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Wang J, Rao X, Huang S, Wang Z, Niu X, Zhu M, Wang S, Shi L. Detection of a temporal salient object benefits from visual stimulus-specific adaptation in avian midbrain inhibitory nucleus. Integr Zool 2024; 19:288-306. [PMID: 36893724 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
Food and predators are the most noteworthy objects for the basic survival of wild animals, and both are often deviant in both spatial and temporal domains and quickly attract an animal's attention. Although stimulus-specific adaptation (SSA) is considered a potential neural basis of salient sound detection in the temporal domain, related research on visual SSA is limited and its relationship with temporal saliency is uncertain. The avian nucleus isthmi pars magnocellularis (Imc), which is central to midbrain selective attention network, is an ideal site to investigate the neural correlate of visual SSA and detection of a salient object in the time domain. Here, the constant order paradigm was applied to explore the visual SSA in the Imc of pigeons. The results showed that the firing rates of Imc neurons gradually decrease with repetitions of motion in the same direction, but recover when a motion in a deviant direction is presented, implying visual SSA to the direction of a moving object. Furthermore, enhanced response for an object moving in other directions that were not presented ever in the paradigm is also observed. To verify the neural mechanism underlying these phenomena, we introduced a neural computation model involving a recoverable synaptic change with a "center-surround" pattern to reproduce the visual SSA and temporal saliency for the moving object. These results suggest that the Imc produces visual SSA to motion direction, allowing temporal salient object detection, which may facilitate the detection of the sudden appearance of a predator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiangtao Wang
- Department of Automation, Zhengzhou University School of Electrical Engineering, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Xiaoping Rao
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Shuman Huang
- Department of Automation, Zhengzhou University School of Electrical Engineering, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Zhizhong Wang
- Department of Automation, Zhengzhou University School of Electrical Engineering, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Xiaoke Niu
- Department of Automation, Zhengzhou University School of Electrical Engineering, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Minjie Zhu
- Department of Automation, Zhengzhou University School of Electrical Engineering, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Songwei Wang
- Department of Automation, Zhengzhou University School of Electrical Engineering, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Li Shi
- Department of Automation, Zhengzhou University School of Electrical Engineering, Zhengzhou, China
- Department of Automation, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
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2
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Straight PJ, Gignac PM, Kuenzel WJ. Mapping the avian visual tectofugal pathway using 3D reconstruction. J Comp Neurol 2024; 532:e25558. [PMID: 38047431 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25558] [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: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Image processing in amniotes is usually accomplished by the thalamofugal and/or tectofugal visual systems. In laterally eyed birds, the tectofugal system dominates with functions such as color and motion processing, spatial orientation, stimulus identification, and localization. This makes it a critical system for complex avian behavior. Here, the brains of chicks, Gallus gallus, were used to produce serial brain sections in either coronal, sagittal, or horizontal planes and stained with either Nissl and Gallyas silver myelin or Luxol fast blue stain and cresyl echt violet (CEV). The emerging techniques of diffusible iodine-based contrast-enhanced computed tomography (diceCT) coupled with serial histochemistry in three planes were used to generate a comprehensive three-dimensional (3D) model of the avian tectofugal visual system. This enabled the 3D reconstruction of tectofugal circuits, including the three primary neuronal projections. Specifically, major components of the system included four regions of the retina, layers of the optic tectum, subdivisions of the nucleus rotundus in the thalamus, the entopallium in the forebrain, and supplementary components connecting into or out of this major avian visual sensory system. The resulting 3D model enabled a better understanding of the structural components and connectivity of this complex system by providing a complete spatial organization that occupied several distinct brain regions. We demonstrate how pairing diceCT with traditional histochemistry is an effective means to improve the understanding of, and thereby should generate insights into, anatomical and functional properties of complicated neural pathways, and we recommend this approach to clarify enigmatic properties of these pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parker J Straight
- Poultry Science Department, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA
| | - Paul M Gignac
- Cellular and Molecular Medicine Department, University of Arizona Health Sciences, Tucson, Arizona, USA
- Anatomy and Cell Biology Department, Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Wayne J Kuenzel
- Poultry Science Department, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA
