scholarly journals Feedforward and recurrent inhibitory receptive fields of principal cells in the cat’s dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus

2010 ◽  
Vol 461 (2) ◽  
pp. 277-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sivert Lindström ◽  
Andrzej Wróbel
2003 ◽  
Vol 89 (6) ◽  
pp. 2952-2960 ◽  
Author(s):  
Björn Granseth ◽  
Sivert Lindström

To investigate unitary corticogeniculate excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs), whole cell patch-clamp recordings were obtained from 20 principal cells in slices of the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) of DA-HAN rats. EPSCs, evoked by electrical stimulation of corticogeniculate axons, had size distributions with one or more quantal peaks. Gaussian curves fitted to such distributions gave a mean quantal size ( q) of -5.0 ± 0.7 (SD) pA for the EPSCs. Paired-pulse ratio (EPSC2/EPSC1) was 3.3 ± 0.9 for stimuli separated by 40 ms. The mean quantal size was similar for facilitated EPSCs (-5.2 ± 0.8 pA), implying an increase in mean quantal content ( m). Most corticogeniculate axons were capable of releasing only one or two quanta onto individual principal cells. Mean resting release probability ( p) was low, 0.09 ± 0.04. Binomial models, with the same n but increased p, could account for both the basal and facilitated EPSC size distributions in 6/8 cells. It is suggested that the low resting efficacy of corticogeniculate synapses serves to stabilize this excitatory feedback system. The pronounced facilitation in conjunction with large convergence from many corticogeniculate cells would provide a transient, potent excitation of dLGN cells, compliant with the idea of a visually driven neuronal amplifier.


2000 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 871-885 ◽  
Author(s):  
G.T. EINEVOLL ◽  
P. HEGGELUND

Spatial receptive fields of relay cells in dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) have commonly been modeled as a difference of two Gaussian functions. We present alternative models for dLGN cells which take known physiological couplings between retina and dLGN and within dLGN into account. The models include excitatory input from a single retinal ganglion cell and feedforward inhibition via intrageniculate interneurons. Mathematical formulas describing the receptive field and response to circular spot stimuli are found both for models with a finite and an infinite number of ganglion-cell inputs to dLGN neurons. The advantage of these models compared to the common difference-of-Gaussians model is that they, in addition to providing mathematical descriptions of the receptive fields of dLGN neurons, also make explicit contributions from the geniculate circuit. Moreover, the model parameters have direct physiological relevance and can be manipulated and measured experimentally. The discrete model is applied to recently published data (Ruksenas et al., 2000) on response versus spot-diameter curves for dLGN cells and for the retinal input to the cell (S-potentials). The models are found to account well for the results for the X-cells in these experiments. Moreover, predictions from the discrete model regarding receptive-field sizes of interneurons, the amount of center-surround antagonism for interneurons compared to relay cells, and distance between neighboring retinal ganglion cells providing input to interneurons, are all compatible with data available in the literature.


2015 ◽  
Vol 114 (2) ◽  
pp. 1321-1330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher A. Procyk ◽  
Cyril G. Eleftheriou ◽  
Riccardo Storchi ◽  
Annette E. Allen ◽  
Nina Milosavljevic ◽  
...  

In advanced retinal degeneration loss of rods and cones leaves melanopsin-expressing intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) as the only source of visual information. ipRGCs drive non-image-forming responses (e.g., circadian photoentrainment) under such conditions but, despite projecting to the primary visual thalamus [dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN)], do not support form vision. We wished to determine what precludes ipRGCs supporting spatial discrimination after photoreceptor loss, using a mouse model ( rd/rd cl) lacking rods and cones. Using multielectrode arrays, we found that both RGCs and neurons in the dLGN of this animal have clearly delineated spatial receptive fields. In the retina, they are typically symmetrical, lack inhibitory surrounds, and have diameters in the range of 10–30° of visual space. Receptive fields in the dLGN were larger (diameters typically 30–70°) but matched the retinotopic map of the mouse dLGN. Injections of a neuroanatomical tracer (cholera toxin β-subunit) into the dLGN confirmed that retinotopic order of ganglion cell projections to the dLGN and thalamic projections to the cortex is at least superficially intact in rd/rd cl mice. However, as previously reported for deafferented ipRGCs, onset and offset of light responses have long latencies in the rd/rd cl retina and dLGN. Accordingly, dLGN neurons failed to track dynamic changes in light intensity in this animal. Our data reveal that ipRGCs can convey spatial information in advanced retinal degeneration and identify their poor temporal fidelity as the major limitation in their ability to provide information about spatial patterns under natural viewing conditions.


1996 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1129-1142 ◽  
Author(s):  
James R. Wilson ◽  
Donna M. Forestner ◽  
Ryan P. Cramer

AbstractThree interneurons were recorded from and then injected with horseradish peroxidase in the parvocellular laminae of the squirrel monkey's (Saimiri sciureus) dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus. They were then examined using the electron microscope for their synaptic contacts, both the afferent contacts onto their dendrites and their presynaptic dendritic contacts onto presumptive projection (relay) neuron dendrites. The somata of these interneurons were small (mean = 178 μm2), but the dendritic trees were large compared with those of projection neurons. All three interneurons had similar synaptic patterns onto their dendrites with about equal numbers of retinal, cortical, and GABAergic contacts. The distribution of these contacts was more uniform compared with the same types of contacts made onto projection neurons. The presynaptic dendrites were observed to contact only the dendrites of presumptive projection neurons, and these contacts were nearly all in the form of geniculate triads. None of the three interneurons displayed an axon. The receptive fields of these interneurons were similar to those of projection cells, but were larger and had center-response signs that were the opposite of the projection neurons around them (e.g. OFF center for the dorsal part of the parvocellular mass where ON-center projection neurons reside). The squirrel monkey data provides additional evidence that one aspect of the laminar pattern observed in the parvocellular pathway of the primate's dLGN might be related to a segregation of projection neurons of one center-response sign with interneurons of the opposite center-response sign.


2020 ◽  
Vol 124 (2) ◽  
pp. 404-417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter W. Campbell ◽  
Gubbi Govindaiah ◽  
Sean P. Masterson ◽  
Martha E. Bickford ◽  
William Guido

The thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) modulates thalamocortical transmission through inhibition. In mouse, TRN terminals in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) form synapses with relay neurons but not interneurons. Stimulation of TRN terminals in dLGN leads to a frequency-dependent form of inhibition, with higher rates of stimulation leading to a greater suppression of spike firing. Thus, TRN inhibition appears more dynamic than previously recognized, having a graded rather than an all-or-none impact on thalamocortical transmission.


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