1
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Jiang S, Song B, Liu Z, Shen S, Qian W, Sun J, Chen G, Zhu Y. Neuronal activity in the anterior paraventricular nucleus of thalamus positively correlated with sweetener consumption in mice. Neurosci Res 2024; 205:16-26. [PMID: 38364907 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2024.02.002] [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: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
Although the brain can discriminate between various sweet substances, the underlying neural mechanisms of this complex behavior remain elusive. This study examines the role of the anterior paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (aPVT) in governing sweet preference in mice. We fed the mice six different diets with equal sweetness for six weeks: control diet (CD), high sucrose diet (HSD), high stevioside diet (HSSD), high xylitol diet (HXD), high glycyrrhizin diet (HGD), and high mogroside diet (HMD). The mice exhibited a marked preference specifically for the HSD and HSSD. Following consumption of these diets, c-Fos expression levels in the aPVT were significantly higher in these two groups compared to the others. Utilizing fiber photometry calcium imaging, we observed rapid activation of aPVT neurons in response to sucrose and stevioside intake, but not to xylitol or water. Our findings suggest that aPVT activity aligns with sweet preference in mice, and notably, stevioside is the sole plant-based sweetener that elicits an aPVT response comparable to that of sucrose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaolei Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Optical Technology and Instrument for Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Optical-Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China; The Brain Cognition and Brain Diseases Institute of Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Bo Song
- Key Laboratory of Optical Technology and Instrument for Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Optical-Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China
| | - Zhongdong Liu
- Grain College, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China; Instituto de Física da Universidade de São Paulo, Sã o Paulo 05508-090, Brazil
| | - Shuifa Shen
- Hefei lnstitutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031, China; School of Intelligent Manufacturing, Zhejiang Guangsha Vocational and Technical University of Construction, Jinhua 322100, China
| | - Weiliang Qian
- Instituto de Física da Universidade de São Paulo, Sã o Paulo 05508-090, Brazil
| | - Jing Sun
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shenzhen Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital, The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, No.2004 Hongli Road, Shenzhen 518028, China
| | - Gaowei Chen
- The Brain Cognition and Brain Diseases Institute of Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shenzhen 518055, China.
| | - Yingjie Zhu
- The Brain Cognition and Brain Diseases Institute of Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shenzhen 518055, China.
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2
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Grujic N, Polania R, Burdakov D. Neurobehavioral meaning of pupil size. Neuron 2024:S0896-6273(24)00406-9. [PMID: 38925124 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.05.029] [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: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Pupil size is a widely used metric of brain state. It is one of the few signals originating from the brain that can be readily monitored with low-cost devices in basic science, clinical, and home settings. It is, therefore, important to investigate and generate well-defined theories related to specific interpretations of this metric. What exactly does it tell us about the brain? Pupils constrict in response to light and dilate during darkness, but the brain also controls pupil size irrespective of luminosity. Pupil size fluctuations resulting from ongoing "brain states" are used as a metric of arousal, but what is pupil-linked arousal and how should it be interpreted in neural, cognitive, and computational terms? Here, we discuss some recent findings related to these issues. We identify open questions and propose how to answer them through a combination of well-defined tasks, neurocomputational models, and neurophysiological probing of the interconnected loops of causes and consequences of pupil size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikola Grujic
- Neurobehavioural Dynamics Lab, ETH Zürich, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Schorenstrasse 16, 8603 Schwerzenbach, Switzerland.
| | - Rafael Polania
- Decision Neuroscience Lab, ETH Zürich, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Winterthurstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Denis Burdakov
- Neurobehavioural Dynamics Lab, ETH Zürich, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Schorenstrasse 16, 8603 Schwerzenbach, Switzerland.
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3
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Franke K, Cai C, Ponder K, Fu J, Sokoloski S, Berens P, Tolias AS. Asymmetric distribution of color-opponent response types across mouse visual cortex supports superior color vision in the sky. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.06.01.543054. [PMID: 37333280 PMCID: PMC10274736 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.01.543054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Color is an important visual feature that informs behavior, and the retinal basis for color vision has been studied across various vertebrate species. While many studies have investigated how color information is processed in visual brain areas of primate species, we have limited understanding of how it is organized beyond the retina in other species, including most dichromatic mammals. In this study, we systematically characterized how color is represented in the primary visual cortex (V1) of mice. Using large-scale neuronal recordings and a luminance and color noise stimulus, we found that more than a third of neurons in mouse V1 are color-opponent in their receptive field center, while the receptive field surround predominantly captures luminance contrast. Furthermore, we found that color-opponency is especially pronounced in posterior V1 that encodes the sky, matching the statistics of natural scenes experienced by mice. Using unsupervised clustering, we demonstrate that the asymmetry in color representations across cortex can be explained by an uneven distribution of green-On/UV-Off color-opponent response types that are represented in the upper visual field. Finally, a simple model with natural scene-inspired parametric stimuli shows that green-On/UV-Off color-opponent response types may enhance the detection of "predatory"-like dark UV-objects in noisy daylight scenes. The results from this study highlight the relevance of color processing in the mouse visual system and contribute to our understanding of how color information is organized in the visual hierarchy across species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin Franke
- Department of Ophthalmology, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, US
- Stanford Bio-X, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, US
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, US
- Department of Neuroscience & Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Chenchen Cai
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Graduate Training Center of Neuroscience, International Max Planck Research School, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Kayla Ponder
- Department of Neuroscience & Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jiakun Fu
- Department of Neuroscience & Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sacha Sokoloski
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Hertie Institute for AI in Brain Health, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Philipp Berens
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Hertie Institute for AI in Brain Health, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Andreas S Tolias
- Department of Ophthalmology, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, US
- Stanford Bio-X, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, US
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, US
- Department of Neuroscience & Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, US
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4
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Vlasits AL, Syeda M, Wickman A, Guzman P, Schmidt TM. Atypical retinal function in a mouse model of Fragile X syndrome. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.15.585283. [PMID: 38559003 PMCID: PMC10980068 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.15.585283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Altered function of peripheral sensory neurons is an emerging mechanism for symptoms of autism spectrum disorders. Visual sensitivities are common in autism, but whether differences in the retina might underlie these sensitivities is not well-understood. We explored retinal function in the Fmr1 knockout model of Fragile X syndrome, focusing on a specific type of retinal neuron, the "sustained On alpha" retinal ganglion cell. We found that these cells exhibit changes in dendritic structure and dampened responses to light in the Fmr1 knockout. We show that decreased light sensitivity is due to increased inhibitory input and reduced E-I balance. The change in E-I balance supports maintenance of circuit excitability similar to what has been observed in cortex. These results show that loss of Fmr1 in the mouse retina affects sensory function of one retinal neuron type. Our findings suggest that the retina may be relevant for understanding visual function in Fragile X syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna L Vlasits
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, USA
- Lead contact
| | - Maria Syeda
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Annelise Wickman
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Pedro Guzman
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Tiffany M Schmidt
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
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5
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Li Y, Xue F, Li B, Yang Y, Fan Z, Shu J, Yang X, Wang X, Lin J, Copana C, Zhao B. Analyzing bivariate cross-trait genetic architecture in GWAS summary statistics with the BIGA cloud computing platform. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.04.28.538585. [PMID: 38559152 PMCID: PMC10979906 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.28.538585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
As large-scale biobanks provide increasing access to deep phenotyping and genomic data, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are rapidly uncovering the genetic architecture behind various complex traits and diseases. GWAS publications typically make their summary-level data (GWAS summary statistics) publicly available, enabling further exploration of genetic overlaps between phenotypes gathered from different studies and cohorts. However, systematically analyzing high-dimensional GWAS summary statistics for thousands of phenotypes can be both logistically challenging and computationally demanding. In this paper, we introduce BIGA (https://bigagwas.org/), a website that aims to offer unified data analysis pipelines and processed data resources for cross-trait genetic architecture analyses using GWAS summary statistics. We have developed a framework to implement statistical genetics tools on a cloud computing platform, combined with extensive curated GWAS data resources. Through BIGA, users can upload data, submit jobs, and share results, providing the research community with a convenient tool for consolidating GWAS data and generating new insights.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujue Li
- Department of Statistics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Fei Xue
- Department of Statistics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Bingxuan Li
- Department of Computer Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Yilin Yang
- Department of Computer and Information Science and Electrical and Systems Engineering, School of Engineering & Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Zirui Fan
- Department of Statistics and Data Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Juan Shu
- Department of Statistics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Xiaochen Yang
- Department of Statistics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Xiyao Wang
- Department of Computer Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Jinjie Lin
- Yale School of Management, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Carlos Copana
- Department of Statistics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Bingxin Zhao
- Department of Statistics and Data Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Applied Mathematics and Computational Science Graduate Group, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Center for AI and Data Science for Integrated Diagnostics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Penn Institute for Biomedical Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Population Aging Research Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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6
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Baden T. Ancestral photoreceptor diversity as the basis of visual behaviour. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:374-386. [PMID: 38253752 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02291-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Animal colour vision is based on comparing signals from different photoreceptors. It is generally assumed that processing different spectral types of photoreceptor mainly serves colour vision. Here I propose instead that photoreceptors are parallel feature channels that differentially support visual-motor programmes like motion vision behaviours, prey capture and predator evasion. Colour vision may have emerged as a secondary benefit of these circuits, which originally helped aquatic vertebrates to visually navigate and segment their underwater world. Specifically, I suggest that ancestral vertebrate vision was built around three main systems, including a high-resolution general purpose greyscale system based on ancestral red cones and rods to mediate visual body stabilization and navigation, a high-sensitivity specialized foreground system based on ancestral ultraviolet cones to mediate threat detection and prey capture, and a net-suppressive system based on ancestral green and blue cones for regulating red/rod and ultraviolet circuits. This ancestral strategy probably still underpins vision today, and different vertebrate lineages have since adapted their original photoreceptor circuits to suit their diverse visual ecologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Baden
- University of Sussex, Sussex Neuroscience, Sussex Center for Sensory Neuroscience and Computation, Brighton, UK.