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Desai-Chowdhry P, Brummer AB, Mallavarapu S, Savage VM. Neuronal branching is increasingly asymmetric near synapses, potentially enabling plasticity while minimizing energy dissipation and conduction time. J R Soc Interface 2023; 20:20230265. [PMID: 37669695 PMCID: PMC10480011 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2023.0265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurons' primary function is to encode and transmit information in the brain and body. The branching architecture of axons and dendrites must compute, respond and make decisions while obeying the rules of the substrate in which they are enmeshed. Thus, it is important to delineate and understand the principles that govern these branching patterns. Here, we present evidence that asymmetric branching is a key factor in understanding the functional properties of neurons. First, we derive novel predictions for asymmetric scaling exponents that encapsulate branching architecture associated with crucial principles such as conduction time, power minimization and material costs. We compare our predictions with extensive data extracted from images to associate specific principles with specific biophysical functions and cell types. Notably, we find that asymmetric branching models lead to predictions and empirical findings that correspond to different weightings of the importance of maximum, minimum or total path lengths from the soma to the synapses. These different path lengths quantitatively and qualitatively affect energy, time and materials. Moreover, we generally observe that higher degrees of asymmetric branching-potentially arising from extrinsic environmental cues and synaptic plasticity in response to activity-occur closer to the tips than the soma (cell body).
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Affiliation(s)
- Paheli Desai-Chowdhry
- Department of Computational Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Samhita Mallavarapu
- Department of Computational Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Van M. Savage
- Department of Computational Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM, USA
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4
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Desai-Chowdhry P, Brummer AB, Mallavarapu S, Savage VM. Neuronal Branching is Increasingly Asymmetric Near Synapses, Potentially Enabling Plasticity While Minimizing Energy Dissipation and Conduction Time. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.20.541591. [PMID: 37292687 PMCID: PMC10245708 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.20.541591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Neurons' primary function is to encode and transmit information in the brain and body. The branching architecture of axons and dendrites must compute, respond, and make decisions while obeying the rules of the substrate in which they are enmeshed. Thus, it is important to delineate and understand the principles that govern these branching patterns. Here, we present evidence that asymmetric branching is a key factor in understanding the functional properties of neurons. First, we derive novel predictions for asymmetric scaling exponents that encapsulate branching architecture associated with crucial principles such as conduction time, power minimization, and material costs. We compare our predictions with extensive data extracted from images to associate specific principles with specific biophysical functions and cell types. Notably, we find that asymmetric branching models lead to predictions and empirical findings that correspond to different weightings of the importance of maximum, minimum, or total path lengths from the soma to the synapses. These different path lengths quantitatively and qualitatively affect energy, time, and materials. Moreover, we generally observe that higher degrees of asymmetric branching- potentially arising from extrinsic environmental cues and synaptic plasticity in response to activity- occur closer to the tips than the soma (cell body).
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Reynaert B, Morales C, Mpodozis J, Letelier JC, Marín GJ. A blinking focal pattern of re-entrant activity in the avian tectum. Curr Biol 2023; 33:1-14.e4. [PMID: 36446352 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.10.070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Re-entrant connections are inherent to nervous system organization; however, a comprehensive understanding of their operation is still lacking. In birds, topographically organized re-entrant signals, carried by axons from the nucleus-isthmi-parvocellularis (Ipc), are distinctly recorded as bursting discharges across the optic tectum (TeO). Here, we used up to 48 microelectrodes regularly spaced on the superficial tectal layers of anesthetized pigeons to characterize the spatial-temporal pattern of this axonal re-entrant activity in response to different visual stimulation. We found that a brief luminous spot triggered repetitive waves of bursting discharges that, appearing from initial sources, propagated horizontally to areas representing up to 28° of visual space, widely exceeding the area activated by the retinal fibers. In response to visual motion, successive burst waves started along and around the stimulated tectal path, tracking the stimulus in discontinuous steps. When two stimuli were presented, the burst-wave sources alternated between the activated tectal loci, as if only one source could be active at any given time. Because these re-entrant signals boost the retinal input to higher visual areas, their peculiar dynamics mimic a blinking "spotlight," similar to the internal searching mechanism classically used to explain spatial attention. Tectal re-entry from Ipc is thus highly structured and intrinsically discontinuous, and higher tectofugal areas, which lack retinotopic organization, will thus receive incoming visual activity in a sequential and piecemeal fashion. We anticipate that analogous re-entrant patterns, perhaps hidden in less bi-dimensionally organized topographies, may organize the flow of neural activity in other parts of the brain as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan Reynaert
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 7800003, Chile
| | - Cristian Morales
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 7800003, Chile
| | - Jorge Mpodozis
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 7800003, Chile
| | - Juan Carlos Letelier
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 7800003, Chile
| | - Gonzalo J Marín
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 7800003, Chile; Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Finis Terrae, Santiago 7501015, Chile.
