scholarly journals A retinal circuit for the suppressed-by-contrast receptive field of a polyaxonal amacrine cell

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (17) ◽  
pp. 9577-9583 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Jia ◽  
Seunghoon Lee ◽  
Yehong Zhuo ◽  
Z. Jimmy Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Receptive Field ◽  
Visual Processing ◽  
Amacrine Cell ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Amacrine Cells ◽  
Large Field ◽  
Wide Field ◽  
Small Field

Amacrine cells are a diverse population of interneurons in the retina that play a critical role in extracting complex features of the visual world and shaping the receptive fields of retinal output neurons (ganglion cells). While much of the computational power of amacrine cells is believed to arise from the immense mutual interactions among amacrine cells themselves, the intricate circuitry and functions of amacrine–amacrine interactions are poorly understood in general. Here we report a specific interamacrine pathway from a small-field, glutamate–glycine dual-transmitter amacrine cell (vGluT3) to a wide-field polyaxonal amacrine cell (PAS4/5). Distal tips of vGluT3 cell dendrites made selective glycinergic (but not glutamatergic) synapses onto PAS4/5 dendrites to provide a center-inhibitory, surround-disinhibitory drive that helps PAS4/5 cells build a suppressed-by-contrast (sbc) receptive field, which is a unique and fundamental trigger feature previously found only in a small population of ganglion cells. The finding of this trigger feature in a circuit upstream to ganglion cells suggests that the sbc form of visual computation occurs more widely in the retina than previously believed and shapes visual processing in multiple downstream circuits in multiple ways. We also identified two different subpopulations of PAS4/5 cells based on their differential connectivity with vGluT3 cells and their distinct receptive-field and luminance-encoding characteristics. Moreover, our results revealed a form of crosstalk between small-field and large-field amacrine cell circuits, which provides a mechanism for feature-specific local (<150 µm) control of global (>1 mm) retinal activity.

scholarly journals Distinctive receptive field and physiological properties of a wide-field amacrine cell in the macaque monkey retina

2015 ◽  
Vol 114 (3) ◽  
pp. 1606-1616 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael B. Manookin ◽  
Christian Puller ◽  
Fred Rieke ◽  
Jay Neitz ◽  
Maureen Neitz
Keyword(s):  
Receptive Field ◽  
Long Range ◽  
Visual Processing ◽  
Amacrine Cell ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Signal Propagation ◽  
Macaque Monkey ◽  
Membrane Properties ◽  
Wide Field ◽  
Spatial Integration

At early stages of visual processing, receptive fields are typically described as subtending local regions of space and thus performing computations on a narrow spatial scale. Nevertheless, stimulation well outside of the classical receptive field can exert clear and significant effects on visual processing. Given the distances over which they occur, the retinal mechanisms responsible for these long-range effects would certainly require signal propagation via active membrane properties. Here the physiology of a wide-field amacrine cell—the wiry cell—in macaque monkey retina is explored, revealing receptive fields that represent a striking departure from the classic structure. A single wiry cell integrates signals over wide regions of retina, 5–10 times larger than the classic receptive fields of most retinal ganglion cells. Wiry cells integrate signals over space much more effectively than predicted from passive signal propagation, and spatial integration is strongly attenuated during blockade of NMDA spikes but integration is insensitive to blockade of NaV channels with TTX. Thus these cells appear well suited for contributing to the long-range interactions of visual signals that characterize many aspects of visual perception.

scholarly journals Local synaptic integration enables ON-OFF asymmetric and layer-specific visual information processing in vGluT3 amacrine cell dendrites

2017 ◽  
Vol 114 (43) ◽  
pp. 11518-11523 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minggang Chen ◽  
Seunghoon Lee ◽  
Z. Jimmy Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Receptive Field ◽  
Visual Processing ◽  
Amacrine Cell ◽  
Amacrine Cells ◽  
Object Motion ◽  
Field Size ◽  
Inner Plexiform Layer ◽  
Small Object ◽  
Synaptic Inhibition ◽  
Small Field