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7
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Abstract
When vertebrates first conquered the land, they encountered a visual world that was radically distinct from that of their aquatic ancestors. Fish exploit the strong wavelength-dependent interactions of light with water by differentially feeding the signals from up to 5 spectral photoreceptor types into distinct behavioural programmes. However, above the water the same spectral rules do not apply, and this called for an update to visual circuit strategies. Early tetrapods soon evolved the double cone, a still poorly understood pair of new photoreceptors that brought the "ancestral terrestrial" complement from 5 to 7. Subsequent nonmammalian lineages differentially adapted this highly parallelised retinal input strategy for their diverse visual ecologies. By contrast, mammals shed most ancestral photoreceptors and converged on an input strategy that is exceptionally general. In eutherian mammals including in humans, parallelisation emerges gradually as the visual signal traverses the layers of the retina and into the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Baden
- University of Sussex, Sussex Neuroscience, Sussex Center for Sensory Neuroscience and Computation, Brighton, United Kingdom
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8
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Longden KD, Rogers EM, Nern A, Dionne H, Reiser MB. Different spectral sensitivities of ON- and OFF-motion pathways enhance the detection of approaching color objects in Drosophila. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7693. [PMID: 38001097 PMCID: PMC10673857 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43566-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Color and motion are used by many species to identify salient objects. They are processed largely independently, but color contributes to motion processing in humans, for example, enabling moving colored objects to be detected when their luminance matches the background. Here, we demonstrate an unexpected, additional contribution of color to motion vision in Drosophila. We show that behavioral ON-motion responses are more sensitive to UV than for OFF-motion, and we identify cellular pathways connecting UV-sensitive R7 photoreceptors to ON and OFF-motion-sensitive T4 and T5 cells, using neurogenetics and calcium imaging. Remarkably, this contribution of color circuitry to motion vision enhances the detection of approaching UV discs, but not green discs with the same chromatic contrast, and we show how this could generalize for systems with ON- and OFF-motion pathways. Our results provide a computational and circuit basis for how color enhances motion vision to favor the detection of saliently colored objects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kit D Longden
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA, 20147, USA.
| | - Edward M Rogers
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA, 20147, USA
| | - Aljoscha Nern
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA, 20147, USA
| | - Heather Dionne
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA, 20147, USA
| | - Michael B Reiser
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA, 20147, USA.
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9
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Takahashi M, Veale R. Pathways for Naturalistic Looking Behavior in Primate I: Behavioral Characteristics and Brainstem Circuits. Neuroscience 2023; 532:133-163. [PMID: 37776945 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.09.009] [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: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023]
Abstract
Organisms control their visual worlds by moving their eyes, heads, and bodies. This control of "gaze" or "looking" is key to survival and intelligence, but our investigation of the underlying neural mechanisms in natural conditions is hindered by technical limitations. Recent advances have enabled measurement of both brain and behavior in freely moving animals in complex environments, expanding on historical head-fixed laboratory investigations. We juxtapose looking behavior as traditionally measured in the laboratory against looking behavior in naturalistic conditions, finding that behavior changes when animals are free to move or when stimuli have depth or sound. We specifically focus on the brainstem circuits driving gaze shifts and gaze stabilization. The overarching goal of this review is to reconcile historical understanding of the differential neural circuits for different "classes" of gaze shift with two inconvenient truths. (1) "classes" of gaze behavior are artificial. (2) The neural circuits historically identified to control each "class" of behavior do not operate in isolation during natural behavior. Instead, multiple pathways combine adaptively and non-linearly depending on individual experience. While the neural circuits for reflexive and voluntary gaze behaviors traverse somewhat independent brainstem and spinal cord circuits, both can be modulated by feedback, meaning that most gaze behaviors are learned rather than hardcoded. Despite this flexibility, there are broadly enumerable neural pathways commonly adopted among primate gaze systems. Parallel pathways which carry simultaneous evolutionary and homeostatic drives converge in superior colliculus, a layered midbrain structure which integrates and relays these volitional signals to brainstem gaze-control circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayu Takahashi
- Department of Systems Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental, Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan.
| | - Richard Veale
- Department of Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Japan
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10
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Farre AA, Thomas P, Huang J, Poulsen RA, Owusu Poku E, Stenkamp DL. Plasticity of cone photoreceptors in adult zebrafish revealed by thyroid hormone exposure. Sci Rep 2023; 13:15697. [PMID: 37735192 PMCID: PMC10514274 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-42686-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Vertebrate color vision is predominantly mediated by the presence of multiple cone photoreceptor subtypes that are each maximally sensitive to different wavelengths of light. Thyroid hormone (TH) has been shown to be essential in the spatiotemporal patterning of cone subtypes in many species, including cone subtypes that express opsins that are encoded by tandemly replicated genes. TH has been shown to differentially regulate the tandemly replicated lws opsin genes in zebrafish, and exogenous treatments alter the expression levels of these genes in larvae and juveniles. In this study, we sought to determine whether gene expression in cone photoreceptors remains plastic to TH treatment in adults. We used a transgenic lws reporter line, multiplexed fluorescence hybridization chain reaction in situ hybridization, and qPCR to examine the extent to which cone gene expression can be altered by TH in adults. Our studies revealed that opsin gene expression, and the expression of other photoreceptor genes, remains plastic to TH treatment in adult zebrafish. In addition to retinal plasticity, exogenous TH treatment alters skin pigmentation patterns in adult zebrafish after 5 days. Taken together, our results show a remarkable level of TH-sensitive plasticity in the adult zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley A Farre
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, 83844-3015, USA
| | - Preston Thomas
- WWAMI Medical Education Program, University of Washington School of Medicine, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
| | - Johnson Huang
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Spokane, WA, USA
| | | | - Emmanuel Owusu Poku
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, 83844-3015, USA
| | - Deborah L Stenkamp
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, 83844-3015, USA.
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11
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Trapani F, Spampinato GLB, Yger P, Marre O. Differences in nonlinearities determine retinal cell types. J Neurophysiol 2023; 130:706-718. [PMID: 37584082 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00243.2022] [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: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 07/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Classifying neurons in different types is still an open challenge. In the retina, recent works have taken advantage of the ability to record from a large number of cells to classify ganglion cells into different types based on functional information. Although the first attempts in this direction used the receptive field properties of each cell to classify them, more recent approaches have proposed to cluster ganglion cells directly based on their response to stimuli. These two approaches have not been compared directly. Here, we recorded the responses of a large number of ganglion cells and compared two methods for classifying them into functional groups, one based on the receptive field properties, and the other one using directly their responses to stimuli with various temporal frequencies. We show that the response-based approach allows separation of more types than the receptive field-based method, leading to a better classification. This better granularity is due to the fact that the response-based method takes into account not only the linear part of ganglion cell function but also some of the nonlinearities. A careful characterization of nonlinear processing is thus key to allowing functional classification of sensory neurons.NEW & NOTEWORTHY In the retina, ganglion cells can be classified based on their response to visual stimuli. Although some methods are based on the modeling of receptive fields, others rely on responses to characteristic stimuli. We compared these two classes of methods and show that the latter provides a higher discrimination performance. We also show that this gain arises from the ability to account for the nonlinear behavior of neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Trapani
- Institut de la Vision, Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
| | | | - Pierre Yger
- Institut de la Vision, Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Marre
- Institut de la Vision, Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
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12
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Seifert M, Roberts PA, Kafetzis G, Osorio D, Baden T. Birds multiplex spectral and temporal visual information via retinal On- and Off-channels. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5308. [PMID: 37652912 PMCID: PMC10471707 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41032-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
In vertebrate vision, early retinal circuits divide incoming visual information into functionally opposite elementary signals: On and Off, transient and sustained, chromatic and achromatic. Together these signals can yield an efficient representation of the scene for transmission to the brain via the optic nerve. However, this long-standing interpretation of retinal function is based on mammals, and it is unclear whether this functional arrangement is common to all vertebrates. Here we show that male poultry chicks use a fundamentally different strategy to communicate information from the eye to the brain. Rather than using functionally opposite pairs of retinal output channels, chicks encode the polarity, timing, and spectral composition of visual stimuli in a highly correlated manner: fast achromatic information is encoded by Off-circuits, and slow chromatic information overwhelmingly by On-circuits. Moreover, most retinal output channels combine On- and Off-circuits to simultaneously encode, or multiplex, both achromatic and chromatic information. Our results from birds conform to evidence from fish, amphibians, and reptiles which retain the full ancestral complement of four spectral types of cone photoreceptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marvin Seifert
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK.
| | - Paul A Roberts
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | | | - Daniel Osorio
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK.
| | - Tom Baden
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK.
- Institute of Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
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13
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Wang X, Chen C, Zhu L, Shi K, Peng B, Zhu Y, Mao H, Long H, Ke S, Fu C, Zhu Y, Wan C, Wan Q. Vertically integrated spiking cone photoreceptor arrays for color perception. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3444. [PMID: 37301894 PMCID: PMC10257685 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39143-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The cone photoreceptors in our eyes selectively transduce the natural light into spiking representations, which endows the brain with high energy-efficiency color vision. However, the cone-like device with color-selectivity and spike-encoding capability remains challenging. Here, we propose a metal oxide-based vertically integrated spiking cone photoreceptor array, which can directly transduce persistent lights into spike trains at a certain rate according to the input wavelengths. Such spiking cone photoreceptors have an ultralow power consumption of less than 400 picowatts per spike in visible light, which is very close to biological cones. In this work, lights with three wavelengths were exploited as pseudo-three-primary colors to form 'colorful' images for recognition tasks, and the device with the ability to discriminate mixed colors shows better accuracy. Our results would enable hardware spiking neural networks with biologically plausible visual perception and provide great potential for the development of dynamic vision sensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangjing Wang
- School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China
| | - Chunsheng Chen
- School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China
| | - Li Zhu
- College of Integrated Circuit Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing, 210003, China
| | - Kailu Shi
- School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China
| | - Baocheng Peng
- School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China
| | - Yixin Zhu
- School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China
| | - Huiwu Mao
- School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China
| | - Haotian Long
- School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China
| | - Shuo Ke
- School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China
| | - Chuanyu Fu
- School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China
| | - Ying Zhu
- School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China
| | - Changjin Wan
- School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China.
| | - Qing Wan
- School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China.
- School of Micro Nanoelectronics, Zhejiang University, ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Centre, 310027, Hangzhou, PR China.
