuronal markers: 66.5 ± 2.8% for parvalbumin, 14.6 ± 2.4% for somatostatin, 7.1 ± 1.2% for vasoactive intestinal peptide, 2.8 ± 0.6% for cholecystokinin. Meanwhile, only 2.1 ± 0.5% were positive for CaMKII, a marker for principal cells in the cortex. The efficiency of the construct was verified by optogenetic experiments: the expression of the virus delivered ChR2 channels was sufficient to evoke by blue light laser high frequency bursts of action potentials in putative fast spiking neurons. We conclude that our promoter allows highly specific expression of the rAAV delivered cDNAs in cortical interneurons with a strong preference for the parvalbumin positive cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Tkatch
- grid.45083.3a0000 0004 0432 6841Neurophysiology Laboratory, Neuroscience Institute, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania ,grid.16753.360000 0001 2299 3507Present Address: Department of Physiology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL USA
| | | | - Ignas Sabeckis
- grid.45083.3a0000 0004 0432 6841Anatomy Institute, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Deimante Sabeckiene
- grid.45083.3a0000 0004 0432 6841Anatomy Institute, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Dainius H. Pauza
- grid.45083.3a0000 0004 0432 6841Anatomy Institute, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Gytis Baranauskas
- grid.45083.3a0000 0004 0432 6841Neurophysiology Laboratory, Neuroscience Institute, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania
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Wiesbrock C, Musall S, Kampa BM. A flexible Python-based touchscreen chamber for operant conditioning reveals improved visual perception of cardinal orientations in mice. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:866109. [PMID: 36299493 PMCID: PMC9588922 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.866109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural scenes are composed of a wide range of edge angles and spatial frequencies, with a strong overrepresentation of vertical and horizontal edges. Correspondingly, many mammalian species are much better at discriminating these cardinal orientations compared to obliques. A potential reason for this increased performance could be an increased number of neurons in the visual cortex that are tuned to cardinal orientations, which is likely to be an adaptation to the natural scene statistics. Such biased angular tuning has recently been shown in the mouse primary visual cortex. However, it is still unknown if mice also show a perceptual dominance of cardinal orientations. Here, we describe the design of a novel custom-built touchscreen chamber that allows testing natural scene perception and orientation discrimination performance by applying different task designs. Using this chamber, we applied an iterative convergence towards orientation discrimination thresholds for cardinal or oblique orientations in different cohorts of mice. Surprisingly, the expert discrimination performance was similar for both groups but showed large inter-individual differences in performance and training time. To study the discrimination of cardinal and oblique stimuli in the same mice, we, therefore, applied, a different training regime where mice learned to discriminate cardinal and oblique gratings in parallel. Parallel training revealed a higher task performance for cardinal orientations in an early phase of the training. The performance for both orientations became similar after prolonged training, suggesting that learning permits equally high perceptual tuning towards oblique stimuli. In summary, our custom-built touchscreen chamber offers a flexible tool to test natural visual perception in rodents and revealed a training-induced increase in the perception of oblique gratings. The touchscreen chamber is entirely open-source, easy to build, and freely available to the scientific community to conduct visual or multimodal behavioral studies. It is also based on the FAIR principles for data management and sharing and could therefore serve as a catalyst for testing the perception of complex and natural visual stimuli across behavioral labs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Wiesbrock
- Systems Neurophysiology, Institute for Zoology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- Research Training Group 2416 MultiSenses—MultiScales, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- *Correspondence: Christopher Wiesbrock Björn M. Kampa
| | - Simon Musall
- Systems Neurophysiology, Institute for Zoology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- Bioelectronics, Institute of Biological Information Processing-3, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Björn M. Kampa
- Systems Neurophysiology, Institute for Zoology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- Research Training Group 2416 MultiSenses—MultiScales, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- JARA BRAIN, Institute for Neuroscience and Medicine, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- *Correspondence: Christopher Wiesbrock Björn M. Kampa