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Clark W, Rose J. Avian brain: A scanning beam of attention in the pigeon 'superior colliculus'. Curr Biol 2023; 33:R16-R18. [PMID: 36626855 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.11.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The superior colliculus is important for spatial attention across vertebrates. A new study in pigeons discovered a mechanism of attention: electric fields traveling across the optic tectum, which could be thought of as the avian version of the mammalian superior colliculus.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Clark
- Neural Basis of Learning, Department of Psychology, Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany.
| | - Jonas Rose
- Neural Basis of Learning, Department of Psychology, Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany.
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7
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How axon and dendrite branching are guided by time, energy, and spatial constraints. Sci Rep 2022; 12:20810. [PMID: 36460669 PMCID: PMC9718790 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-24813-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurons are connected by complex branching processes-axons and dendrites-that process information for organisms to respond to their environment. Classifying neurons according to differences in structure or function is a fundamental part of neuroscience. Here, by constructing biophysical theory and testing against empirical measures of branching structure, we develop a general model that establishes a correspondence between neuron structure and function as mediated by principles such as time or power minimization for information processing as well as spatial constraints for forming connections. We test our predictions for radius scale factors against those extracted from neuronal images, measured for species that range from insects to whales, including data from light and electron microscopy studies. Notably, our findings reveal that the branching of axons and peripheral nervous system neurons is mainly determined by time minimization, while dendritic branching is determined by power minimization. Our model also predicts a quarter-power scaling relationship between conduction time delay and body size.
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Uchiyama H, Ohno H, Kawasaki T, Owatari Y, Narimatsu T, Miyanagi Y, Maeda T. Attentional signals projecting centrifugally to the avian retina: A dual contribution to visual search. Vision Res 2022; 195:108016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2022.108016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Directional Preference in Avian Midbrain Saliency Computing Nucleus Reflects a Well-Designed Receptive Field Structure. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12091143. [PMID: 35565569 PMCID: PMC9105111 DOI: 10.3390/ani12091143] [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: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Directional preference neurons has been found in many vertebrate sensory systems. The isthmi pars magnocellularis (Imc) in avian midbrain, playing a key role in visual selective attention, shows impressive motion directional preference, but little is known about the physiological basis of this phenomenon. Herein, artificial visual stimuli, statistical analyses, and a neural computational model were used to unravel this mystery. This study deepens the understanding of the relationship between the directional preference and special receptive field structure of pigeon’s (Columba livia) Imc neuron. Abstract Neurons responding sensitively to motions in several rather than all directions have been identified in many sensory systems. Although this directional preference has been demonstrated by previous studies to exist in the isthmi pars magnocellularis (Imc) of pigeon (Columba livia), which plays a key role in the midbrain saliency computing network, the dynamic response characteristics and the physiological basis underlying this phenomenon are unclear. Herein, dots moving in 16 directions and a biologically plausible computational model were used. We found that pigeon Imc’s significant responses for objects moving in preferred directions benefit the long response duration and high instantaneous firing rate. Furthermore, the receptive field structures predicted by a computational model, which captures the actual directional tuning curves, agree with the real data collected from population Imc units. These results suggested that directional preference in Imc may be internally prebuilt by elongating the vertical axis of the receptive field, making predators attack from the dorsal-ventral direction and conspecifics flying away in the ventral-dorsal direction, more salient for avians, which is of great ecological and physiological significance for survival.