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14
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Feord RC, Gomoliszewska A, Pienaar A, Mouland JW, Brown TM. Colour opponency is widespread across the mouse subcortical visual system and differentially targets GABAergic and non-GABAergic neurons. Sci Rep 2023; 13:9313. [PMID: 37291239 PMCID: PMC10250360 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-35885-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Colour vision plays many important roles in animal behaviour but the brain pathways processing colour remain surprisingly poorly understood, including in the most commonly used laboratory mammal, mice. Indeed, particular features of mouse retinal organisation present challenges in defining the mechanisms underlying colour vision in mice and have led to suggestions that this may substantially rely on 'non-classical' rod-cone opponency. By contrast, studies using mice with altered cone spectral sensitivity, to facilitate application of photoreceptor-selective stimuli, have revealed widespread cone-opponency across the subcortical visual system. To determine the extent to which such findings are truly reflective of wildtype mouse colour vision, and facilitate neural circuit mapping of colour-processing pathways using intersectional genetic approaches, we here establish and validate stimuli for selectively manipulating excitation of the native mouse S- and M-cone opsin classes. We then use these to confirm the widespread appearance of cone-opponency (> 25% of neurons) across the mouse visual thalamus and pretectum. We further extend these approaches to map the occurrence of colour-opponency across optogenetically identified GABAergic (GAD2-expressing) cells in key non-image forming visual centres (pretectum and intergeniculate leaflet/ventral lateral geniculate; IGL/vLGN). Strikingly, throughout, we find S-ON/M-OFF opponency is specifically enriched in non-GABAergic cells, with identified GABAergic cells in the IGL/VLGN entirely lacking this property. Collectively, therefore, we establish an important new approach for studying cone function in mice, confirming a surprisingly extensive appearance of cone-opponent processing in the mouse visual system and providing new insight into functional specialisation of the pathways processing such signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- R C Feord
- Centre for Biological Timing, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - A Gomoliszewska
- Centre for Biological Timing, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - A Pienaar
- Centre for Biological Timing, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - J W Mouland
- Centre for Biological Timing, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - T M Brown
- Centre for Biological Timing, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
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15
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Qiu Y, Klindt DA, Szatko KP, Gonschorek D, Hoefling L, Schubert T, Busse L, Bethge M, Euler T. Efficient coding of natural scenes improves neural system identification. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1011037. [PMID: 37093861 PMCID: PMC10159360 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Neural system identification aims at learning the response function of neurons to arbitrary stimuli using experimentally recorded data, but typically does not leverage normative principles such as efficient coding of natural environments. Visual systems, however, have evolved to efficiently process input from the natural environment. Here, we present a normative network regularization for system identification models by incorporating, as a regularizer, the efficient coding hypothesis, which states that neural response properties of sensory representations are strongly shaped by the need to preserve most of the stimulus information with limited resources. Using this approach, we explored if a system identification model can be improved by sharing its convolutional filters with those of an autoencoder which aims to efficiently encode natural stimuli. To this end, we built a hybrid model to predict the responses of retinal neurons to noise stimuli. This approach did not only yield a higher performance than the "stand-alone" system identification model, it also produced more biologically plausible filters, meaning that they more closely resembled neural representation in early visual systems. We found these results applied to retinal responses to different artificial stimuli and across model architectures. Moreover, our normatively regularized model performed particularly well in predicting responses of direction-of-motion sensitive retinal neurons. The benefit of natural scene statistics became marginal, however, for predicting the responses to natural movies. In summary, our results indicate that efficiently encoding environmental inputs can improve system identification models, at least for noise stimuli, and point to the benefit of probing the visual system with naturalistic stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongrong Qiu
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, U Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), U Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience (GTC), International Max Planck Research School, U Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - David A Klindt
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, U Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), U Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Klaudia P Szatko
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, U Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), U Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience (GTC), International Max Planck Research School, U Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Dominic Gonschorek
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, U Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), U Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Research Training Group 2381, U Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Larissa Hoefling
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, U Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), U Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Timm Schubert
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, U Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), U Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Laura Busse
- Division of Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Matthias Bethge
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), U Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Tübingen, Germany
- Institute for Theoretical Physics, U Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Thomas Euler
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, U Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), U Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Tübingen, Germany
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16
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Mouland JW, Watson AJ, Martial FP, Lucas RJ, Brown TM. Colour and melanopsin mediated responses in the murine retina. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1114634. [PMID: 36993934 PMCID: PMC10040579 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1114634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) integrate melanopsin and rod/cone-mediated inputs to signal to the brain. Whilst originally identified as a cell type specialised for encoding ambient illumination, several lines of evidence indicate a strong association between colour discrimination and ipRGC-driven responses. Thus, cone-mediated colour opponent responses have been widely found across ipRGC target regions in the mouse brain and influence a key ipRGC-dependent function, circadian photoentrainment. Although ipRGCs exhibiting spectrally opponent responses have also been identified, the prevalence of such properties have not been systematically evaluated across the mouse retina or yet been found in ipRGC subtypes known to influence the circadian system. Indeed, there is still uncertainty around the overall prevalence of cone-dependent colour opponency across the mouse retina, given the strong retinal gradient in S and M-cone opsin (co)-expression and overlapping spectral sensitivities of most mouse opsins.Methods: To address this, we use photoreceptor isolating stimuli in multielectrode recordings from human red cone opsin knock-in mouse (Opn1mwR) retinas to systematically survey cone mediated responses and the occurrence of colour opponency across ganglion cell layer (GCL) neurons and identify ipRGCs based on spectral comparisons and/or the persistence of light responses under synaptic blockade.Results: Despite detecting robust cone-mediated responses across the retina, we find cone opponency is rare, especially outside of the central retina (overall ~3% of GCL neurons). In keeping with previous suggestions we also see some evidence of rod-cone opponency (albeit even more rare under our experimental conditions), but find no evidence for any enrichment of cone (or rod) opponent responses among functionally identified ipRGCs.Conclusion: In summary, these data suggest the widespread appearance of cone-opponency across the mouse early visual system and ipRGC-related responses may be an emergent feature of central visual processing mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua W. Mouland
- Centre for Biological Timing, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Gastroenterology, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Joshua W. Mouland
| | - Alex J. Watson
- Centre for Biological Timing, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Gastroenterology, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Franck P. Martial
- Centre for Biological Timing, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Robert J. Lucas
- Centre for Biological Timing, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Timothy M. Brown
- Centre for Biological Timing, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Gastroenterology, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
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17
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Rhim I, Nauhaus I. Joint representations of color and form in mouse visual cortex described by random pooling from rods and cones. J Neurophysiol 2023; 129:619-634. [PMID: 36696968 PMCID: PMC9988525 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00138.2022] [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: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Spatial transitions in color can aid any visual perception task, and its neural representation, the "integration of color and form," is thought to begin at primary visual cortex (V1). Integration of color and form is untested in mouse V1, yet studies show that the ventral retina provides the necessary substrate from green-sensitive rods and ultraviolet-sensitive cones. Here, we used two-photon imaging in V1 to measure spatial frequency (SF) tuning along four axes of rod and cone contrast space, including luminance and color. We first reveal that V1's sensitivity to color is similar to luminance, yet average SF tuning is significantly shifted lowpass for color. Next, guided by linear models, we used SF tuning along all four color axes to estimate the proportion of neurons that fall into classic models of color opponency, i.e., "single-," "double-," and "non-opponent." Few neurons (∼6%) fit the criteria for double opponency, which are uniquely tuned for chromatic borders. Most of the population can be described as a unimodal distribution ranging from strongly single-opponent to non-opponent. Consistent with recent studies of the rodent and primate retina, our V1 data are well-described by a simple model in which ON and OFF channels to V1 sample the photoreceptor mosaic randomly. Finally, an analysis comparing color opponency to preferred orientation and retinotopy further validates rods, and not cone M-opsin, as opponent with cone S-opsin in the upper visual field.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study is the first to show that mouse V1 is highly sensitive to UV-green color contrast. Furthermore, it provides a detailed characterization of "color opponency," which is the putative neural basis for color perception. Finally, using an extremely simple yet novel random wiring model, we account for our observations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Issac Rhim
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States
- Center for Perceptual Systems, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, United States
| | - Ian Nauhaus
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States
- Center for Perceptual Systems, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States
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18
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Tang YL, Liu AL, Lv SS, Zhou ZR, Cao H, Weng SJ, Zhang YQ. Green light analgesia in mice is mediated by visual activation of enkephalinergic neurons in the ventrolateral geniculate nucleus. Sci Transl Med 2022; 14:eabq6474. [PMID: 36475906 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abq6474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Green light exposure has been shown to reduce pain in animal models. Here, we report a vision-associated enkephalinergic neural circuit responsible for green light-mediated analgesia. Full-field green light exposure at an intensity of 10 lux produced analgesic effects in healthy mice and in a model of arthrosis. Ablation of cone photoreceptors completely inhibited the analgesic effect, whereas rod ablation only partially reduced pain relief. The analgesic effect was not modulated by the ablation of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs), which are atypical photoreceptors that control various nonvisual effects of light. Inhibition of the retino-ventrolateral geniculate nucleus (vLGN) pathway completely abolished the analgesic effects. Activation of this pathway reduced nociceptive behavioral responses; such activation was blocked by the inhibition of proenkephalin (Penk)-positive neurons in the vLGN (vLGNPenk). Moreover, green light analgesia was prevented by knockdown of Penk in the vLGN or by ablation of vLGNPenk neurons. In addition, activation of the projections from vLGNPenk neurons to the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) was sufficient to suppress nociceptive behaviors, whereas its inhibition abolished the green light analgesia. Our findings indicate that cone-dominated retinal inputs mediated green light analgesia through the vLGNPenk-DRN pathway and suggest that this signaling pathway could be exploited for reducing pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Long Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Ai-Lin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Su-Su Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Zi-Rui Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Hong Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Shi-Jun Weng
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yu-Qiu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
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19
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Franke K, Willeke KF, Ponder K, Galdamez M, Zhou N, Muhammad T, Patel S, Froudarakis E, Reimer J, Sinz FH, Tolias AS. State-dependent pupil dilation rapidly shifts visual feature selectivity. Nature 2022; 610:128-134. [PMID: 36171291 PMCID: PMC10635574 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05270-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
To increase computational flexibility, the processing of sensory inputs changes with behavioural context. In the visual system, active behavioural states characterized by motor activity and pupil dilation1,2 enhance sensory responses, but typically leave the preferred stimuli of neurons unchanged2-9. Here we find that behavioural state also modulates stimulus selectivity in the mouse visual cortex in the context of coloured natural scenes. Using population imaging in behaving mice, pharmacology and deep neural network modelling, we identified a rapid shift in colour selectivity towards ultraviolet stimuli during an active behavioural state. This was exclusively caused by state-dependent pupil dilation, which resulted in a dynamic switch from rod to cone photoreceptors, thereby extending their role beyond night and day vision. The change in tuning facilitated the decoding of ethological stimuli, such as aerial predators against the twilight sky10. For decades, studies in neuroscience and cognitive science have used pupil dilation as an indirect measure of brain state. Our data suggest that, in addition, state-dependent pupil dilation itself tunes visual representations to behavioural demands by differentially recruiting rods and cones on fast timescales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin Franke
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Tübingen University, Tübingen, Germany.
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience, Tübingen University, Tübingen, Germany.
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
- Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Konstantin F Willeke
- Institute for Bioinformatics and Medical Informatics, Tübingen University, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Computer Science, Göttingen University, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Kayla Ponder
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Mario Galdamez
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Na Zhou
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Taliah Muhammad
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Saumil Patel
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Emmanouil Froudarakis
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Jacob Reimer
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Fabian H Sinz
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Institute for Bioinformatics and Medical Informatics, Tübingen University, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Computer Science, Göttingen University, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Andreas S Tolias
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
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20
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High-density electrode recordings reveal strong and specific connections between retinal ganglion cells and midbrain neurons. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5218. [PMID: 36064789 PMCID: PMC9445019 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32775-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The superior colliculus is a midbrain structure that plays important roles in visually guided behaviors in mammals. Neurons in the superior colliculus receive inputs from retinal ganglion cells but how these inputs are integrated in vivo is unknown. Here, we discovered that high-density electrodes simultaneously capture the activity of retinal axons and their postsynaptic target neurons in the superior colliculus, in vivo. We show that retinal ganglion cell axons in the mouse provide a single cell precise representation of the retina as input to superior colliculus. This isomorphic mapping builds the scaffold for precise retinotopic wiring and functionally specific connection strength. Our methods are broadly applicable, which we demonstrate by recording retinal inputs in the optic tectum in zebra finches. We find common wiring rules in mice and zebra finches that provide a precise representation of the visual world encoded in retinal ganglion cells connections to neurons in retinorecipient areas. The superior colliculus receives visual information from retinal ganglion cells, but it remains unclear how this information is organized and integrated in vivo. Here the authors describe how high-density electrodes can simultaneously capture the activity of incoming axons and target neurons in the superior colliculus, and demonstrate isomorphic mapping and strong and specific connections in mice and zebrafinches.