A basic scheme of neuronal organization in the mammalian retina is the segregation of ON and OFF pathways in the inner plexiform layer (IPL), where glutamate is released from ON and OFF bipolar cell terminals in separate inner (ON) and outer (OFF) sublayers in response to light intensity increments and decrements, respectively. However, recent studies have found that vGluT3-expressing glutamatergic amacrine cells (GACs) generate ON-OFF somatic responses and release glutamate onto both ON and OFF ganglion cell types, raising the possibility of crossover excitation in violation of the canonical ON-OFF segregation scheme. To test this possibility, we recorded light-evoked Ca2+ responses from dendrites of individual GACs infected with GCaMP6s in mouse. Under two-photon imaging, a single GAC generated rectified local dendritic responses, showing ON-dominant responses in ON sublayers and OFF-dominant responses in OFF sublayers. This unexpected ON-OFF segregation within a small-field amacrine cell arose from local synaptic processing, mediated predominantly by synaptic inhibition. Multiple forms of synaptic inhibition compartmentalized the GAC dendritic tree and endowed all dendritic varicosities with a small-center, strong-surround receptive field, which varied in receptive field size and degree of ON-OFF asymmetry with IPL depth. The results reveal a form of short-range dendritic autonomy that enables a small-field, dual-transmitter amacrine cell to process diverse dendritic functions in a stratification level- and postsynaptic target-specific manner, while preserving the fundamental ON-OFF segregation scheme for parallel visual processing and high spatial resolution for small object motion and uniformity detection.

Response properties of a unique subtype of wide-field amacrine cell in the rabbit retina

2007 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 459-469 ◽  
Author(s):  
STEWART A. BLOOMFIELD ◽  
BÉLA VÖLGYI
Keyword(s):  
Receptive Field ◽  
Amacrine Cell ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Amacrine Cells ◽  
Dendritic Morphology ◽  
Dendritic Arbor ◽  
Wide Field ◽  
Rabbit Retina ◽  
Spatial Disparity ◽  
Voltage Gated Sodium Channels

We studied the morphology and physiology of a unique wide-field amacrine cell in the rabbit retina. These cells displayed a stereotypic dendritic morphology consisting of a large, circular and monostratified arbor that often extended over 2 mm. Their responses contained both somatic and dendritic sodium spikes suggesting active propagation of synaptic signals within the dendritic arbor. This idea is supported by the enormous size of their ON-OFF receptive fields. Interestingly, these cells exhibited separate ON and OFF receptive fields that, while concentric, were vastly different in size. Whereas the ON receptive field of these cells extended nearly 2 mm, the OFF receptive field was typically 75% smaller. Blockade of voltage-gated sodium channels with QX-314 dramatically reduced the large ON receptive field, but had little effect on the smaller OFF receptive field. These results indicate a spatial disparity in the location of on- and off-center bipolar cell inputs to the dendritic arbor of wide-field amacrine cells. In addition, the active propagation of signals suggests that synaptic inputs are integrated both locally and globally within the dendritic arbor.

Amacrine-to-amacrine cell inhibition: Spatiotemporal properties of GABA and glycine pathways

2011 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 193-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
XIN CHEN ◽  
HAIN ANN HSUEH ◽  
FRANK S. WERBLIN
Keyword(s):  
Amacrine Cell ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Amacrine Cells ◽  
Peak Level ◽  
Wide Field ◽  
Gabaergic Inhibition ◽  
Onset Latency ◽  
Temporal Properties ◽  
Glycinergic Inhibition ◽  
Cell Inhibition

AbstractWe measured the spatial and temporal properties of GABAergic and glycinergic inhibition to amacrine cells in the whole-mount rabbit retina. The amacrine cells were parsed into two morphological classes: narrow-field cells with processes spreading less than 200 μm and wide-field cells with processes extending more than 300 μm. The inhibition was also parsed into two types: sustained glycine and transient GABA. Narrow-field amacrine cells receive 1) very transient GABAergic inhibition with a fast onset latency of 140 ± 16 ms decaying to 30% of the peak level within 208 ± 27 ms elicited broadly over a lateral distance of up to 1500 μm and 2) sustained glycinergic inhibition with a medium onset latency of 286 ± 23 ms that was elicited over a spatial area often broader than the processes of the narrow-field amacrine cells. Wide-field amacrine cells received sustained glycinergic inhibition but no broad transient GABAergic inhibition. Surprisingly, neither of these amacrine cell classes received sustained local GABAergic inhibition, commonly found in an earlier study of ganglion cells.

A comparison of receptive-field and tracer-coupling size of amacrine and ganglion cells in the rabbit retina

1997 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 1153-1165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stewart A. Bloomfield ◽  
Daiyan Xin
Keyword(s):  
Receptive Field ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Electrical Coupling ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Amacrine Cells ◽  
Visual Signals ◽  
Lateral Spread ◽  
Field Size ◽  
Electrical Networks ◽  
Mammalian Retina