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Lev-Ari T, Beeri H, Gutfreund Y. The Ecological View of Selective Attention. Front Integr Neurosci 2022; 16:856207. [PMID: 35391754 PMCID: PMC8979825 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2022.856207] [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: 01/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence is supporting the hypothesis that our selective attention is a manifestation of mechanisms that evolved early in evolution and are shared by many organisms from different taxa. This surge of new data calls for the re-examination of our notions about attention, which have been dominated mostly by human psychology. Here, we present an hypothesis that challenges, based on evolutionary grounds, a common view of attention as a means to manage limited brain resources. We begin by arguing that evolutionary considerations do not favor the basic proposition of the limited brain resources view of attention, namely, that the capacity of the sensory organs to provide information exceeds the capacity of the brain to process this information. Moreover, physiological studies in animals and humans show that mechanisms of selective attention are highly demanding of brain resources, making it paradoxical to see attention as a means to release brain resources. Next, we build on the above arguments to address the question why attention evolved in evolution. We hypothesize that, to a certain extent, limiting sensory processing is adaptive irrespective of brain capacity. We call this hypothesis the ecological view of attention (EVA) because it is centered on interactions of an animal with its environment rather than on internal brain resources. In its essence is the notion that inherently noisy and degraded sensory inputs serve the animal’s adaptive, dynamic interactions with its environment. Attention primarily functions to resolve behavioral conflicts and false distractions. Hence, we evolved to focus on a particular target at the expense of others, not because of internal limitations, but to ensure that behavior is properly oriented and committed to its goals. Here, we expand on this notion and review evidence supporting it. We show how common results in human psychophysics and physiology can be reconciled with an EVA and discuss possible implications of the notion for interpreting current results and guiding future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tidhar Lev-Ari
- The Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Research Institute, The Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Hadar Beeri
- The Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Research Institute, The Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Yoram Gutfreund
- The Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Research Institute, The Technion, Haifa, Israel
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11
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Kettler L, Sid H, Schaub C, Lischka K, Klinger R, Moser M, Schusser B, Luksch H. AP-2δ Expression Kinetics in Multimodal Networks in the Developing Chicken Midbrain. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:756184. [PMID: 34744640 PMCID: PMC8568317 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.756184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
AP-2 is a family of transcription factors involved in many aspects of development, cell differentiation, and regulation of cell growth and death. AP-2δ is a member of this group and specific gene expression patterns are required in the adult mouse brain for the development of parts of the inferior colliculus (IC), as well as the cortex, dorsal thalamus, and superior colliculus. The midbrain is one of the central areas in the brain where multimodal integration, i.e., integration of information from different senses, occurs. Previous data showed that AP-2δ-deficient mice are viable but due to increased apoptosis at the end of embryogenesis, lack part of the posterior midbrain. Despite the absence of the IC in AP-2δ-deficient mice, these animals retain at least some higher auditory functions. Neuronal responses to tones in the neocortex suggest an alternative auditory pathway that bypasses the IC. While sufficient data are available in mammals, little is known about AP-2δ in chickens, an avian model for the localization of sounds and the development of auditory circuits in the brain. Here, we identified and localized AP-2δ expression in the chicken midbrain during embryogenesis. Our data confirmed the presence of AP-2δ in the inferior colliculus and optic tectum (TeO), specifically in shepherd's crook neurons, which are an essential component of the midbrain isthmic network and involved in multimodal integration. AP-2δ expression in the chicken midbrain may be related to the integration of both auditory and visual afferents in these neurons. In the future, these insights may allow for a more detailed study of circuitry and computational rules of auditory and multimodal networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lutz Kettler
- Chair of Zoology, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Hicham Sid
- Reproductive Biotechnology, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Carina Schaub
- Chair of Zoology, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Katharina Lischka
- Institute for Biology I, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Romina Klinger
- Reproductive Biotechnology, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Markus Moser
- TranslaTUM, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Benjamin Schusser
- Reproductive Biotechnology, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Harald Luksch
- Chair of Zoology, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
