The multiple factors determining retinotopic order in the growth of optic fibres into the optic tectum

1977 ◽  
Vol 278 (961) ◽  
pp. 261-276 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Optic Tectum ◽  
Nervous Tissue ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Impulse Activity ◽  
Nerve Impulse ◽  
Retinal Ganglion ◽  
Optic Nerve Fibre ◽  
Cells Of Origin ◽  
Lower Vertebrates

Evidence is presented to support the conclusion that normally functioning optic nerve fibre terminal arborizations are open to continuous modification of their location and that they are capable of large scale gradual movement across the optic tectum in lower vertebrates. The termination of optic fibres at precisely defined tectal locations during normal embryonic development does not appear, in view of this and other evidence, to be due to any restrictions imposed by specializations distinguishing terminal sites themselves. However, there is clear evidence that, on the basis of possibly very simple specializations acquired as part of their embryological origin at particular locations in the retina, growing optic fibres actively and continuously select specific routes to be followed through intervening nervous tissue which eventually lead them to predictable and at least approximately appropriate terminal regions in the tectum. It is proposed that terminals move into and maintain fully retinotopic order as a result of direct interactions between fibres themselves based on features correlated with the retinal proximity of their cells of origin. This may involve further use of specializations due to related embryological origin: correlations in nerve impulse activity among neighbouring retinal ganglion cells may serve to stabilize most favourable terminal combinations. It is argued that fibres are subject to multiple influences which contribute to their orderly growth and that the demands made on the embryological differentiation of nervous tissue can thereby be considerably reduced.

Specification of retinotectal connexions during development of the toad Xenopus laevis

Development ◽  
1980 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-92
Author(s):  
S. C. Sharma ◽  
J. G. Hollyfield
Keyword(s):  
Xenopus Laevis ◽  
Ganglion Cell ◽  
Retinal Ganglion Cells ◽  
Optic Tectum ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
The Other ◽  
Retinal Ganglion ◽  
Visual Projection ◽  
Series Of Experiments ◽  
The Right

The specification of central connexions of retinal ganglion cells was studied in Xenopus laevis. In one series of experiments, the right eye primordium was rotated 180° at embryonic stages 24–32. In the other series, the left eye was transplanted into the right orbit, and vice versa, with either 0° or 180° rotation. After metamorphosis the visual projections from the operated eye to the contralateral optic tectum were mapped electrophysiologically and compared with the normal retinotectal map. In all cases the visual projection map was rotated through the same angle as was indicated by the position of the choroidal fissure. The left eye exchanged into the right orbit retained its original axes and projected to the contralateral tectum. These results suggest that retinal ganglion cell connexions are specified before stage 24.

Enkephalin-immunoreactive ganglion cells in the pigeon retina

1992 ◽  
Vol 9 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 389-398 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luiz R. G. Britto ◽  
Dȃnia E. Hamassaki-Britto
Keyword(s):  
Ganglion Cell ◽  
Retinal Ganglion Cells ◽  
Optic Tectum ◽  
Ganglion Cell Layer ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Cell Layer ◽  
Neural Retina ◽  
Retinal Ganglion ◽  
Complete Elimination ◽  
Pigeon Retina

AbstractA small number of enkephalin-like immunoreactive cells were observed in the ganglion cell layer of the pigeon retina. Many of these neurons were identified as ganglion cells, since they were retrogradely labeled after injections of fluorescent latex microspheres in the contralateral optic tectum. These ganglion cells were mainly distributed in the inferior retina, and their soma sizes ranged from 12–26 μm in the largest axis. The enkephalin-containing ganglion cells appear to represent only a very small percentage of the ganglion cells projecting to the optic tectum (less than 0.1%). Two to 7 weeks after removal of the neural retina, there was an almost complete elimination of an enkephalin-like immunoreactive plexus in layer 3 of the contralateral, rostrodorsal optic tectum. These data provide evidence for the existence of a population of enkephalinergic retinal ganglion cells with projections to the optic tectum.

