scholarly journals Retinal ganglion cell interactions shape the developing mammalian visual system

Development ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 147 (23) ◽  
pp. dev196535
Author(s):  
Shane D'Souza ◽  
Richard A. Lang
Keyword(s):  
Visual System ◽  
Communication Channel ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
System Development ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Retinal Ganglion ◽  
Cellular Targeting ◽  
Visual System Development ◽  
Developmental Responses ◽  
The Brain

ABSTRACTRetinal ganglion cells (RGCs) serve as a crucial communication channel from the retina to the brain. In the adult, these cells receive input from defined sets of presynaptic partners and communicate with postsynaptic brain regions to convey features of the visual scene. However, in the developing visual system, RGC interactions extend beyond their synaptic partners such that they guide development before the onset of vision. In this Review, we summarize our current understanding of how interactions between RGCs and their environment influence cellular targeting, migration and circuit maturation during visual system development. We describe the roles of RGC subclasses in shaping unique developmental responses within the retina and at central targets. Finally, we highlight the utility of RNA sequencing and genetic tools in uncovering RGC type-specific roles during the development of the visual system.

scholarly journals Melanopsin ganglion cells, critical players in visual system development

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (15) ◽  
pp. 16
Author(s):  
Jordan M. Renna
Keyword(s):  
Visual System ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
System Development ◽  
Visual System Development

Synchronous Period-Doubling in Flicker Vision of Salamander and Man

1998 ◽  
Vol 79 (4) ◽  
pp. 1869-1878 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel W. Crevier ◽  
Markus Meister
Keyword(s):  
Visual System ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Period Doubling ◽  
Bipolar Cells ◽  
Retinal Ganglion ◽  
Nonlinear Feedback ◽  
Full Field ◽  
Temporal Properties ◽  
Critical Feedback ◽  
The Brain

Crevier, Daniel W. and Markus Meister. Synchronous period-doubling in flicker vision of salamander and man. J. Neurophysiol. 79: 1869–1878, 1998. Periodic flashes of light have long served to probe the temporal properties of the visual system. Here we show that during rapid flicker of high contrast and intensity the eye reports to the brain only every other flash of light. In this regime, retinal ganglion cells of the salamander fire spikes on alternating flashes. Neurons across the entire retina are locked to the same flashes. The effect depends sharply on contrast and flash frequency. It results from a period-doubling bifurcation in retinal processing, and a simple model of nonlinear feedback reproduces the phenomenon. Pharmacological studies indicate that the critical feedback interactions require only cone photoreceptors and bipolar cells. Analogous period-doubling is observed in the human visual system. Under bright full-field flicker, the electroretinogram (ERG) shows a regime of period-doubling between 30 and 70 Hz. In visual evoked potentials from the occiput, the subharmonic component is even stronger. By analyzing the accompanying perceptual effects, we find that retinal period-doubling begins in the periphery of the visual field, and that it is the cause of a long mysterious illusory flicker pattern.

brakeless is required for lamina targeting of R1-R6 axons in the Drosophila visual system

Development ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 127 (11) ◽  
pp. 2291-2301 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Senti ◽  
K. Keleman ◽  
F. Eisenhaber ◽  
B.J. Dickson
Keyword(s):  
Visual System ◽  
System Development ◽  
Photoreceptor Cells ◽  
Protein Isoforms ◽  
Cell Fates ◽  
Transgenic Expression ◽  
First Optic Ganglion ◽  
Visual System Development ◽  
The Brain

Photoreceptors in the Drosophila eye project their axons retinotopically to targets in the optic lobe of the brain. The axons of photoreceptor cells R1-R6 terminate in the first optic ganglion, the lamina, while R7 and R8 axons project through the lamina to terminate in distinct layers of the second ganglion, the medulla. Here we report the identification of the gene brakeless (bks) and show that its function is required in the developing eye specifically for the lamina targeting of R1-R6 axons. In mosaic animals lacking bks function in the eye, R1-R6 axons project through the lamina to terminate in the medulla. Other aspects of visual system development appear completely normal: photoreceptor and lamina cell fates are correctly specified, R7 axons correctly target the medulla, and both correctly targeted R7 axons and mistargeted R1-R6 axons maintain their retinotopic order with respect to both anteroposterior and dorsoventral axes. bks encodes two unusually hydrophilic nuclear protein isoforms, one of which contains a putative C(2)H(2) zinc finger domain. Transgenic expression of either Bks isoform is sufficient to restore the lamina targeting of R1-R6 axons in bks mosaics, but not to retarget R7 or R8 axons to the lamina. These data demonstrate the existence of a lamina-specific targeting mechanism for R1-R6 axons in the Drosophila visual system, and provide the first entry point in the molecular characterization of this process.