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Reyes-Pinto R, Ferrán JL, Vega-Zuniga T, González-Cabrera C, Luksch H, Mpodozis J, Puelles L, Marín GJ. Change in the neurochemical signature and morphological development of the parvocellular isthmic projection to the avian tectum. J Comp Neurol 2021; 530:553-573. [PMID: 34363623 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Neurons can change their classical neurotransmitters during ontogeny, sometimes going through stages of dual release. Here, we explored the development of the neurotransmitter identity of neurons of the avian nucleus isthmi parvocellularis (Ipc), whose axon terminals are retinotopically arranged in the optic tectum (TeO) and exert a focal gating effect upon the ascending transmission of retinal inputs. Although cholinergic and glutamatergic markers are both found in Ipc neurons and terminals of adult pigeons and chicks, the mRNA expression of the vesicular acetylcholine transporter, VAChT, is weak or absent. To explore how the Ipc neurotransmitter identity is established during ontogeny, we analyzed the expression of mRNAs coding for cholinergic (ChAT, VAChT, and CHT) and glutamatergic (VGluT2 and VGluT3) markers in chick embryos at different developmental stages. We found that between E12 and E18, Ipc neurons expressed all cholinergic mRNAs and also VGluT2 mRNA; however, from E16 through posthatch stages, VAChT mRNA expression was specifically diminished. Our ex vivo deposits of tracer crystals and intracellular filling experiments revealed that Ipc axons exhibit a mature paintbrush morphology late in development, experiencing marked morphological transformations during the period of presumptive dual vesicular transmitter release. Additionally, although ChAT protein immunoassays increasingly label the growing Ipc axon, this labeling was consistently restricted to sparse portions of the terminal branches. Combined, these results suggest that the synthesis of glutamate and acetylcholine, and their vesicular release, is complexly linked to the developmental processes of branching, growing and remodeling of these unique axons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosana Reyes-Pinto
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - José L Ferrán
- Department of Human Anatomy and Psychobiology and IMIB-Arrixaca Institute, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Tomas Vega-Zuniga
- Lehrstuhl für Zoologie, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany.,Institute of Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria), Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | | | - Harald Luksch
- Lehrstuhl für Zoologie, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Jorge Mpodozis
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Luis Puelles
- Department of Human Anatomy and Psychobiology and IMIB-Arrixaca Institute, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Gonzalo J Marín
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.,Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Finis Terrae, Santiago, Chile
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13
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Clark WJ, Colombo M. The functional architecture, receptive field characteristics, and representation of objects in the visual network of the pigeon brain. Prog Neurobiol 2020; 195:101781. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2020.101781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Revised: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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14
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Deichler A, Carrasco D, Lopez-Jury L, Vega-Zuniga T, Márquez N, Mpodozis J, Marín GJ. A specialized reciprocal connectivity suggests a link between the mechanisms by which the superior colliculus and parabigeminal nucleus produce defensive behaviors in rodents. Sci Rep 2020; 10:16220. [PMID: 33004866 PMCID: PMC7530999 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72848-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The parabigeminal nucleus (PBG) is the mammalian homologue to the isthmic complex of other vertebrates. Optogenetic stimulation of the PBG induces freezing and escape in mice, a result thought to be caused by a PBG projection to the central nucleus of the amygdala. However, the isthmic complex, including the PBG, has been classically considered satellite nuclei of the Superior Colliculus (SC), which upon stimulation of its medial part also triggers fear and avoidance reactions. As the PBG-SC connectivity is not well characterized, we investigated whether the topology of the PBG projection to the SC could be related to the behavioral consequences of PBG stimulation. To that end, we performed immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization and neural tracer injections in the SC and PBG in a diurnal rodent, the Octodon degus. We found that all PBG neurons expressed both glutamatergic and cholinergic markers and were distributed in clearly defined anterior (aPBG) and posterior (pPBG) subdivisions. The pPBG is connected reciprocally and topographically to the ipsilateral SC, whereas the aPBG receives afferent axons from the ipsilateral SC and projected exclusively to the contralateral SC. This contralateral projection forms a dense field of terminals that is restricted to the medial SC, in correspondence with the SC representation of the aerial binocular field which, we also found, in O. degus prompted escape reactions upon looming stimulation. Therefore, this specialized topography allows binocular interactions in the SC region controlling responses to aerial predators, suggesting a link between the mechanisms by which the SC and PBG produce defensive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfonso Deichler
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología Y Biología del Conocer, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Las Palmeras, 3425, Santiago, Chile.