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Wen X, Liao P, Luo Y, Yang L, Yang H, Liu L, Jiang R. Tandem pore domain acid-sensitive K channel 3 (TASK-3) regulates visual sensitivity in healthy and aging retina. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabn8785. [PMID: 36070380 PMCID: PMC9451158 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn8785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) not only collect but also integrate visual signals and send them from the retina to the brain. The mechanisms underlying the RGC integration of synaptic activity within retinal circuits have not been fully explored. Here, we identified a pronounced expression of tandem pore domain acid-sensitive potassium channel 3 (TASK-3), a two-pore domain potassium channel (K2P), in RGCs. By using a specific antagonist and TASK-3 knockout mice, we found that TASK-3 regulates the intrinsic excitability and the light sensitivity of RGCs by sensing neuronal activity-dependent extracellular acidification. In vivo, the blockade or loss of TASK-3 dampened pupillary light reflex, visual acuity, and contrast sensitivity. Furthermore, overexpressing TASK-3 specifically in RGCs using an adeno-associated virus approach restored the visual function of TASK-3 knockout mice and aged mice where the expression and function of TASK-3 were reduced. Thus, our results provide evidence that implicates a critical role of K2P in visual processing in the retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangyi Wen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Department of Optometry and Visual Science, Laboratory of Optometry and Vision Sciences, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Ping Liao
- Laboratory of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Translational Medicine of Anesthesiology, Department of Anesthesiology, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Yuncheng Luo
- Laboratory of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Translational Medicine of Anesthesiology, Department of Anesthesiology, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Linghui Yang
- Laboratory of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Translational Medicine of Anesthesiology, Department of Anesthesiology, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Huaiyu Yang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Longqian Liu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Department of Optometry and Visual Science, Laboratory of Optometry and Vision Sciences, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Ruotian Jiang
- Laboratory of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Translational Medicine of Anesthesiology, Department of Anesthesiology, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
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Haq W, Basavaraju S, Speck A, Zrenner E. Nature-inspired saccadic-like electrical stimulation paradigm promotes sustained retinal ganglion cell responses by spatiotemporally alternating activation of contiguous multi-electrode patterns. J Neural Eng 2022; 19. [PMID: 36066085 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/ac8ad0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Objective. Retinal electrical stimulation using multi-electrode arrays (MEAs) aims to restore visual object perception in blind patients. However, the rate and duration of the artificial visual sensations are limited due to the rapid response decay of the stimulated neurons. Hence, we investigated a novel nature-inspired saccadic-like stimulation paradigm (biomimetic) to evoke sustained retinal responses. For implementation, the macroelectrode was replaced by several contiguous microelectrodes and activated non-simultaneously but alternating topologically.Approach.MEAs with hexagonally arranged electrodes were utilized to simulate and record mouse retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Two shapes were presented electrically using MEAs: a 6e-hexagon (six hexagonally arranged 10µm electrodes; 6e-hexagon diameter: 80µm) and a double-bar (180µm spaced, 320µm in length). Electrodes of each shape were activated in three different modes (simultaneous, circular, and biomimetic ('zig-zag')), stimulating at different frequencies (1-20 Hz).Main results.The biomimetic stimulation generated enhanced RGC responses increasing the activity rate by 87.78%. In the spatiotemporal context, the electrical representation of the 6e-hexagon produced sustained and local RGC responses (∼130µm corresponding to ∼2.5° of the human visual angle) for up to 90 s at 10 Hz stimulation and resolved the electrically presented double-bar. In contrast, during conventional simultaneous stimulation, the responses were poor and declined within seconds. Similarly, the applicability of the biomimetic mode for retinal implants (7 × 8 pixels) was successfully demonstrated. An object shape impersonating a smile was presented electrically, and the recorded data were used to emulate the implant's performance. The spatiotemporal pixel mapping of the activity produced a complete retinal image of the smile.Significance.The application of electrical stimulation in the biomimetic mode produced locally enhanced RGC responses with significantly reduced fading effects and yielded advanced spatiotemporal performance reflecting the presented electrode shapes in the mapped activity imprint. Therefore, it is likely that the RGC responses persist long enough to evoke visual perception and generate a seamless image, taking advantage of the flicker fusion. Hence, replacing the implant's macroelectrodes with microelectrodes and their activation in a topologically alternating biomimetic fashion may overcome the patient's perceptual image fading, thereby enhancing the spatiotemporal characteristics of artificial vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wadood Haq