AbstractRecent studies have shown that amacrine and ganglion cells in the mammalian retina are extensively coupled as revealed by the intercellular movement of the biotinylated tracers biocytin and Neurobiotin. These demonstrations of tracer coupling suggest that electrical networks formed by proximal neurons (i.e. amacrine and ganglion cells) may underlie the lateral propagation of signals across the inner retina. We studied this question by comparing the receptive-field size, dendritic-field size, and extent of tracer coupling of amacrine and ganglion cells in the dark-adapted, supervised, isolated retina eyecup of the rabbit. Our results indicate that while the center-receptive fields of proximal neurons are approximately 15% larger than their corresponding dendritic diameters, this slight difference can be explained by factors other than electrical coupling such as tissue shrinkage associated with histological processing. However, the extent of tracer coupling of amacrine and ganglion cells was, on average, about twice the size of the corresponding receptive fields. Thus, the receptive field of an individual proximal neuron matched far more closely to its dendritic diameter than to the size of the tracer-coupled network of cells to which it belonged. The exception to this rule was the AII amacrine cells for which center-receptive fields were 2–3 times the size of their dendritic diameters but matched closely to the size of the tracer-coupled arrays. Thus, with the exception of AII cells, our data indicate that tracer coupling between proximal neurons is not associated with an enlargement of their receptive fields. Our results, then, provide no evidence for electrical coupling or, at least, indicate that extensive lateral spread of visual signals does not occur in the proximal mammalian retina.

scholarly journals Amacrine cell contributions to red-green color opponency in central primate retina: A model study

2007 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 535-547 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.S. LEBEDEV ◽  
D.W. MARSHAK
Keyword(s):  
Amacrine Cell ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Amacrine Cells ◽  
Bipolar Cells ◽  
Cone Mosaic ◽  
Model Study ◽  
Cone Type ◽  
Color Opponency ◽  
Activity Dependent

To investigate the contributions of amacrine cells to red-green opponency, a linear computational model of the central macaque retina was developed based on a published cone mosaic. In the model, amacrine cells of ON and OFF types received input from all neighboring midget bipolar cells of the same polarity, but OFF amacrine cells had a bias toward bipolar cells whose center responses were mediated by middle wavelength sensitive cones. This bias might arise due to activity dependent plasticity because there are midget bipolar cells driven by short wavelength sensitive cones in the OFF pathway. The model midget ganglion cells received inputs from neighboring amacrine cells of both types. As in physiological experiments, the model ganglion cells showed spatially opponent responses to achromatic stimuli, but they responded to cone isolating stimuli as though center and surround were each driven by a single cone type. Without amacrine cell input, long and middle wavelength sensitive cones contributed to both the centers and surrounds of model ganglion cell receptive fields. According to the model, the summed amacrine cell input was red-green opponent even though inputs to individual amacrine cells were unselective. A key prediction is that GABA and glycine depolarize two of the four types of central midget ganglion cells; this may reflect lower levels of the potassium chloride co-transporter in their dendrites.

Receptive-field properties of displaced starburst amacrine cells change following axotomy-induced degeneration of ganglion cells

1995 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 177-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralph J. Jensen
Keyword(s):  
Receptive Field ◽  
Amacrine Cell ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Amacrine Cells ◽  
Membrane Properties ◽  
Optic Disk ◽  
Receptive Field Properties ◽  
Tungsten Microelectrode ◽  
Starburst Amacrine Cells ◽  
Starburst Amacrine Cell

AbstractStarburst amacrine cells in the rabbit retina were labeled following an intraocular injection of the fluorescent dye, 4, 6, diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI). From each eye a strip of retina was removed, mounted on a platform beneath an epifluorescence microscope, and superfused with a physiological solution. The tip of a tungsten microelectrode (for extracellular recording) was visually positioned near the cell body of a DAPI-labeled starburst amacrine cell that was located in the ganglion cell layer. Light-evoked responses from the displaced starburst amacrine cells were studied in normal retinas and in retinas that had received a small electrolytic lesion near the optic disk 5–9 months beforehand. In normal retinas, a small spot of light centered over the receptive field of a displaced starburst amacrine cell in nearly all cases evoked a brief burst of spikes only at light onset. When stimulated with a large spot or an annulus of light, many cells gave a small burst of spikes at light offset. In lesioned retinas, the light responses of displaced starburst amacrine cells were recorded in areas of the retina where ganglion cells had degenerated. All cells responded with a large burst of spikes at the onset and offset of a small, centered spot of light. Large spots and annuli of light also evoked robust ON/OFF responses from these cells. The results from this study show that the receptive-field properties of displaced starburst amacrine cells change following axotomy-induced degeneration of ganglion cells. This finding indicates that changes in either synaptic transmission or the membrane properties of neurons occur in the retina following degeneration of ganglion cells.