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21
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Seenivasan P, Narayanan R. Efficient information coding and degeneracy in the nervous system. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2022; 76:102620. [PMID: 35985074 PMCID: PMC7613645 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2022.102620] [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: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Efficient information coding (EIC) is a universal biological framework rooted in the fundamental principle that system responses should match their natural stimulus statistics for maximizing environmental information. Quantitatively assessed through information theory, such adaptation to the environment occurs at all biological levels and timescales. The context dependence of environmental stimuli and the need for stable adaptations make EIC a daunting task. We argue that biological complexity is the principal architect that subserves deft execution of stable EIC. Complexity in a system is characterized by several functionally segregated subsystems that show a high degree of functional integration when they interact with each other. Complex biological systems manifest heterogeneities and degeneracy, wherein structurally different subsystems could interact to yield the same functional outcome. We argue that complex systems offer several choices that effectively implement EIC and homeostasis for each of the different contexts encountered by the system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavithraa Seenivasan
- Cellular Neurophysiology Laboratory, Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India. https://twitter.com/PaveeSeeni
| | - Rishikesh Narayanan
- Cellular Neurophysiology Laboratory, Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India.
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22
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Suppression without inhibition: how retinal computation contributes to saccadic suppression. Commun Biol 2022; 5:692. [PMID: 35821404 PMCID: PMC9276698 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03526-2] [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: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual perception remains stable across saccadic eye movements, despite the concurrent strongly disruptive visual flow. This stability is partially associated with a reduction in visual sensitivity, known as saccadic suppression, which already starts in the retina with reduced ganglion cell sensitivity. However, the retinal circuit mechanisms giving rise to such suppression remain unknown. Here, we describe these mechanisms using electrophysiology in mouse, pig, and macaque retina, 2-photon calcium imaging, computational modeling, and human psychophysics. We find that sequential stimuli, like those that naturally occur during saccades, trigger three independent suppressive mechanisms in the retina. The main mechanism is triggered by contrast-reversing sequential stimuli and originates within the receptive field center of ganglion cells. It does not involve inhibition or other known suppressive mechanisms like saturation or adaptation. Instead, it relies on temporal filtering of the inherently slow response of cone photoreceptors coupled with downstream nonlinearities. Two further mechanisms of suppression are present predominantly in ON ganglion cells and originate in the receptive field surround, highlighting another disparity between ON and OFF ganglion cells. The mechanisms uncovered here likely play a role in shaping the retinal output following eye movements and other natural viewing conditions where sequential stimulation is ubiquitous.
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23
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Abstract
An ultimate goal in retina science is to understand how the neural circuit of the retina processes natural visual scenes. Yet most studies in laboratories have long been performed with simple, artificial visual stimuli such as full-field illumination, spots of light, or gratings. The underlying assumption is that the features of the retina thus identified carry over to the more complex scenario of natural scenes. As the application of corresponding natural settings is becoming more commonplace in experimental investigations, this assumption is being put to the test and opportunities arise to discover processing features that are triggered by specific aspects of natural scenes. Here, we review how natural stimuli have been used to probe, refine, and complement knowledge accumulated under simplified stimuli, and we discuss challenges and opportunities along the way toward a comprehensive understanding of the encoding of natural scenes. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Vision Science, Volume 8 is September 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimokratis Karamanlis
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,International Max Planck Research School for Neurosciences, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Helene Marianne Schreyer
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Tim Gollisch
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence "Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells" (MBExC), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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24
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Huang X, Kim AJ, Acarón Ledesma H, Ding J, Smith RG, Wei W. Visual Stimulation Induces Distinct Forms of Sensitization of On-Off Direction-Selective Ganglion Cell Responses in the Dorsal and Ventral Retina. J Neurosci 2022; 42:4449-4469. [PMID: 35474276 PMCID: PMC9172291 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1391-21.2022] [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: 07/06/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Experience-dependent modulation of neuronal responses is a key attribute in sensory processing. In the mammalian retina, the On-Off direction-selective ganglion cell (DSGC) is well known for its robust direction selectivity. However, how the On-Off DSGC light responsiveness dynamically adjusts to the changing visual environment is underexplored. Here, we report that On-Off DSGCs tuned to posterior motion direction [i.e. posterior DSGCs (pDSGCs)] in mice of both sexes can be transiently sensitized by prior stimuli. Notably, distinct sensitization patterns are found in dorsal and ventral pDSGCs. Although responses of both dorsal and ventral pDSGCs to dark stimuli (Off responses) are sensitized, only dorsal cells show the sensitization of responses to bright stimuli (On responses). Visual stimulation to the dorsal retina potentiates a sustained excitatory input from Off bipolar cells, leading to tonic depolarization of pDSGCs. Such tonic depolarization propagates from the Off to the On dendritic arbor of the pDSGC to sensitize its On response. We also identified a previously overlooked feature of DSGC dendritic architecture that can support dendritic integration between On and Off dendritic layers bypassing the soma. By contrast, ventral pDSGCs lack a sensitized tonic depolarization and thus do not exhibit sensitization of their On responses. Our results highlight a topographic difference in Off bipolar cell inputs underlying divergent sensitization patterns of dorsal and ventral pDSGCs. Moreover, substantial crossovers between dendritic layers of On-Off DSGCs suggest an interactive dendritic algorithm for processing On and Off signals before they reach the soma.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Visual neuronal responses are dynamically influenced by the prior visual experience. This form of plasticity reflects the efficient coding of the naturalistic environment by the visual system. We found that a class of retinal output neurons, On-Off direction-selective ganglion cells, transiently increase their responsiveness after visual stimulation. Cells located in dorsal and ventral retinas exhibit distinct sensitization patterns because of different adaptive properties of Off bipolar cell signaling. A previously overlooked dendritic morphologic feature of the On-Off direction-selective ganglion cell is implicated in the cross talk between On and Off pathways during sensitization. Together, these findings uncover a topographic difference in the adaptive encoding of upper and lower visual fields and the underlying neural mechanism in the dorsal and ventral retinas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolin Huang
- Department of Neurobiology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637
- The Committee on Neurobiology Graduate Program, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637
| | - Alan Jaehyun Kim
- Department of Neurobiology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637
| | - Héctor Acarón Ledesma
- Department of Neurobiology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637
- Graduate Program in Biophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637
| | - Jennifer Ding
- Department of Neurobiology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637
- The Committee on Neurobiology Graduate Program, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637
| | - Robert G Smith
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
| | - Wei Wei
- Department of Neurobiology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637
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Tangential high-density electrode insertions allow to simultaneously measure neuronal activity across an extended region of the visual field in mouse superior colliculus. J Neurosci Methods 2022; 376:109622. [PMID: 35525463 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2022.109622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The superior colliculus (SC) is a midbrain structure that plays a central role in visual processing. Although we have learned a considerable amount about the function of single SC neurons, the way in which sensory information is represented and processed on the population level in awake behaving animals and across a large region of the retinotopic map is still largely unknown. Partially because the SC is anatomically located below the cortical sheet and the transverse sinus, which render the measure of neuronal activity from a large population of neurons in the SC technically difficult to perform. NEW METHOD To address this, we propose a tangential recording configuration using high-density electrode probes (Neuropixels) in mouse SC in vivo. This method permits a large number of recording sites (~200) inside the SC circuitry allowing to record from a large population of SC neurons along a vast area of retinotopic space. RESULTS This approach provides a unique opportunity to measure the activity of SC neuronal populations over up to ~2mm of SC tissue reporting for the first time the continuous receptive fields coverage of almost the entire SC retinotopy. Here we describe how to perform targeted tangential recordings along the anterior-posterior and the medio-lateral axis of the mouse SC in vivo in the upper visual layers. Furthermore, we describe how to combine this approach with optogenetic tools for cell-type identification on the population level. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS Vertical insertion has been a standard way to record visual responses in the SC. Inserting multi-shank probes vertically allows to cover a larger region of the SC but misses both the complete extent of the available retinotopy and the continuous measure allowed by the high density of recording sites on Neuropixels probes. CONCLUSION Altogether tangential insertions in the upper visual layers of the mouse SC using Neuropixels permit for the first time to access a majority of the retinotopically organized visual representation of the world at an unprecedented precision.
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Abstract
Retinal circuits transform the pixel representation of photoreceptors into the feature representations of ganglion cells, whose axons transmit these representations to the brain. Functional, morphological, and transcriptomic surveys have identified more than 40 retinal ganglion cell (RGC) types in mice. RGCs extract features of varying complexity; some simply signal local differences in brightness (i.e., luminance contrast), whereas others detect specific motion trajectories. To understand the retina, we need to know how retinal circuits give rise to the diverse RGC feature representations. A catalog of the RGC feature set, in turn, is fundamental to understanding visual processing in the brain. Anterograde tracing indicates that RGCs innervate more than 50 areas in the mouse brain. Current maps connecting RGC types to brain areas are rudimentary, as is our understanding of how retinal signals are transformed downstream to guide behavior. In this article, I review the feature selectivities of mouse RGCs, how they arise, and how they are utilized downstream. Not only is knowledge of the behavioral purpose of RGC signals critical for understanding the retinal contributions to vision; it can also guide us to the most relevant areas of visual feature space. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Vision Science, Volume 8 is September 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Kerschensteiner
- John F. Hardesty, MD, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences; Department of Neuroscience; Department of Biomedical Engineering; and Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA;
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Joly S, Mdzomba JB, Rodriguez L, Morin F, Vallières L, Pernet V. B cell-dependent EAE induces visual deficits in the mouse with similarities to human autoimmune demyelinating diseases. J Neuroinflammation 2022; 19:54. [PMID: 35197067 PMCID: PMC8867627 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-022-02416-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the field of autoimmune demyelinating diseases, visual impairments have extensively been studied using the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mouse model, which is classically induced by immunization with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein peptide (MOG35-55). However, this model does not involve B cells like its human analogs. New antigens have thus been developed to induce a B cell-dependent form of EAE that better mimics human diseases. METHODS The present study aimed to characterize the visual symptoms of EAE induced with such an antigen called bMOG. After the induction of EAE with bMOG in C57BL/6J mice, visual function changes were studied by electroretinography and optomotor acuity tests. Motor deficits were assessed in parallel with a standard clinical scoring method. Histological examinations and Western blot analyses allowed to follow retinal neuron survival, gliosis, microglia activation, opsin photopigment expression in photoreceptors and optic nerve demyelination. Disease effects on retinal gene expression were established by RNA sequencing. RESULTS We observed that bMOG EAE mice exhibited persistent loss of visual acuity, despite partial recovery of electroretinogram and motor functions. This loss was likely due to retinal inflammation, gliosis and synaptic impairments, as evidenced by histological and transcriptomic data. Further analysis suggests that the M-cone photoreceptor pathway was also affected. CONCLUSION Therefore, by documenting visual changes induced by bMOG and showing similarities to those seen in diseases such as multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica, this study offers a new approach to test protective or restorative ophthalmic treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandrine Joly
- Department of Ophthalmology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.,Regenerative Medicine Unit, University Hospital Center of Quebec, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Julius Baya Mdzomba
- Regenerative Medicine Unit, University Hospital Center of Quebec, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada.,Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Léa Rodriguez
- Regenerative Medicine Unit, University Hospital Center of Quebec, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada.,Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Françoise Morin
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada.,Neuroscience Unit, University Hospital Center of Quebec, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Luc Vallières
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada.,Neuroscience Unit, University Hospital Center of Quebec, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Vincent Pernet
- Regenerative Medicine Unit, University Hospital Center of Quebec, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada. .,Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada. .,Center for Experimental Neurology (ZEN), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. .,Department of Neurology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Sahli Haus 1, UG Büro 1, Freiburgstrasse 14, 3010, Bern, Switzerland.