Developmental loss of functional laminin receptors on retinal ganglion cells is regulated by their target tissue, the optic tectum

Development ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 107 (2) ◽  
pp. 381-387 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Cohen ◽  
V. Nurcombe ◽  
P. Jeffrey ◽  
D. Edgar
Keyword(s):  
Retinal Ganglion Cells ◽  
Optic Tectum ◽  
Matrix Protein ◽  
Binding Assay ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Target Tissue ◽  
Retinal Ganglion ◽  
Loss Of Response ◽  
High Affinity ◽  
Laminin Receptors

The ability of chick retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) to extend neurites on tissue culture substrata of the extra-cellular matrix protein laminin is lost during embryonic development. In order to establish the mechanism responsible for the loss of response, the number of high affinity (KD 10(−9) M) laminin receptors on both the cell bodies and neurites of RGCs were determined throughout this period by a ligand binding assay using radio-labelled laminin. It was found that the loss of response paralleled a decrease in receptor numbers on both the cell bodies and the neurites of the RGCs. Bilateral tectal ablation at embryonic day 6 resulted in the subsequent maintenance of laminin-stimulated neurite outgrowth, together with a partial inhibition of the loss of laminin receptors. Thus, the loss of response of the RGCs to laminin reflects a decrease in the numbers of laminin receptors on these neurons, and furthermore, this down-regulation is in turn dependent on innervation of the target tissue.

Neuroactive peptides as markers of retinal ganglion cell populations that differ in anatomical organization and function

1988 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodrigo O. Kuljis ◽  
Harvey J. Karten
Keyword(s):  
Retinal Ganglion Cells ◽  
Optic Tectum ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Retinal Ganglion ◽  
Pharmacological Manipulation ◽  
Functional Aspects ◽  
Neuroactive Peptides ◽  
Retinofugal Projections ◽  
And Function

AbstractRecent immunocytochemical studies indicate the existence of several classes of peptide- (PRGC) and catecholamine-containing retinal ganglion cells in anurans, birds, and mammals. Different classes of PRGC project to discrete and seemingly unique layers in the retino-recipient portion of the anuran and avian optic tectum. Peptide-containing retinofugal projections to the frog tectum originate early in development, and are reestablished by some classes of PRGC during regeneration of the optic nerve. These findings indicate that chemically specific, parallel retinofugal pathways presumably subserve different functional aspects of vision in vertebrates. Exciting prospects for research include the correlation of physiologically with immunocytochemically defined classes of retinal ganglion cells, the analysis of the possible role of neuroactive peptides in retinofugal transmission, and the pharmacological manipulation of putative peptidergic retinofugal pathways to analyze their role in visual function.

scholarly journals Multiplexed computations in retinal ganglion cells of a single type

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephane Deny ◽  
Ulisse Ferrari ◽  
Emilie Mace ◽  
Pierre Yger ◽  
Romain Caplette ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Quantitative Model ◽  
Visual Scene ◽  
Single Type ◽  
Retinal Ganglion ◽  
Object Code ◽  
Stimulus Feature ◽  
Homogeneous Population ◽  
Common Assumption

AbstractIn the early visual system, cells of the same type perform the same computation in di↵erent places of the visual field. How these cells code together a complex visual scene is unclear. A common assumption is that cells of the same type will extract a single stimulus feature to form a feature map, but this has rarely been observed directly. Using large-scale recordings in the rat retina, we show that a homogeneous population of fast OFF ganglion cells simultaneously encodes two radically different features of a visual scene. Cells close to a moving object code linearly for its position, while distant cells remain largely invariant to the object’s position and, instead, respond non-linearly to changes in the object’s speed. Cells switch between these two computations depending on the stimulus. We developed a quantitative model that accounts for this effect and identified a likely disinhibitory circuit that mediates it. Ganglion cells of a single type thus do not code for one, but two features simultaneously. This richer, flexible neural map might also be present in other sensory systems.

scholarly journals Pan-Retinal Characterisation of Light Responses from Ganglion Cells in the Developing Mouse Retina

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerrit Hilgen ◽  
Sahar Pirmoradian ◽  
Daniela Pamplona ◽  
Pierre Kornprobst ◽  
Bruno Cessac ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Mouse Retina ◽  
Multielectrode Array ◽  
Retinal Ganglion ◽  
Developmental Profile ◽  
Light Responses ◽  
Ecological Requirements ◽  
Eye Opening ◽  
Dorsal Retina