scholarly journals The projections of ipRGCs and conventional RGCs to retinorecipient brain nuclei

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Corinne Beier ◽  
Ze Zhang ◽  
Maria Yurgel ◽  
Samer Hattar
Keyword(s):  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Small Population ◽  
Retinal Ganglion ◽  
Retinal Circuitry ◽  
Visual Behaviors ◽  
Pupil Constriction ◽  
Output Neurons ◽  
Retinal Innervation ◽  
The Brain

ABSTRACTRetinal ganglion cells (RGCs), the output neurons of the retina, allow us to perceive our visual environment. RGCs respond to rod/cone input through the retinal circuitry, however, a small population of RGCs are in addition intrinsically photosensitive (ipRGCs) and project to unique targets in the brain to modulate a broad range of subconscious visual behaviors such as pupil constriction and circadian photoentrainment. Despite the discovery of ipRGCs nearly two decades ago, there is still little information about how or if conventional RGCs (non-ipRGCs) target ipRGC-recipient nuclei to influence subconscious visual behavior. Using a dual recombinase color strategy, we showed that conventional RGCs innervate many subconscious ipRGC-recipient nuclei, apart from the suprachiasmatic nucleus. We revealed previously unrecognized stratification patterns of retinal innervation from ipRGCs and conventional RGCs in the ventral portion of the lateral geniculate nucleus. Further, we found that the percent innervation of ipRGCs and conventional RGCs across ipsi- and contralateral nuclei differ. Our data provide a blueprint to understand how conventional RGCs and ipRGCs innervate different brain regions to influence subconscious visual behaviors.

scholarly journals Cellular properties of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells during postnatal development

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jasmine A. Lucas ◽  
Tiffany M. Schmidt
Keyword(s):  
Postnatal Development ◽  
Retinal Ganglion Cells ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
System Development ◽  
Retinal Development ◽  
Morphological Properties ◽  
Retinal Ganglion ◽  
Whole Cell Patch Clamp ◽  
Visual System Development ◽  
Retinofugal Projections

AbstractBackgroundMelanopsin-expressing, intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) respond directly to light and have been shown to mediate a broad variety of visual behaviors in adult animals. ipRGCs are also the first light sensitive cells in the developing retina, and have been implicated in a number of retinal developmental processes such as pruning of retinal vasculature and refinement of retinofugal projections. However, little is currently known about the properties of the six ipRGC subtypes during development, and how these cells act to influence retinal development. We therefore sought to characterize the structure, physiology, and birthdate of the most abundant ipRGC subtypes, M1, M2, and M4, at discrete postnatal developmental timepoints.MethodsWe utilized whole cell patch clamp to measure the electrophysiological and morphological properties of ipRGC subtypes through postnatal development. We also used EdU labeling to determine the embryonic timepoints at which ipRGC subtypes terminally differentiate.ResultsOur data show that ipRGC subtypes are distinguishable from each other early in postnatal development. Additionally, we find that while ipRGC subtypes terminally differentiate at similar embryonic stages, the subtypes reach adult-like morphology and physiology at different developmental timepoints.ConclusionsThis work provides a broad assessment of ipRGC morphological and physiological properties during the postnatal stages at which they are most influential in modulating retinal development, and lays the groundwork for further understanding of the specific role of each ipRGC subtype in influencing retinal and visual system development.

scholarly journals Revisiting the role of Dcc in visual system development with a novel eye clearing method

eLife ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin J Vigouroux ◽  
Quénol Cesar ◽  
Alain Chédotal ◽  
Kim Tuyen Nguyen-Ba-Charvet
Keyword(s):  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
System Development ◽  
Pigment Epithelium ◽  
Large Fraction ◽  
Retinal Pigment ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Retinal Ganglion ◽  
Visual System Development ◽  
Deleted In Colorectal Carcinoma