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28
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Sun C, Zhang X, Ruzycki PA, Chen S. Essential Functions of MLL1 and MLL2 in Retinal Development and Cone Cell Maintenance. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:829536. [PMID: 35223853 PMCID: PMC8864151 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.829536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
MLL1 (KMT2A) and MLL2 (KMT2B) are homologous members of the mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL) family of histone methyltransferases involved in epigenomic transcriptional regulation. Their sequence variants have been associated with neurological and psychological disorders, but little is known about their roles and mechanism of action in CNS development. Using mouse retina as a model, we previously reported MLL1’s role in retinal neurogenesis and horizontal cell maintenance. Here we determine roles of MLL2 and MLL1/MLL2 together in retinal development using conditional knockout (CKO) mice. Deleting Mll2 from Chx10+ retinal progenitors resulted in a similar phenotype as Mll1 CKO, but removal of both alleles produced much more severe deficits than each single CKO: 1-month double CKO mutants displayed null light responses in electroretinogram; thin retinal layers, including shorter photoreceptor outer segments with impaired phototransduction gene expression; and reduced numbers of M-cones, horizontal and amacrine neurons, followed by fast retinal degeneration. Despite moderately reduced progenitor cell proliferation at P0, the neurogenic capacity was largely maintained in double CKO mutants. However, upregulated apoptosis and reactive gliosis were detected during postnatal retinal development. Finally, the removal of both MLLs in fated rods produced a normal phenotype, but the CKO in M-cones impaired M-cone function and survival, indicating both cell non-autonomous and autonomous mechanisms. Altogether, our results suggest that MLL1/MLL2 play redundant roles in maintaining specific retinal neurons after cell fate specification and are essential for establishing functional neural networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi Sun
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Xiaodong Zhang
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Philip A. Ruzycki
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Shiming Chen
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, United States
- *Correspondence: Shiming Chen,
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Behrens C, Yadav SC, Korympidou MM, Zhang Y, Haverkamp S, Irsen S, Schaedler A, Lu X, Liu Z, Lause J, St-Pierre F, Franke K, Vlasits A, Dedek K, Smith RG, Euler T, Berens P, Schubert T. Retinal horizontal cells use different synaptic sites for global feedforward and local feedback signaling. Curr Biol 2022; 32:545-558.e5. [PMID: 34910950 PMCID: PMC8886496 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.11.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2019] [Revised: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
In the outer plexiform layer (OPL) of the mammalian retina, cone photoreceptors (cones) provide input to more than a dozen types of cone bipolar cells (CBCs). In the mouse, this transmission is modulated by a single horizontal cell (HC) type. HCs perform global signaling within their laterally coupled network but also provide local, cone-specific feedback. However, it is unknown how HCs provide local feedback to cones at the same time as global forward signaling to CBCs and where the underlying synapses are located. To assess how HCs simultaneously perform different modes of signaling, we reconstructed the dendritic trees of five HCs as well as cone axon terminals and CBC dendrites in a serial block-face electron microscopy volume and analyzed their connectivity. In addition to the fine HC dendritic tips invaginating cone axon terminals, we also identified "bulbs," short segments of increased dendritic diameter on the primary dendrites of HCs. These bulbs are in an OPL stratum well below the cone axon terminal base and make contacts with other HCs and CBCs. Our results from immunolabeling, electron microscopy, and glutamate imaging suggest that HC bulbs represent GABAergic synapses that do not receive any direct photoreceptor input. Together, our data suggest the existence of two synaptic strata in the mouse OPL, spatially separating cone-specific feedback and feedforward signaling to CBCs. A biophysical model of a HC dendritic branch and voltage imaging support the hypothesis that this spatial arrangement of synaptic contacts allows for simultaneous local feedback and global feedforward signaling by HCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Behrens
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 7, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Str. 25, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Str. 25, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Str. 27, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Shubhash Chandra Yadav
- Neurosensorics/Animal Navigation, Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Oldenburg, Carl-von-Ossietzky-Str. 9-11, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Maria M Korympidou
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 7, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Str. 25, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Str. 27, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Yue Zhang
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 7, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Str. 25, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Str. 27, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Silke Haverkamp
- Department of Computational Neuroethology, Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Stephan Irsen
- Electron Microscopy and Analytics, Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Anna Schaedler
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 7, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Str. 25, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Str. 27, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Xiaoyu Lu
- Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Biology Program, Rice University, 6500 Main St., Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Zhuohe Liu
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Jan Lause
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 7, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Str. 25, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Str. 25, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Str. 27, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - François St-Pierre
- Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Biology Program, Rice University, 6500 Main St., Houston, TX 77005, USA; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX 77005, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Katrin Franke
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 7, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Str. 25, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Str. 25, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Anna Vlasits
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 7, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Str. 25, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Str. 25, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Karin Dedek
- Neurosensorics/Animal Navigation, Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Oldenburg, Carl-von-Ossietzky-Str. 9-11, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Robert G Smith
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, 422 Curie Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Thomas Euler
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 7, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Str. 25, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Str. 25, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Philipp Berens
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 7, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Str. 25, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Str. 25, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Tübingen AI Center, University of Tübingen, Maria-von-Linden-Straße 6, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Timm Schubert
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 7, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Str. 25, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
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Tashiro JH, Ventura DF, Hauzman E. Morphological Plasticity of the Retina of Viperidae Snakes Is Associated With Ontogenetic Changes in Ecology and Behavior. Front Neuroanat 2022; 15:770804. [PMID: 35153683 PMCID: PMC8825375 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2021.770804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Snakes of the Viperidae family have retinas adapted to low light conditions, with high packaging of rod-photoreceptors containing the rhodopsin photopigment (RH1), and three types of cone-photoreceptors, large single and double cones with long-wavelength sensitive opsins (LWS), and small single cones with short-wavelength sensitive opsins (SWS1). In this study, we compared the density and distribution of photoreceptors and ganglion cell layer (GCL) cells in whole-mounted retinas of two viperid snakes, the lancehead Bothrops jararaca and the rattlesnake Crotalus durissus, and we estimated the upper limits of spatial resolving power based on anatomical data. The ground-dwelling C. durissus inhabits savannah-like habitats and actively searches for places to hide before using the sit-and-wait hunting strategy to ambush rodents. B. jararaca inhabits forested areas and has ontogenetic changes in ecology and behavior. Adults are terrestrial and use similar hunting strategies to those used by rattlesnakes to prey on rodents. Juveniles are semi-arboreal and use the sit-and-wait strategy and caudal luring to attract ectothermic prey. Our analyses showed that neuronal densities were similar for the two species, but their patterns of distribution were different between and within species. In adults and juveniles of C. durissus, cones were distributed in poorly defined visual streaks and rods were concentrated in the dorsal retina, indicating higher sensitivity in the lower visual field. In adults of B. jararaca, both cones and rods were distributed in poorly defined visual streaks, while in juveniles, rods were concentrated in the dorsal retina and cones in the ventral retina, enhancing sensitivity in the lower visual field and visual acuity in the upper field. The GCL cells had peak densities in the temporal retina of C. durissus and adults of B. jararaca, indicating higher acuity in the frontal field. In juveniles of B. jararaca, the peak density of GCL cells in the ventral retina indicates better acuity in the upper field. The estimated visual acuity varied from 2.3 to 2.8 cycles per degree. Our results showed interspecific differences and suggest ontogenetic plasticity of the retinal architecture associated with changes in the niche occupied by viperid snakes, and highlight the importance of the retinal topography for visual ecology and behavior of snakes.
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Abstract
The mouse has dichromatic color vision based on two different types of opsins: short (S)- and middle (M)-wavelength-sensitive opsins with peak sensitivity to ultraviolet (UV; 360 nm) and green light (508 nm), respectively. In the mouse retina, cone photoreceptors that predominantly express the S-opsin are more sensitive to contrasts and denser towards the ventral retina, preferentially sampling the upper part of the visual field. In contrast, the expression of the M-opsin gradually increases towards the dorsal retina that encodes the lower visual field. Such a distinctive retinal organization is assumed to arise from a selective pressure in evolution to efficiently encode the natural scenes. However, natural image statistics of UV light remain largely unexplored. Here we developed a multi-spectral camera to acquire high-quality UV and green images of the same natural scenes, and examined the optimality of the mouse retina to the image statistics. We found that the local contrast and the spatial correlation were both higher in UV than in green for images above the horizon, but lower in UV than in green for those below the horizon. This suggests that the dorsoventral functional division of the mouse retina is not optimal for maximizing the bandwidth of information transmission. Factors besides the coding efficiency, such as visual behavioral requirements, will thus need to be considered to fully explain the characteristic organization of the mouse retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Abballe
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Hiroki Asari
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Epigenetics and Neurobiology Unit, EMBL Rome, Monterotondo, Rome, Italy
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Sharpe ZJ, Shehu A, Ichinose T. Asymmetric Distributions of Achromatic Bipolar Cells in the Mouse Retina. Front Neuroanat 2022; 15:786142. [PMID: 35095431 PMCID: PMC8792968 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2021.786142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In the retina, evolutionary changes can be traced in the topography of photoreceptors. The shape of the visual streak depends on the height of the animal and its habitat, namely, woods, prairies, or mountains. Also, the distribution of distinct wavelength-sensitive cones is unique to each animal. For example, UV and green cones reside in the ventral and dorsal regions in the mouse retina, respectively, whereas in the rat retina these cones are homogeneously distributed. In contrast with the abundant investigation on the distribution of photoreceptors and the third-order neurons, the distribution of bipolar cells has not been well understood. We utilized two enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) mouse lines, Lhx4-EGFP (Lhx4) and 6030405A18Rik-EGFP (Rik), to examine the topographic distributions of bipolar cells in the retina. First, we characterized their GFP-expressing cells using type-specific markers. We found that GFP was expressed by type 2, type 3a, and type 6 bipolar cells in the Rik mice and by type 3b, type 4, and type 5 bipolar cells in the Lhx4 mice. All these types are achromatic. Then, we examined the distributions of bipolar cells in the four cardinal directions and three different eccentricities of the retinal tissue. In the Rik mice, GFP-expressing bipolar cells were more highly observed in the nasal region than those in the temporal retina. The number of GFP cells was not different along with the ventral-dorsal axis. In contrast, in the Lhx4 mice, GFP-expressing cells occurred at a higher density in the ventral region than in the dorsal retina. However, no difference was observed along the nasal-temporal axis. Furthermore, we examined which type of bipolar cells contributed to the asymmetric distributions in the Rik mice. We found that type 3a bipolar cells occurred at a higher density in the temporal region, whereas type 6 bipolar cells were denser in the nasal region. The asymmetricity of these bipolar cells shaped the uneven distribution of the GFP cells in the Rik mice. In conclusion, we found that a subset of achromatic bipolar cells is asymmetrically distributed in the mouse retina, suggesting their unique roles in achromatic visual processing.