AbstractWe have investigated the ontogeny of light-driven responses in mouse retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Using a large-scale, high-density multielectrode array, we recorded from hundreds to thousands of RGCs simultaneously at pan-retinal level, including dorsal and ventral locations. Responses to different contrasts not only revealed a complex developmental profile for ON, OFF and ON-OFF RGC types, but also unveiled differences between dorsal and ventral RGCs. At eye-opening, dorsal RGCs of all types were more responsive to light, perhaps indicating an environmental priority to nest viewing for pre-weaning pups. The developmental profile of ON and OFF RGCs exhibited antagonistic behavior, with the strongest ON responses shortly after eye-opening, followed by an increase in the strength of OFF responses later on. Further, we found that with maturation receptive field (RF) center sizes decrease, responses to light get stronger, and centers become more circular while seeing differences in all of them between RGC types. These findings show that retinal functionality is not spatially homogeneous, likely reflecting ecological requirements that favour the early development of dorsal retina, and reflecting different roles in vision in the mature animal.

Retinal ganglion cells projecting to the optic tectum and visual thalamus of lizards

2002 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 575-581 ◽  
Author(s):  
ALINO MARTINEZ-MARCOS ◽  
ENRIQUE LANUZA ◽  
FERNANDO MARTINEZ-GARCIA
Keyword(s):  
Ganglion Cell ◽  
Retinal Ganglion Cells ◽  
Optic Tectum ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Plexiform Layer ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Inner Plexiform Layer ◽  
Retinal Ganglion ◽  
Visual Thalamus ◽  
Podarcis Hispanica

Retinal ganglion cells projecting to the optic tectum and visual thalamus have been investigated in the lizard, Podarcis hispanica. Injections of biotinylated dextran-amine in the optic tectum reveal seven morphological cell varieties including one displaced ganglion cell type. Injections in the visual thalamus yield similar ganglion cell classes plus four giant ganglion cells, including two displaced ganglion cell types. The present study constitutes the first comparison of tectal versus thalamic ganglion cell types in reptiles. The situation found in lizards is similar to that reported in mammals and birds where some cell types projecting to the thalamus are larger than those projecting to the mesencephalic roof. The presence of giant retino-thalamic ganglion cells with specific dendritic arborizations in sublaminae A and B of the inner plexiform layer suggests that parts of the visual thalamus of lizards could be implicated in movement detection, a role that might be played by the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus, which is involved in our tracer injections.

scholarly journals Effect of retinal ablation on the expression of calbindin D28k and GABA in the chick optic tectum

10.4081/848 ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 365 ◽  
Author(s):  
G Díaz de Barboza ◽  
C Beltramino ◽  
L Britto ◽  
J De Olmos ◽  
S De Olmos
Keyword(s):  
Optic Tectum ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Neuronal Degeneration ◽  
Retinal Ganglion ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Inhibitory Circuitry ◽  
Silver Deposits ◽  
Calbindin D28k ◽  
Quantitative Changes

The effect of retinal ablation on qualitative and quantitative changes of calbindin D28k and GABA expression in the contralateral optic tectum was studied in young chicks. Fifteen days old chicks had unilateral retinal ablation and after 7 or 15 days, calbindin expression was analyzed by Western blot and immunocytochemistry. Neuronal degeneration was followed by the amino-cupric silver technique. After 15 days, retinal lesions produced a significant decrease in calbindin immunostaining in the neuropil of layers 5-6 and in the somata of neurons from the layers 8 and 10 of the contralateral tectum, being this effect less marked at 7 days post-lesion. Double staining revealed that 50-60% of cells in the layers 8 and 10 were calbindin and GABA positive, 30- 45% were only calbindin positive and 5-10% were only GABAergic neurons. Retinal ablation also produced a decrease in the GABA expression at either 7 or 15 days after surgery. At 7 days, dense silver staining was observed in the layers 5-6 from the optic tectum contralateral to the retinal ablation, which mainly represented neuropil that would come from processes of retinal ganglion cells. Tectal neuronal bodies were not stained with silver, although some neurons were surrounded by coarse granular silver deposits. In conclusion, most of calbindin molecules are present in neurons of the tectal GABAergic inhibitory circuitry, whose functioning apparently depends on the integrity of the visual input. A possible role of calbindin in the control of intracellular Ca2+ in neurons of this circuit when the visual transmission arrives to the optic tectum remains to be studied.