- Neuroretinal Electrophysiology and Imaging, Centre for Ophthalmology, Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 5-7, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sunetra Basavaraju
- Neuroretinal Electrophysiology and Imaging, Centre for Ophthalmology, Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 5-7, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Achim Speck
- Neuroretinal Electrophysiology and Imaging, Centre for Ophthalmology, Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 5-7, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Eberhart Zrenner
- Neuroretinal Electrophysiology and Imaging, Centre for Ophthalmology, Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 5-7, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany
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MouseNet: A biologically constrained convolutional neural network model for the mouse visual cortex. PLoS Comput Biol 2022; 18:e1010427. [PMID: 36067234 PMCID: PMC9481165 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Convolutional neural networks trained on object recognition derive inspiration from the neural architecture of the visual system in mammals, and have been used as models of the feedforward computation performed in the primate ventral stream. In contrast to the deep hierarchical organization of primates, the visual system of the mouse has a shallower arrangement. Since mice and primates are both capable of visually guided behavior, this raises questions about the role of architecture in neural computation. In this work, we introduce a novel framework for building a biologically constrained convolutional neural network model of the mouse visual cortex. The architecture and structural parameters of the network are derived from experimental measurements, specifically the 100-micrometer resolution interareal connectome, the estimates of numbers of neurons in each area and cortical layer, and the statistics of connections between cortical layers. This network is constructed to support detailed task-optimized models of mouse visual cortex, with neural populations that can be compared to specific corresponding populations in the mouse brain. Using a well-studied image classification task as our working example, we demonstrate the computational capability of this mouse-sized network. Given its relatively small size, MouseNet achieves roughly 2/3rds the performance level on ImageNet as VGG16. In combination with the large scale Allen Brain Observatory Visual Coding dataset, we use representational similarity analysis to quantify the extent to which MouseNet recapitulates the neural representation in mouse visual cortex. Importantly, we provide evidence that optimizing for task performance does not improve similarity to the corresponding biological system beyond a certain point. We demonstrate that the distributions of some physiological quantities are closer to the observed distributions in the mouse brain after task training. We encourage the use of the MouseNet architecture by making the code freely available. Task-driven deep neural networks have shown great potential in predicting functional responses of biological neurons. Nevertheless, they are not precise biological analogues, raising questions about how they should be interpreted. Here, we build new deep neural network models of the mouse visual cortex (MouseNet) that are biologically constrained in detail, not only in terms of the basic structure of their connectivity, but also in terms of the count and hence density of neurons within each area, and the spatial extent of their projections. Equipped with the MouseNet model, we can address key questions about mesoscale brain architecture and its role in task learning and performance. We ask, and provide a first set of answers, to: What is the performance of a mouse brain-sized—and mouse brain-structured—model on benchmark image classification tasks? How does the training of a network on this task affect the functional properties of specified layers within the biologically constrained architecture—both overall, and in comparison with recorded function of mouse neurons? We anticipate much future work on allied questions, and the development of more sophisticated models in both mouse and other species, based on the freely available MouseNet model and code which we develop and provide here.