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Ichinose T, Habib S. ON and OFF Signaling Pathways in the Retina and the Visual System. FRONTIERS IN OPHTHALMOLOGY 2022; 2:989002. [PMID: 36926308 PMCID: PMC10016624 DOI: 10.3389/fopht.2022.989002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Visual processing starts at the retina of the eye, and signals are then transferred primarily to the visual cortex and the tectum. In the retina, multiple neural networks encode different aspects of visual input, such as color and motion. Subsequently, multiple neural streams in parallel convey unique aspects of visual information to cortical and subcortical regions. Bipolar cells, which are the second order neurons of the retina, separate visual signals evoked by light and dark contrasts and encode them to ON and OFF pathways, respectively. The interplay between ON and OFF neural signals is the foundation for visual processing for object contrast which underlies higher order stimulus processing. ON and OFF pathways have been classically thought to signal in a mirror-symmetric manner. However, while these two pathways contribute synergistically to visual perception in some instances, they have pronounced asymmetries suggesting independent operation in other cases. In this review, we summarize the role of the ON-OFF dichotomy in visual signaling, aiming to contribute to the understanding of visual recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomomi Ichinose
- Department of Ophthalmology, Visual and Anatomical Sciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Correspondence: Tomomi Ichinose, MD, PhD,
| | - Samar Habib
- Department of Ophthalmology, Visual and Anatomical Sciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Department of Medical Parasitology, Mansoura Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
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Bartel P, Yoshimatsu T, Janiak FK, Baden T. Spectral inference reveals principal cone-integration rules of the zebrafish inner retina. Curr Biol 2021; 31:5214-5226.e4. [PMID: 34653362 PMCID: PMC8669161 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.09.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Retinal bipolar cells integrate cone signals at dendritic and axonal sites. The axonal route, involving amacrine cells, remains largely uncharted. However, because cone types differ in their spectral sensitivities, insights into bipolar cells' cone integration might be gained based on their spectral tunings. We therefore recorded in vivo responses of bipolar cell presynaptic terminals in larval zebrafish to widefield but spectrally resolved flashes of light and mapped the results onto spectral responses of the four cones. This "spectral circuit mapping" allowed explaining ∼95% of the spectral and temporal variance of bipolar cell responses in a simple linear model, thereby revealing several notable integration rules of the inner retina. Bipolar cells were dominated by red-cone inputs, often alongside equal sign inputs from blue and green cones. In contrast, UV-cone inputs were uncorrelated with those of the remaining cones. This led to a new axis of spectral opponency where red-, green-, and blue-cone "Off" circuits connect to "natively-On" UV-cone circuits in the outermost fraction of the inner plexiform layer-much as how key color opponent circuits are established in mammals. Beyond this, and despite substantial temporal diversity that was not present in the cones, bipolar cell spectral tunings were surprisingly simple. They either approximately resembled both opponent and non-opponent spectral motifs already present in the cones or exhibited a stereotyped non-opponent broadband response. In this way, bipolar cells not only preserved the efficient spectral representations in the cones but also diversified them to set up a total of six dominant spectral motifs, which included three axes of spectral opponency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Bartel
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Biology Road, BN1 9QG Brighton, UK
| | - Takeshi Yoshimatsu
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Biology Road, BN1 9QG Brighton, UK
| | - Filip K Janiak
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Biology Road, BN1 9QG Brighton, UK
| | - Tom Baden
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Biology Road, BN1 9QG Brighton, UK; Institute of Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Strasse 7, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
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35
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Holmgren CD, Stahr P, Wallace DJ, Voit KM, Matheson EJ, Sawinski J, Bassetto G, Kerr JND. Visual pursuit behavior in mice maintains the pursued prey on the retinal region with least optic flow. eLife 2021; 10:e70838. [PMID: 34698633 PMCID: PMC8547958 DOI: 10.7554/elife.70838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Mice have a large visual field that is constantly stabilized by vestibular ocular reflex (VOR) driven eye rotations that counter head-rotations. While maintaining their extensive visual coverage is advantageous for predator detection, mice also track and capture prey using vision. However, in the freely moving animal quantifying object location in the field of view is challenging. Here, we developed a method to digitally reconstruct and quantify the visual scene of freely moving mice performing a visually based prey capture task. By isolating the visual sense and combining a mouse eye optic model with the head and eye rotations, the detailed reconstruction of the digital environment and retinal features were projected onto the corneal surface for comparison, and updated throughout the behavior. By quantifying the spatial location of objects in the visual scene and their motion throughout the behavior, we show that the prey image consistently falls within a small area of the VOR-stabilized visual field. This functional focus coincides with the region of minimal optic flow within the visual field and consequently area of minimal motion-induced image-blur, as during pursuit mice ran directly toward the prey. The functional focus lies in the upper-temporal part of the retina and coincides with the reported high density-region of Alpha-ON sustained retinal ganglion cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl D Holmgren
- Department of Behavior and Brain Organization, Research center caesarBonnGermany
| | - Paul Stahr
- Department of Behavior and Brain Organization, Research center caesarBonnGermany
| | - Damian J Wallace
- Department of Behavior and Brain Organization, Research center caesarBonnGermany
| | - Kay-Michael Voit
- Department of Behavior and Brain Organization, Research center caesarBonnGermany
| | - Emily J Matheson
- Department of Behavior and Brain Organization, Research center caesarBonnGermany
| | - Juergen Sawinski
- Department of Behavior and Brain Organization, Research center caesarBonnGermany
| | - Giacomo Bassetto
- Department of Behavior and Brain Organization, Research center caesarBonnGermany
- Machine Learning in Science, Eberhard Karls University of TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Jason ND Kerr
- Department of Behavior and Brain Organization, Research center caesarBonnGermany
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36
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Hauzman E, Pierotti MER, Bhattacharyya N, Tashiro JH, Yovanovich CAM, Campos PF, Ventura DF, Chang BSW. Simultaneous expression of UV and violet SWS1 opsins expands the visual palette in a group of freshwater snakes. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:5225-5240. [PMID: 34562092 PMCID: PMC8662652 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Snakes are known to express a rod visual opsin and two cone opsins, only (SWS1, LWS), a reduced palette resulting from their supposedly fossorial origins. Dipsadid snakes in the genus Helicops are highly visual predators that successfully invaded freshwater habitats from ancestral terrestrial-only habitats. Here, we report the first case of multiple SWS1 visual pigments in a vertebrate, simultaneously expressed in different photoreceptors and conferring both UV and violet sensitivity to Helicops snakes. Molecular analysis and in vitro expression confirmed the presence of two functional SWS1 opsins, likely the result of recent gene duplication. Evolutionary analyses indicate that each sws1 variant has undergone different evolutionary paths with strong purifying selection acting on the UV-sensitive copy and dN/dS ∼1 on the violet-sensitive copy. Site-directed mutagenesis points to the functional role of a single amino acid substitution, Phe86Val, in the large spectral shift between UV and violet opsins. In addition, higher densities of photoreceptors and SWS1 cones in the ventral retina suggest improved acuity in the upper visual field possibly correlated with visually guided behaviors. The expanded visual opsin repertoire and specialized retinal architecture are likely to improve photon uptake in underwater and terrestrial environments, and provide the neural substrate for a gain in chromatic discrimination, potentially conferring unique color vision in the UV–violet range. Our findings highlight the innovative solutions undertaken by a highly specialized lineage to tackle the challenges imposed by the invasion of novel photic environments and the extraordinary diversity of evolutionary trajectories taken by visual opsin-based perception in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Einat Hauzman
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Psychology Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Michele E R Pierotti
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Nihar Bhattacharyya
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Juliana H Tashiro
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Psychology Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carola A M Yovanovich
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Pollyanna F Campos
- Laboratório de Toxinologia Aplicada, Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signaling (CeTICS), Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Dora F Ventura
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Psychology Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Belinda S W Chang
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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37
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Yang M, Jian L, Fan W, Chen X, Zou H, Huang Y, Chen X, Zhou YG, Yuan R. Axon regeneration after optic nerve injury in rats can be improved via PirB knockdown in the retina. Cell Biosci 2021; 11:158. [PMID: 34380548 PMCID: PMC8359350 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-021-00670-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the central nervous system (CNS), three types of myelin-associated inhibitors (MAIs) exert major inhibitory effects on nerve regeneration: Nogo-A, myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG), and oligodendrocyte-myelin glycoprotein (OMgp). MAIs have two co-receptors, Nogo receptor (NgR) and paired immunoglobulin-like receptor B (PirB). Existing studies confirm that inhibiting NgR only exerted a modest disinhibitory effect in CNS. However, the inhibitory effects of PirB on nerve regeneration after binding to MAIs are controversial too. We aimed to further investigate the effect of PirB knockdown on the neuroprotection and axonal regeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) after optic nerve injury in rats. METHODS The differential expression of PirB in the retina was observed via immunofluorescence and western blotting after 1, 3, and 7 days of optic nerve injury (ONI). The retina was locally transfected with adeno-associated virus (AAV) PirB shRNA, then, the distribution of virus in tissues and cells was observed 21 days after AAV transfection to confirm the efficiency of PirB knockdown. Level of P-Stat3 and expressions of ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) were detected via western blotting. RGCs were directly labeled with cholera toxin subunit B (CTB). The new axons of the optic nerve were specifically labeled with growth associated protein-43 (GAP43) via immunofluorescence. Flash visual evoked potential (FVEP) was used to detect the P1 and N1 latency, as well as N1-P1, P1-N2 amplitude to confirm visual function. RESULTS PirB expression in the retina was significantly increased after ONI. PirB knockdown was successful and significantly promoted P-Stat3 level and CNTF expression in the retina. PirB knockdown promoted the regeneration of optic nerve axons and improved the visual function indexes such as N1-P1 and P1-N2 amplitude. CONCLUSIONS PirB is one of the key molecules that inhibit the regeneration of the optic nerve, and inhibition of PirB has an excellent effect on promoting nerve regeneration, which allows the use of PirB as a target molecule to promote functional recovery after ONI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei Yang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, 183 Xinqiao Zhengjie, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400037, People's Republic of China
| | - Lan Jian
- Department of Ophthalmology, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, 183 Xinqiao Zhengjie, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400037, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Fan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, 183 Xinqiao Zhengjie, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400037, People's Republic of China
| | - Xing Chen
- The Molecular Biology Center, State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burn and Combined Injury, Research Institute of Surgery and Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, 10 Changjiang Zhilu, Chongqing, 400042, People's Republic of China
| | - Huan Zou
- Department of Ophthalmology, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, 183 Xinqiao Zhengjie, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400037, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanming Huang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, 183 Xinqiao Zhengjie, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400037, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaofan Chen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, 183 Xinqiao Zhengjie, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400037, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuan-Guo Zhou
- The Molecular Biology Center, State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burn and Combined Injury, Research Institute of Surgery and Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, 10 Changjiang Zhilu, Chongqing, 400042, People's Republic of China.
| | - Rongdi Yuan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, 183 Xinqiao Zhengjie, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400037, People's Republic of China.