Functional organization of catfish retina

1977 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Naka
Keyword(s):  
Receptive Field ◽  
Ganglion Cell ◽  
Functional Organization ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Horizontal Cell ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Amacrine Cells ◽  
Type A ◽  
Bipolar Cells ◽  
The Other

1. The basic organization of the biphasic (or concentric) receptive field is established in the bipolar cells as the result of an interaction between two signals, one local representing the activity of a small number of receptors, and the other integrating (19, 20) or global (28) coming from the S space or a lamina formed by the horizontal cells (8, 14, 22, 29). 2. Bipolar-ganglion cell pairs are segregated into two types; A (on center) and B (off center) pairs. A depolarization of a bipolar cell produces spike discharges from ganglion cells of the same type and a hyperpolarization depresses their discharges. I haven't detected any cross talk between the types A and B pairs. Bipolar and ganglion cells must be interfaced by the classical chemical synapses, the only such kind in the catfish retina. 3. Horizontal and type N neurons form two lateral transmission systems, one distal and the other proximal (19, 20). Signals in the lateral systems are shared by the two receptive-field types and are not excitatory or inhibitory in themselves; it is incumbent upon the postsynaptic neurons to decide the polarity of the synaptic transmission. The horizontal cell participates directly in the formation of biphasic receptive fields of bipolar cells by providing their surrounding, whereas type N neuron seems to modify the receptive-field organization established in the bipolar cells. 4. Type N neurons are amacrine cells because they do not produce spike discharges (2, 18, 21) and because they influence the activity of both A and B receptive fields. 5. The function of the type C neuron is as unique as its structure (21) and is not fully clear as yet. It is not a conventional amacrine cell as the type N appears to be, nor is it a classical ganglion cell which forms either a type A or B receptive field (2). 6. Type Y neurons are a class of ganglion cells which forms either a type A or B receptive field.

Amacrine cell-mediated input to bipolar cells: Variations on a common mechanistic theme

2012 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
WILLIAM N. GRIMES
Keyword(s):  
Visual Processing ◽  
Amacrine Cell ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Amacrine Cells ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
Bipolar Cells ◽  
Single Class ◽  
Anatomy And Physiology ◽  
Functional Context ◽  
The Brain

AbstractFeedback is a ubiquitous feature of neural circuits in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS). Analogous to pure electronic circuits, neuronal feedback provides either a positive or negative influence on the output of upstream components/neurons. Although the particulars (i.e., connectivity, physiological encoding/processing/signaling) of circuits in higher areas of the brain are often unclear, the inner retina proves an excellent model for studying both the anatomy and physiology of feedback circuits within the functional context of visual processing. Inner retinal feedback to bipolar cells is almost entirely mediated by a single class of interneurons, the amacrine cells. Although this might sound like a simple circuit arrangement with an equally simple function, anatomical, molecular, and functional evidence suggest that amacrine cells represent an extremely diverse class of CNS interneurons that contribute to a variety of retinal processes. In this review, I classify the amacrine cells according to their anatomical output synapses and target cell(s) (i.e., bipolar cells, ganglion cells, and/or amacrine cells) and discuss specifically our current understandings of amacrine cell-mediated feedback and output to bipolar cells on the synaptic, cellular, and circuit levels, while drawing connections to visual processing.

scholarly journals Intrinsic properties and functional circuitry of the AII amacrine cell

2012 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
JONATHAN B. DEMB ◽  
JOSHUA H. SINGER
Keyword(s):  
Visual Processing ◽  
Amacrine Cell ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Amacrine Cells ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Bipolar Cells ◽  
Retinal Neuron ◽  
Motion Sensitivity ◽  
Network Properties ◽  
Aii Amacrine

AbstractAmacrine cells represent the most diverse class of retinal neuron, comprising dozens of distinct cell types. Each type exhibits a unique morphology and generates specific visual computations through its synapses with a subset of excitatory interneurons (bipolar cells), other amacrine cells, and output neurons (ganglion cells). Here, we review the intrinsic and network properties that underlie the function of the most common amacrine cell in the mammalian retina, the AII amacrine cell. The AII connects rod and cone photoreceptor pathways, forming an essential link in the circuit for rod-mediated (scotopic) vision. As such, the AII has become known as the rod–amacrine cell. We, however, now understand that AII function extends to cone-mediated (photopic) vision, and AII function in scotopic and photopic conditions utilizes the same underlying circuit: AIIs are electrically coupled to each other and to the terminals of some types of ON cone bipolar cells. The direction of signal flow, however, varies with illumination. Under photopic conditions, the AII network constitutes a crossover inhibition pathway that allows ON signals to inhibit OFF ganglion cells and contributes to motion sensitivity in certain ganglion cell types. We discuss how the AII’s combination of intrinsic and network properties accounts for its unique role in visual processing.

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