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Mayer SK, Thomas J, Helms M, Kothapalli A, Cherascu I, Salesevic A, Stalter E, Wang K, Datta P, Searby C, Seo S, Hsu Y, Bhattarai S, Sheffield VC, Drack AV. Progressive retinal degeneration of rods and cones in a Bardet-Biedl syndrome type 10 mouse model. Dis Model Mech 2022; 15:dmm049473. [PMID: 36125046 PMCID: PMC9536196 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.049473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) is a multi-organ autosomal-recessive disorder caused by mutations in at least 22 different genes. A constant feature is early-onset retinal degeneration leading to blindness. Among the most common forms is BBS type 10 (BBS10), which is caused by mutations in a gene encoding a chaperonin-like protein. To aid in developing treatments, we phenotyped a Bbs10 knockout (Bbs10-/-) mouse model. Analysis by optical coherence tomography (OCT), electroretinography (ERG) and a visually guided swim assay (VGSA) revealed a progressive degeneration (from P19 to 8 months of age) of the outer nuclear layer that is visible by OCT and histology. Cone ERG was absent from at least P30, at which time rod ERG was reduced to 74.4% of control levels; at 8 months, rod ERG was 2.3% of that of controls. VGSA demonstrated loss of functional vision at 9 months. These phenotypes progressed more rapidly than retinal degeneration in the Bbs1M390R/M390R knock-in mouse. This study defines endpoints for preclinical trials that can be utilized to detect a treatment effect in the Bbs10-/- mouse and extrapolated to human clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara K. Mayer
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Institute for Vision Research, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Jacintha Thomas
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Institute for Vision Research, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Megan Helms
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Institute for Vision Research, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Aishwarya Kothapalli
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Institute for Vision Research, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Ioana Cherascu
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Institute for Vision Research, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Adisa Salesevic
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Institute for Vision Research, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Elliot Stalter
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Institute for Vision Research, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Kai Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Poppy Datta
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Institute for Vision Research, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Charles Searby
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Seongjin Seo
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Institute for Vision Research, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Ying Hsu
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Institute for Vision Research, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Sajag Bhattarai
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Institute for Vision Research, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Val C. Sheffield
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Institute for Vision Research, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Arlene V. Drack
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Institute for Vision Research, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
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Price BH, Gavornik JP. Efficient Temporal Coding in the Early Visual System: Existing Evidence and Future Directions. Front Comput Neurosci 2022; 16:929348. [PMID: 35874317 PMCID: PMC9298461 DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2022.929348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
While it is universally accepted that the brain makes predictions, there is little agreement about how this is accomplished and under which conditions. Accurate prediction requires neural circuits to learn and store spatiotemporal patterns observed in the natural environment, but it is not obvious how such information should be stored, or encoded. Information theory provides a mathematical formalism that can be used to measure the efficiency and utility of different coding schemes for data transfer and storage. This theory shows that codes become efficient when they remove predictable, redundant spatial and temporal information. Efficient coding has been used to understand retinal computations and may also be relevant to understanding more complicated temporal processing in visual cortex. However, the literature on efficient coding in cortex is varied and can be confusing since the same terms are used to mean different things in different experimental and theoretical contexts. In this work, we attempt to provide a clear summary of the theoretical relationship between efficient coding and temporal prediction, and review evidence that efficient coding principles explain computations in the retina. We then apply the same framework to computations occurring in early visuocortical areas, arguing that data from rodents is largely consistent with the predictions of this model. Finally, we review and respond to criticisms of efficient coding and suggest ways that this theory might be used to design future experiments, with particular focus on understanding the extent to which neural circuits make predictions from efficient representations of environmental statistics.