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38
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Mouland JW, Pienaar A, Williams C, Watson AJ, Lucas RJ, Brown TM. Extensive cone-dependent spectral opponency within a discrete zone of the lateral geniculate nucleus supporting mouse color vision. Curr Biol 2021; 31:3391-3400.e4. [PMID: 34111401 PMCID: PMC8360768 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.05.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Color vision, originating with opponent processing of spectrally distinct photoreceptor signals, plays important roles in animal behavior.1-4 Surprisingly, however, comparatively little is understood about color processing in the brain, including in widely used laboratory mammals such as mice. The retinal gradient in S- and M-cone opsin (co-)expression has traditionally been considered an impediment to mouse color vision.5-8 However, recent data indicate that mice exhibit robust chromatic discrimination within the central-upper visual field.9 Retinal color opponency has been reported to emerge from superimposing inhibitory surround receptive fields on the cone opsin expression gradient, and by introducing opponent rod signals in retinal regions with sparse M-cone opsin expression.10-13 The relative importance of these proposed mechanisms in determining the properties of neurons at higher visual processing stages remains unknown. We address these questions using multielectrode recordings from the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) in mice with altered M-cone spectral sensitivity (Opn1mwR) and multispectral stimuli that allow selective modulation of signaling by individual opsin classes. Remarkably, we find many (∼25%) LGN cells are color opponent, that such cells are localized to a distinct medial LGN zone and that their properties cannot simply be explained by the proposed retinal opponent mechanisms. Opponent responses in LGN can be driven solely by cones, independent of cone-opsin expression gradients and rod input, with many cells exhibiting spatially congruent antagonistic receptive fields. Our data therefore suggest previously unidentified mechanisms may support extensive and sophisticated color processing in the mouse LGN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josh W Mouland
- Centre for Biological Timing, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Abigail Pienaar
- Centre for Biological Timing, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Christopher Williams
- Centre for Biological Timing, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Alex J Watson
- Centre for Biological Timing, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Robert J Lucas
- Centre for Biological Timing, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Timothy M Brown
- Centre for Biological Timing, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK.
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39
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Hoy J. Mouse vision: La vie en ultraviolet. Curr Biol 2021; 31:R962-R964. [PMID: 34375602 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Visual systems evolve to extract salient information from natural scenes. A new study demonstrates that the specialized organization of ultraviolet-sensitive photoreceptors in the mouse retina optimizes the visibility of aerial predators within the upper visual scenes experienced by mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Hoy
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada Reno, Reno, NV 89557, USA.
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40
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Color vision: More than meets the eye. Curr Biol 2021; 31:R948-R950. [PMID: 34375596 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.06.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Mice can discriminate color, but unlike in primates, studies have so far failed to find robust cone-opponent cells in the retina. A new study shows that a sub-region of the mouse visual thalamus is specialized for processing color.
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41
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Schröder C, Oesterle J, Berens P, Yoshimatsu T, Baden T. Distinct synaptic transfer functions in same-type photoreceptors. eLife 2021; 10:e67851. [PMID: 34269177 PMCID: PMC8318593 DOI: 10.7554/elife.67851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Many sensory systems use ribbon-type synapses to transmit their signals to downstream circuits. The properties of this synaptic transfer fundamentally dictate which aspects in the original stimulus will be accentuated or suppressed, thereby partially defining the detection limits of the circuit. Accordingly, sensory neurons have evolved a wide variety of ribbon geometries and vesicle pool properties to best support their diverse functional requirements. However, the need for diverse synaptic functions does not only arise across neuron types, but also within. Here we show that UV-cones, a single type of photoreceptor of the larval zebrafish eye, exhibit striking differences in their synaptic ultrastructure and consequent calcium to glutamate transfer function depending on their location in the eye. We arrive at this conclusion by combining serial section electron microscopy and simultaneous 'dual-colour' two-photon imaging of calcium and glutamate signals from the same synapse in vivo. We further use the functional dataset to fit a cascade-like model of the ribbon synapse with different vesicle pool sizes, transfer rates, and other synaptic properties. Exploiting recent developments in simulation-based inference, we obtain full posterior estimates for the parameters and compare these across different retinal regions. The model enables us to extrapolate to new stimuli and to systematically investigate different response behaviours of various ribbon configurations. We also provide an interactive, easy-to-use version of this model as an online tool. Overall, we show that already on the synaptic level of single-neuron types there exist highly specialised mechanisms which are advantageous for the encoding of different visual features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cornelius Schröder
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Jonathan Oesterle
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Philipp Berens
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience,Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, all: University of TubingenTubingenGermany
| | | | - Tom Baden
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
- School of Life Sciences,University of SussexSussexUnited Kingdom
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Ji S, Mao X, Zhang Y, Ye L, Dai J. Contribution of M-opsin-based color vision to refractive development in mice. Exp Eye Res 2021; 209:108669. [PMID: 34126082 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2021.108669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
M-opsin, encoded by opn1mw gene, is involved in green-light perception of mice. The role of M-opsin in emmetropization of mice remains uncertain. To answer the above question, 4-week-old wild-type (WT) mice were exposed to white light or green light (460-600 nm, a peak at 510 nm) for 12 weeks. Refractive development was estimated biweekly. After treatment, retinal function was assessed using electroretinogram (ERG). Dopamine (DA) in the retina was evaluated by high-performance liquid chromatography, M-opsin and S-opsin protein levels by Western blot and ELISA, and mRNA expressions of opn1mw and opn1sw by RT-PCR. Effects of M-opsin were further verified in Opn1mw-/- and WT mice raised in white light for 4 weeks. Refractive development was examined at 4, 6, and 8 weeks after birth. The retinal structure was estimated through hematoxylin and eosin staining (H&E) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Retinal wholemounts from WT and Opn1mw-/- mice were co-immunolabeled with M-opsin and S-opsin, their distribution and quantity were then assayed by immunofluorescence staining (IF). Expression of S-opsin protein and opn1sw mRNA were determined by Western blot, ELISA, or RT-PCR. Retinal function and DA content were analyzed by ERG and liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), respectively. Lastly, visual cliff test was used to evaluate the depth perception of the Opn1mw-/- mice. We found that green light-treated WT mice were more myopic with increased M-opsin expression and decreased DA content than white light-treated WT mice after 12-week illumination. No electrophysiologic abnormalities were recorded in mice exposed to green light compared to those exposed to white light. A more hyperopic shift was further observed in 8-week-old Opn1mw-/- mice in white light with lower DA level and weakened cone function than the WT mice under white light. Neither obvious structural disruption of the retina nor abnormal depth perception was found in Opn1mw-/- mice. Together, these results suggested that the M-opsin-based color vision participated in the refractive development of mice. Overexposure to green light caused myopia, but less perception of the middle-wavelength components in white light promoted hyperopia in mice. Furthermore, possible dopaminergic signaling pathway was suggested in myopia induced by green light.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunmei Ji
- Department of Ophthalmology, Eye & ENT Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Department of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, Shanghai, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Myopia (Fudan University); Key Laboratory of Myopia, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (Fudan University), Shanghai, China
| | - Xiuyu Mao
- Department of Ophthalmology, Eye & ENT Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, Shanghai, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Myopia (Fudan University); Key Laboratory of Myopia, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (Fudan University), Shanghai, China
| | - Yifan Zhang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Eye & ENT Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, Shanghai, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Myopia (Fudan University); Key Laboratory of Myopia, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (Fudan University), Shanghai, China
| | - Lin Ye
- Department of Ophthalmology, Eye & ENT Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, Shanghai, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Myopia (Fudan University); Key Laboratory of Myopia, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (Fudan University), Shanghai, China
| | - Jinhui Dai
- Department of Ophthalmology, Eye & ENT Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Department of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
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Qiu Y, Zhao Z, Klindt D, Kautzky M, Szatko KP, Schaeffel F, Rifai K, Franke K, Busse L, Euler T. Natural environment statistics in the upper and lower visual field are reflected in mouse retinal specializations. Curr Biol 2021; 31:3233-3247.e6. [PMID: 34107304 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Pressures for survival make sensory circuits adapted to a species' natural habitat and its behavioral challenges. Thus, to advance our understanding of the visual system, it is essential to consider an animal's specific visual environment by capturing natural scenes, characterizing their statistical regularities, and using them to probe visual computations. Mice, a prominent visual system model, have salient visual specializations, being dichromatic with enhanced sensitivity to green and UV in the dorsal and ventral retina, respectively. However, the characteristics of their visual environment that likely have driven these adaptations are rarely considered. Here, we built a UV-green-sensitive camera to record footage from mouse habitats. This footage is publicly available as a resource for mouse vision research. We found chromatic contrast to greatly diverge in the upper, but not the lower, visual field. Moreover, training a convolutional autoencoder on upper, but not lower, visual field scenes was sufficient for the emergence of color-opponent filters, suggesting that this environmental difference might have driven superior chromatic opponency in the ventral mouse retina, supporting color discrimination in the upper visual field. Furthermore, the upper visual field was biased toward dark UV contrasts, paralleled by more light-offset-sensitive ganglion cells in the ventral retina. Finally, footage recorded at twilight suggests that UV promotes aerial predator detection. Our findings support that natural scene statistics shaped early visual processing in evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongrong Qiu
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience (GTC), International Max Planck Research School, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Zhijian Zhao
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - David Klindt
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience (GTC), International Max Planck Research School, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Magdalena Kautzky
- Division of Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany; Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences (GSN), LMU Munich, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Klaudia P Szatko
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience (GTC), International Max Planck Research School, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Bernstein Centre for Computational Neuroscience, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Frank Schaeffel
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Katharina Rifai
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Carl Zeiss Vision International GmbH, 73430 Aalen, Germany
| | - Katrin Franke
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Bernstein Centre for Computational Neuroscience, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Laura Busse
- Division of Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany; Bernstein Centre for Computational Neuroscience, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.