The Deleted in Colorectal Carcinoma (Dcc) receptor plays a critical role in optic nerve development. Whilst Dcc is expressed postnatally in the eye, its function remains unknown as Dcc knockouts die at birth. To circumvent this drawback, we generated an eye-specific Dcc mutant. To study the organization of the retina and visual projections in these mice, we also established EyeDISCO, a novel tissue clearing protocol that removes melanin allowing 3D imaging of whole eyes and visual pathways. We show that in the absence of Dcc, some ganglion cell axons stalled at the optic disc, whereas others perforated the retina, separating photoreceptors from the retinal pigment epithelium. A subset of visual axons entered the CNS, but these projections are perturbed. Moreover, Dcc-deficient retinas displayed a massive postnatal loss of retinal ganglion cells and a large fraction of photoreceptors. Thus, Dcc is essential for the development and maintenance of the retina.

Visual system development in the duck embryo

1978 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marieta Barrow Heaton ◽  
John B. Munson
Keyword(s):  
Visual System ◽  
System Development ◽  
Duck Embryo ◽  
Visual System Development

Expression of the BDNF gene in the developing visual system of the chick

Development ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 120 (6) ◽  
pp. 1643-1649 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.H. Herzog ◽  
K. Bailey ◽  
Y.A. Barde
Keyword(s):  
Visual System ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Mrna Levels ◽  
Retinal Ganglion ◽  
Bdnf Gene ◽  
Bdnf Mrna ◽  
Optic Stalk ◽  
Copy Numbers ◽  
Activity Dependent

Using a sensitive and quantitative method, the mRNA levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were determined during the development of the chick visual system. Low copy numbers were detected, and BDNF was found to be expressed in the optic tectum already 2 days before the arrival of the first retinal ganglion cell axons, suggesting an early role of BDNF in tectal development. After the beginning of tectal innervation, BDNF mRNA levels markedly increased, and optic stalk transection at day 4 (which prevents subsequent tectal innervation) was found to reduce the contralateral tectal levels of BDNF mRNA. Comparable reductions were obtained after injection of tetrodotoxin into one eye, indicating that, already during the earliest stages of target encounter in the CNS, the degree of BDNF gene expression is influenced by activity-dependent mechanisms. BDNF mRNA was also detected in the retina itself and at levels comparable to those found in the tectum. Together with previous findings indicating that BDNF prevents the death of cultured chick retinal ganglion cells, these results support the idea that the tightly controlled expression of the BDNF gene might be important in the co-ordinated development of the visual system.

scholarly journals Photoreceptive retinal ganglion cells control the information rate of the optic nerve

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (50) ◽  
pp. E11817-E11826 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina Milosavljevic ◽  
Riccardo Storchi ◽  
Cyril G. Eleftheriou ◽  
Andrea Colins ◽  
Rasmus S. Petersen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Optic Nerve ◽  
Retinal Ganglion Cells ◽  
Information Flow ◽  
Information Transfer ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Retinal Ganglion ◽  
Ambient Light ◽  
Visual Responses ◽  
Light Irradiance ◽  
The Brain

Information transfer in the brain relies upon energetically expensive spiking activity of neurons. Rates of information flow should therefore be carefully optimized, but mechanisms to control this parameter are poorly understood. We address this deficit in the visual system, where ambient light (irradiance) is predictive of the amount of information reaching the eye and ask whether a neural measure of irradiance can therefore be used to proactively control information flow along the optic nerve. We first show that firing rates for the retina’s output neurons [retinal ganglion cells (RGCs)] scale with irradiance and are positively correlated with rates of information and the gain of visual responses. Irradiance modulates firing in the absence of any other visual signal confirming that this is a genuine response to changing ambient light. Irradiance-driven changes in firing are observed across the population of RGCs (including in both ON and OFF units) but are disrupted in mice lacking melanopsin [the photopigment of irradiance-coding intrinsically photosensitive RGCs (ipRGCs)] and can be induced under steady light exposure by chemogenetic activation of ipRGCs. Artificially elevating firing by chemogenetic excitation of ipRGCs is sufficient to increase information flow by increasing the gain of visual responses, indicating that enhanced firing is a cause of increased information transfer at higher irradiance. Our results establish a retinal circuitry driving changes in RGC firing as an active response to alterations in ambient light to adjust the amount of visual information transmitted to the brain.

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