| | - Denisse Carrasco
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología Y Biología del Conocer, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Las Palmeras, 3425, Santiago, Chile
| | - Luciana Lopez-Jury
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología Y Biología del Conocer, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Las Palmeras, 3425, Santiago, Chile
| | - Tomas Vega-Zuniga
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria), Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Natalia Márquez
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología Y Biología del Conocer, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Las Palmeras, 3425, Santiago, Chile
| | - Jorge Mpodozis
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología Y Biología del Conocer, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Las Palmeras, 3425, Santiago, Chile
| | - Gonzalo J Marín
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología Y Biología del Conocer, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Las Palmeras, 3425, Santiago, Chile.
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Finis Terrae, Santiago, Chile.
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15
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Entrainment within neuronal response in optic tectum of pigeon to video displays. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2020; 206:845-855. [PMID: 32809044 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-020-01442-6] [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: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The cathode ray tube (CRT) is a common and important tool that has been in use for decades, with which behavioral and visual neuroscientists deliver specific visual images generated by computers. Considering the operating principle of the CRT, the image it presents can flick at a constant rate, which will introduce distractions to the visual experiments on subjects with higher temporal resolutions. While this entrainment has been proved common in recordings of the primary visual cortex of mammals, it is uncertain whether it also exists in the intermediate to deep layers of pigeon's optic tectum, which is relevant to the spatial attention. Here, we present continuous visual stimuli with different refresh rates and luminances couples shown on a CRT to pigeons. The recordings in the intermediate to deep layers of optic tectum were significantly phase locking to the refresh of the CRT, and lower refresh rates of the CRT with higher brightness more likely introduced artifacts in electrophysiological recordings of pigeons, which may seriously damage their visual information perception.
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16
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Knudsen EI. Evolution of neural processing for visual perception in vertebrates. J Comp Neurol 2020; 528:2888-2901. [PMID: 32003466 PMCID: PMC7586818 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Visual perception requires both visual information and attention. This review compares, across classes of vertebrates, the functional and anatomical characteristics of (a) the neural pathways that process visual information about objects, and (b) stimulus selection pathways that determine the objects to which an animal attends. Early in the evolution of vertebrate species, visual perception was dominated by information transmitted via the midbrain (retinotectal) visual pathway, and attention was probably controlled primarily by a selection network in the midbrain. In contrast, in primates, visual perception is dominated by information transmitted via the forebrain (retinogeniculate) visual pathway, and attention is mediated largely by networks in the forebrain. In birds and nonprimate mammals, both the retinotectal and retinogeniculate pathways contribute critically to visual information processing, and both midbrain and forebrain networks play important roles in controlling attention. The computations and processing strategies in birds and mammals share some strikingly similar characteristics despite over 300 million years of independent evolution and being implemented by distinct brain architectures. The similarity of these functional characteristics suggests that they provide valuable advantages to visual perception in advanced visual systems. A schema is proposed that describes the evolution of the pathways and computations that enable visual perception in vertebrate species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric I Knudsen
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California
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17
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Fernández M, Morales C, Durán E, Fernández‐Colleman S, Sentis E, Mpodozis J, Karten HJ, Marín GJ. Parallel organization of the avian sensorimotor arcopallium: Tectofugal visual pathway in the pigeon (
Columba livia
). J Comp Neurol 2019; 528:597-623. [DOI: 10.1002/cne.24775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Máximo Fernández
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de CienciasUniversidad de Chile Santiago Chile
| | - Cristian Morales
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de CienciasUniversidad de Chile Santiago Chile
| | - Ernesto Durán
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de CienciasUniversidad de Chile Santiago Chile
| | | | - Elisa Sentis
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de CienciasUniversidad de Chile Santiago Chile
| | - Jorge Mpodozis
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de CienciasUniversidad de Chile Santiago Chile
| | - Harvey J. Karten
- Department of Neurosciences, School of MedicineUniversity of California San Diego California
| | - Gonzalo J. Marín
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de CienciasUniversidad de Chile Santiago Chile
- Facultad de MedicinaUniversidad Finis Terrae Santiago Chile
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