Chemically specific retinal ganglion cells collaterlize to the Pars ventralis of the lateral geniculate nucleus and optic tectum in the pigeon (Columba livia)

1989 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
pp. 477-482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luiz R. G. Britto ◽  
Kent T. Keyser ◽  
Dania E. Hamassaki ◽  
Toru Shimizu ◽  
Harvey J. Karten
Keyword(s):  
Retinal Ganglion Cells ◽  
Lateral Geniculate Nucleus ◽  
Optic Tectum ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Columba Livia ◽  
Retinal Ganglion ◽  
Fluorescent Tracers ◽  
Retinal Axons ◽  
Lateral Geniculate ◽  
Tracing Techniques

AbstractImmunohistochemical and retrograde tracing techniques were combined to study the retinal ganglion cells which project to the pars ventralis of the lateral geniculate nucleus (GLv) in the pigeon. Using two different fluorescent tracers, two histochemically-distinct populations of ganglion cells were found to project to both the GLv and the optic tectum. The first population of ganglion cells exhibited tyrosine hydroxylase-like immunoreactivity and represented about 20% of all ganglion cells which were retrogradely labeled from the GLv. The second population of ganglion cells showed substance P-like immunoreactivity and represented about 13% of all ganglion cells projecting to the GLv. These results confirm earlier suggestions that the retinal axons projecting to the GLv also project elsewhere and demonstrate that heterogeneity of retinal ganglion cells transmitters is evident even within a single retino-recipient nucleus such as the GLv.

scholarly journals Activation of ganglion cells and axon bundles using epiretinal electrical stimulation

2017 ◽  
Vol 118 (3) ◽  
pp. 1457-1471 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren E. Grosberg ◽  
Karthik Ganesan ◽  
Georges A. Goetz ◽  
Sasidhar S. Madugula ◽  
Nandita Bhaskhar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Retinal Ganglion Cells ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Propagation Speed ◽  
Peripheral Retina ◽  
Retinal Ganglion ◽  
Central Retina ◽  
Axon Bundle ◽  
Stimulation Current

Epiretinal prostheses for treating blindness activate axon bundles, causing large, arc-shaped visual percepts that limit the quality of artificial vision. Improving the function of epiretinal prostheses therefore requires understanding and avoiding axon bundle activation. This study introduces a method to detect axon bundle activation on the basis of its electrical signature and uses the method to test whether epiretinal stimulation can directly elicit spikes in individual retinal ganglion cells without activating nearby axon bundles. Combined electrical stimulation and recording from isolated primate retina were performed using a custom multielectrode system (512 electrodes, 10-μm diameter, 60-μm pitch). Axon bundle signals were identified by their bidirectional propagation, speed, and increasing amplitude as a function of stimulation current. The threshold for bundle activation varied across electrodes and retinas, and was in the same range as the threshold for activating retinal ganglion cells near their somas. In the peripheral retina, 45% of electrodes that activated individual ganglion cells (17% of all electrodes) did so without activating bundles. This permitted selective activation of 21% of recorded ganglion cells (7% of expected ganglion cells) over the array. In one recording in the central retina, 75% of electrodes that activated individual ganglion cells (16% of all electrodes) did so without activating bundles. The ability to selectively activate a subset of retinal ganglion cells without axon bundles suggests a possible novel architecture for future epiretinal prostheses. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Large-scale multielectrode recording and stimulation were used to test how selectively retinal ganglion cells can be electrically activated without activating axon bundles. A novel method was developed to identify axon activation on the basis of its unique electrical signature and was used to find that a subset of ganglion cells can be activated at single-cell, single-spike resolution without producing bundle activity in peripheral and central retina. These findings have implications for the development of advanced retinal prostheses.

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