| | - Thomas Euler
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Bernstein Centre for Computational Neuroscience, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
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44
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Rhim I, Coello-Reyes G, Nauhaus I. Variations in photoreceptor throughput to mouse visual cortex and the unique effects on tuning. Sci Rep 2021; 11:11937. [PMID: 34099749 PMCID: PMC8184960 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-90650-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual input to primary visual cortex (V1) depends on highly adaptive filtering in the retina. In turn, isolation of V1 computations requires experimental control of retinal adaptation to infer its spatio-temporal-chromatic output. Here, we measure the balance of input to mouse V1, in the anesthetized setup, from the three main photoreceptor opsins-M-opsin, S-opsin, and rhodopsin-as a function of two stimulus dimensions. The first dimension is the level of light adaptation within the mesopic range, which governs the balance of rod and cone inputs to cortex. The second stimulus dimension is retinotopic position, which governs the balance of S- and M-cone opsin input due to the opsin expression gradient in the retina. The fitted model predicts opsin input under arbitrary lighting environments, which provides a much-needed handle on in-vivo studies of the mouse visual system. We use it here to reveal that V1 is rod-mediated in common laboratory settings yet cone-mediated in natural daylight. Next, we compare functional properties of V1 under rod and cone-mediated inputs. The results show that cone-mediated V1 responds to 2.5-fold higher temporal frequencies than rod-mediated V1. Furthermore, cone-mediated V1 has smaller receptive fields, yet similar spatial frequency tuning. V1 responses in rod-deficient (Gnat1-/-) mice confirm that the effects are due to differences in photoreceptor opsin contribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Rhim
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas At Austin, 108 E. Dean Keeton, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
- Center for Perceptual Systems, University of Texas At Austin, 108 E. Dean Keeton, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - G Coello-Reyes
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas At Austin, 108 E. Dean Keeton, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
- Center for Perceptual Systems, University of Texas At Austin, 108 E. Dean Keeton, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - I Nauhaus
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas At Austin, 108 E. Dean Keeton, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas At Austin, 1 University Station, Stop C7000, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
- Center for Perceptual Systems, University of Texas At Austin, 108 E. Dean Keeton, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
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45
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Abstract
The use of spectral information in natural light to inform behaviour is one of the oldest and most fundamental abilities of visual systems. It long-predates animals' venture onto the land, and even the appearance of image-forming eyes. Accordingly, circuits for colour vision evolved under the surface of ancient oceans for hundreds of millions of years. These aquatic beginnings fundamentally underpin, and likely constrain, the organisation of modern visual systems. In contrast to our detailed circuit level understanding from diverse terrestrial vertebrates, however, comparatively little is known about their aquatic counterparts. Here, I summarise some of what is known about neural circuits for colour vision in fish, the most species-diverse group of vertebrates. With a focus on zebrafish, I will explore how their computational strategies are linked to the statistics of natural light in the underwater world, and how their study might help us understand vision in general, including in our own eyes.
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46
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Fathi M, Ross CT, Hosseinzadeh Z. Functional 3-Dimensional Retinal Organoids: Technological Progress and Existing Challenges. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:668857. [PMID: 33958988 PMCID: PMC8095320 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.668857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Stem cell scientists have developed methods for the self-formation of artificial organs, often referred to as organoids. Organoids can be used as model systems for research in multiple biological disciplines. Yoshiki Sasai’s innovation for deriving mammalian retinal tissue from in vitro stem cells has had a large impact on the study of the biology of vision. New developments in retinal organoid technology provide avenues for in vitro models of human retinal diseases, studies of pathological mechanisms, and development of therapies for retinal degeneration, including electronic retinal implants and gene therapy. Moreover, these innovations have played key roles in establishing models for large-scale drug screening, studying the stages of retinal development, and providing a human model for personalized therapeutic approaches, like cell transplants to replace degenerated retinal cells. Here, we first discuss the importance of human retinal organoids to the biomedical sciences. Then, we review various functional features of retinal organoids that have been developed. Finally, we highlight the current limitations of retinal organoid technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meimanat Fathi
- Department of Cell Techniques and Applied Stem Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Center for Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BBZ), University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Physiology and Pathophysiology of the Retina Group, Department of Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Neurodegeneration, Paul Flechsig Institute of Brain Research, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Cody T Ross
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Zohreh Hosseinzadeh
- Physiology and Pathophysiology of the Retina Group, Department of Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Neurodegeneration, Paul Flechsig Institute of Brain Research, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
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47
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Khani MH, Gollisch T. Linear and nonlinear chromatic integration in the mouse retina. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1900. [PMID: 33772000 PMCID: PMC7997992 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22042-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The computations performed by a neural circuit depend on how it integrates its input signals into an output of its own. In the retina, ganglion cells integrate visual information over time, space, and chromatic channels. Unlike the former two, chromatic integration is largely unexplored. Analogous to classical studies of spatial integration, we here study chromatic integration in mouse retina by identifying chromatic stimuli for which activation from the green or UV color channel is maximally balanced by deactivation through the other color channel. This reveals nonlinear chromatic integration in subsets of On, Off, and On-Off ganglion cells. Unlike the latter two, nonlinear On cells display response suppression rather than activation under balanced chromatic stimulation. Furthermore, nonlinear chromatic integration occurs independently of nonlinear spatial integration, depends on contributions from the rod pathway and on surround inhibition, and may provide information about chromatic boundaries, such as the skyline in natural scenes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Hossein Khani
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Göttingen, Germany.
- International Max Planck Research School for Neuroscience, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Tim Gollisch
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Göttingen, Germany.
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48
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Vit JP, Fuchs DT, Angel A, Levy A, Lamensdorf I, Black KL, Koronyo Y, Koronyo-Hamaoui M. Color and contrast vision in mouse models of aging and Alzheimer's disease using a novel visual-stimuli four-arm maze. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1255. [PMID: 33441984 PMCID: PMC7806734 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-80988-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
We introduce a novel visual-stimuli four-arm maze (ViS4M) equipped with spectrally- and intensity-controlled LED emitters and dynamic grayscale objects that relies on innate exploratory behavior to assess color and contrast vision in mice. Its application to detect visual impairments during normal aging and over the course of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is evaluated in wild-type (WT) and transgenic APPSWE/PS1∆E9 murine models of AD (AD+) across an array of irradiance, chromaticity, and contrast conditions. Substantial color and contrast-mode alternation deficits appear in AD+ mice at an age when hippocampal-based memory and learning is still intact. Profiling of timespan, entries and transition patterns between the different arms uncovers variable AD-associated impairments in contrast sensitivity and color discrimination, reminiscent of tritanomalous defects documented in AD patients. Transition deficits are found in aged WT mice in the absence of alternation decline. Overall, ViS4M is a versatile, controlled device to measure color and contrast-related vision in aged and diseased mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Philippe Vit
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 S. San Vicente Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA.,Biobehavioral Research Core, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Dieu-Trang Fuchs
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ariel Angel
- Pharmaseed Ltd., 9 Hamazmera St., 74047, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Aharon Levy
- Pharmaseed Ltd., 9 Hamazmera St., 74047, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | | | - Keith L Black
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Yosef Koronyo
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Maya Koronyo-Hamaoui
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 S. San Vicente Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA. .,Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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49
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van den Berg CP, Hollenkamp M, Mitchell LJ, Watson EJ, Green NF, Marshall NJ, Cheney KL. More than noise: context-dependent luminance contrast discrimination in a coral reef fish ( Rhinecanthus aculeatus). J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb232090. [PMID: 32967998 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.232090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Achromatic (luminance) vision is used by animals to perceive motion, pattern, space and texture. Luminance contrast sensitivity thresholds are often poorly characterised for individual species and are applied across a diverse range of perceptual contexts using over-simplified assumptions of an animal's visual system. Such thresholds are often estimated using the receptor noise limited model (RNL). However, the suitability of the RNL model to describe luminance contrast perception remains poorly tested. Here, we investigated context-dependent luminance discrimination using triggerfish (Rhinecanthus aculeatus) presented with large achromatic stimuli (spots) against uniform achromatic backgrounds of varying absolute and relative contrasts. 'Dark' and 'bright' spots were presented against relatively dark and bright backgrounds. We found significant differences in luminance discrimination thresholds across treatments. When measured using Michelson contrast, thresholds for bright spots on a bright background were significantly higher than for other scenarios, and the lowest threshold was found when dark spots were presented on dark backgrounds. Thresholds expressed in Weber contrast revealed lower thresholds for spots darker than their backgrounds, which is consistent with the literature. The RNL model was unable to estimate threshold scaling across scenarios as predicted by the Weber-Fechner law, highlighting limitations in the current use of the RNL model to quantify luminance contrast perception. Our study confirms that luminance contrast discrimination thresholds are context dependent and should therefore be interpreted with caution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cedric P van den Berg
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Michelle Hollenkamp
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Laurie J Mitchell
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Erin J Watson
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Naomi F Green
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - N Justin Marshall
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Karen L Cheney
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
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50
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Oesterle J, Behrens C, Schröder C, Hermann T, Euler T, Franke K, Smith RG, Zeck G, Berens P. Bayesian inference for biophysical neuron models enables stimulus optimization for retinal neuroprosthetics. eLife 2020; 9:e54997. [PMID: 33107821 PMCID: PMC7673784 DOI: 10.7554/elife.54997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
While multicompartment models have long been used to study the biophysics of neurons, it is still challenging to infer the parameters of such models from data including uncertainty estimates. Here, we performed Bayesian inference for the parameters of detailed neuron models of a photoreceptor and an OFF- and an ON-cone bipolar cell from the mouse retina based on two-photon imaging data. We obtained multivariate posterior distributions specifying plausible parameter ranges consistent with the data and allowing to identify parameters poorly constrained by the data. To demonstrate the potential of such mechanistic data-driven neuron models, we created a simulation environment for external electrical stimulation of the retina and optimized stimulus waveforms to target OFF- and ON-cone bipolar cells, a current major problem of retinal neuroprosthetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Oesterle
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Christian Behrens
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Cornelius Schröder
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Thoralf Hermann
- Naturwissenschaftliches und Medizinisches Institut an der Universität TübingenReutlingenGermany
| | - Thomas Euler
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Katrin Franke
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Robert G Smith
- Department of Neuroscience, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Günther Zeck
- Naturwissenschaftliches und Medizinisches Institut an der Universität TübingenReutlingenGermany
| | - Philipp Berens
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
- Institute for Bioinformatics and Medical Informatics, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
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