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Italiano ML, Guo T, Lovell NH, Tsai D. Improving the spatial resolution of artificial vision using midget retinal ganglion cell populations modelled at the human fovea. J Neural Eng 2022; 19. [PMID: 35609556 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/ac72c2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Retinal prostheses seek to create artificial vision by stimulating surviving retinal neurons of patients with profound vision impairment. Notwithstanding tremendous research efforts, the performance of all implants tested to date has remained rudimentary, incapable of overcoming the threshold for legal blindness. To maximize the perceptual efficacy of retinal prostheses, a device must be capable of controlling retinal neurons with greater spatiotemporal precision. Most studies of retinal stimulation were derived from either non-primate species or the peripheral primate retina. We investigated if artificial stimulation could leverage the high spatial resolution afforded by the neural substrates at the primate fovea and surrounding regions to achieve improved percept qualities. APPROACH We began by developing a new computational model capable of generating anatomically accurate retinal ganglion cell (RGC) populations within the human central retina. Next, multiple RGC populations across the central retina were stimulated in-silico to compare clinical and recently proposed neurostimulation configurations based on their ability to improve perceptual efficacy and reduce activation thresholds. MAIN RESULTS Our model uniquely upholds eccentricity-dependent characteristics such as RGC density and dendritic field diameter, whilst incorporating anatomically accurate features such as axon projection and three-dimensional RGC layering, features often forgone in favor of reduced computational complexity. Following epiretinal stimulation, the RGCs in our model produced response patterns in shapes akin to the complex percepts reported in clinical trials. Our results also demonstrated that even within the neuron-dense central retina, epiretinal stimulation using a multi-return hexapolar electrode arrangement could reliably achieve spatially focused RGC activation and could achieve single-cell excitation in 74% of all tested locations. SIGNIFICANCE This study establishes an anatomically accurate three-dimensional model of the human central retina and demonstrates the potential for an epiretinal hexapolar configuration to achieve consistent, spatially confined retinal responses, even within the neuron-dense foveal region. Our results promote the prospect and optimization of higher spatial resolution in future epiretinal implants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Lewis Italiano
- Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, AUSTRALIA
| | - Tianruo Guo
- Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, AUSTRALIA
| | - Nigel H Lovell
- Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, AUSTRALIA
| | - David Tsai
- Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, AUSTRALIA
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Manohar S, Chen GD, Ding D, Liu L, Wang J, Chen YC, Chen L, Salvi R. Unexpected Consequences of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss: Impaired Hippocampal Neurogenesis, Memory, and Stress. Front Integr Neurosci 2022; 16:871223. [PMID: 35619926 PMCID: PMC9127992 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2022.871223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), caused by direct damage to the cochlea, reduces the flow of auditory information to the central nervous system, depriving higher order structures, such as the hippocampus with vital sensory information needed to carry out complex, higher order functions. Although the hippocampus lies outside the classical auditory pathway, it nevertheless receives acoustic information that influence its activity. Here we review recent results that illustrate how NIHL and other types of cochlear hearing loss disrupt hippocampal function. The hippocampus, which continues to generate new neurons (neurogenesis) in adulthood, plays an important role in spatial navigation, memory, and emotion. The hippocampus, which contains place cells that respond when a subject enters a specific location in the environment, integrates information from multiple sensory systems, including the auditory system, to develop cognitive spatial maps to aid in navigation. Acute exposure to intense noise disrupts the place-specific firing patterns of hippocampal neurons, “spatially disorienting” the cells for days. More traumatic sound exposures that result in permanent NIHL chronically suppresses cell proliferation and neurogenesis in the hippocampus; these structural changes are associated with long-term spatial memory deficits. Hippocampal neurons, which contain numerous glucocorticoid hormone receptors, are part of a complex feedback network connected to the hypothalamic-pituitary (HPA) axis. Chronic exposure to intense intermittent noise results in prolonged stress which can cause a persistent increase in corticosterone, a rodent stress hormone known to suppress neurogenesis. In contrast, a single intense noise exposure sufficient to cause permanent hearing loss produces only a transient increase in corticosterone hormone. Although basal corticosterone levels return to normal after the noise exposure, glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) in the hippocampus remain chronically elevated. Thus, NIHL disrupts negative feedback from the hippocampus to the HPA axis which regulates the release of corticosterone. Preclinical studies suggest that the noise-induced changes in hippocampal place cells, neurogenesis, spatial memory, and glucocorticoid receptors may be ameliorated by therapeutic interventions that reduce oxidative stress and inflammation. These experimental results may provide new insights on why hearing loss is a risk factor for cognitive decline and suggest methods for preventing this decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Senthilvelan Manohar
- Center for Hearing and Deafness, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - Guang-Di Chen
- Center for Hearing and Deafness, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - Dalian Ding
- Center for Hearing and Deafness, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - Lijie Liu
- Department of Physiology, Medical College, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jian Wang
- School of Communication Science and Disorders, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Yu-Chen Chen
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Lin Chen
- Auditory Research Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Richard Salvi
- Center for Hearing and Deafness, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States
- *Correspondence: Richard Salvi
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