1
|
Goltstein PM, Laubender D, Bonhoeffer T, Hübener M. A column-like organization for ocular dominance in mouse visual cortex. Nat Commun 2025; 16:1926. [PMID: 40000624 PMCID: PMC11861588 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-56780-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/28/2025] [Indexed: 02/27/2025] Open
Abstract
The columnar organization of response properties is a fundamental feature of the mammalian visual cortex. However, columns have not been observed universally across all mammalian species. Here, we report the discovery of clusters of ipsilateral eye preferring neurons in layer 4 of the mouse primary visual cortex. These clusters extend into layer 2/3 and upper layer 5, forming a column-like pattern for ocular dominance. Our observation of such structures in this minute cortical area sets a new boundary condition for models explaining the emergence of functional organizations in the neocortex.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - David Laubender
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Tobias Bonhoeffer
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Mark Hübener
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Liu ML, Liu YP, Guo XX, Wu ZY, Zhang XT, Roe AW, Hu JM. Orientation selectivity mapping in the visual cortex. Prog Neurobiol 2024; 240:102656. [PMID: 39009108 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2024.102656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2024] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024]
Abstract
The orientation map is one of the most well-studied functional maps of the visual cortex. However, results from the literature are of different qualities. Clear boundaries among different orientation domains and blurred uncertain distinctions were shown in different studies. These unclear imaging results will lead to an inaccuracy in depicting cortical structures, and the lack of consideration in experimental design will also lead to biased depictions of the cortical features. How we accurately define orientation domains will impact the entire field of research. In this study, we test how spatial frequency (SF), stimulus size, location, chromatic, and data processing methods affect the orientation functional maps (including a large area of dorsal V4, and parts of dorsal V1) acquired by intrinsic signal optical imaging. Our results indicate that, for large imaging fields, large grating stimuli with mixed SF components should be considered to acquire the orientation map. A diffusion model image enhancement based on the difference map could further improve the map quality. In addition, the similar outcomes of achromatic and chromatic gratings indicate two alternative types of afferents from LGN, pooling in V1 to generate cue-invariant orientation selectivity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mei-Lan Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, China; Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Yi-Peng Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, China
| | - Xin-Xia Guo
- Department of Neurosurgery of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, China
| | - Zhi-Yi Wu
- Eye Center, Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310010, China
| | - Xiao-Tong Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, China; MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310012, China; College of Electrical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Anna Wang Roe
- Department of Neurosurgery of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, China; Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China; MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310012, China; The State Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
| | - Jia-Ming Hu
- Department of Neurosurgery of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, China; MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310012, China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Margalit E, Lee H, Finzi D, DiCarlo JJ, Grill-Spector K, Yamins DLK. A unifying framework for functional organization in early and higher ventral visual cortex. Neuron 2024; 112:2435-2451.e7. [PMID: 38733985 PMCID: PMC11257790 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.04.018] [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: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
A key feature of cortical systems is functional organization: the arrangement of functionally distinct neurons in characteristic spatial patterns. However, the principles underlying the emergence of functional organization in the cortex are poorly understood. Here, we develop the topographic deep artificial neural network (TDANN), the first model to predict several aspects of the functional organization of multiple cortical areas in the primate visual system. We analyze the factors driving the TDANN's success and find that it balances two objectives: learning a task-general sensory representation and maximizing the spatial smoothness of responses according to a metric that scales with cortical surface area. In turn, the representations learned by the TDANN are more brain-like than in spatially unconstrained models. Finally, we provide evidence that the TDANN's functional organization balances performance with between-area connection length. Our results offer a unified principle for understanding the functional organization of the primate ventral visual system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eshed Margalit
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Hyodong Lee
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Dawn Finzi
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - James J DiCarlo
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Center for Brains Minds and Machines, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Kalanit Grill-Spector
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Daniel L K Yamins
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Margalit E, Lee H, Finzi D, DiCarlo JJ, Grill-Spector K, Yamins DLK. A Unifying Principle for the Functional Organization of Visual Cortex. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.18.541361. [PMID: 37292946 PMCID: PMC10245753 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.18.541361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
A key feature of many cortical systems is functional organization: the arrangement of neurons with specific functional properties in characteristic spatial patterns across the cortical surface. However, the principles underlying the emergence and utility of functional organization are poorly understood. Here we develop the Topographic Deep Artificial Neural Network (TDANN), the first unified model to accurately predict the functional organization of multiple cortical areas in the primate visual system. We analyze the key factors responsible for the TDANN's success and find that it strikes a balance between two specific objectives: achieving a task-general sensory representation that is self-supervised, and maximizing the smoothness of responses across the cortical sheet according to a metric that scales relative to cortical surface area. In turn, the representations learned by the TDANN are lower dimensional and more brain-like than those in models that lack a spatial smoothness constraint. Finally, we provide evidence that the TDANN's functional organization balances performance with inter-area connection length, and use the resulting models for a proof-of-principle optimization of cortical prosthetic design. Our results thus offer a unified principle for understanding functional organization and a novel view of the functional role of the visual system in particular.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eshed Margalit
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Hyodong Lee
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Dawn Finzi
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - James J DiCarlo
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Center for Brains Minds and Machines, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Kalanit Grill-Spector
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Daniel L K Yamins
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Wallace MN, Zobay O, Hardman E, Thompson Z, Dobbs P, Chakrabarti L, Palmer AR. The large numbers of minicolumns in the primary visual cortex of humans, chimpanzees and gorillas are related to high visual acuity. Front Neuroanat 2022; 16:1034264. [PMID: 36439196 PMCID: PMC9681811 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2022.1034264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Minicolumns are thought to be a fundamental neural unit in the neocortex and their replication may have formed the basis of the rapid cortical expansion that occurred during primate evolution. We sought evidence of minicolumns in the primary visual cortex (V-1) of three great apes, three rodents and representatives from three other mammalian orders: Eulipotyphla (European hedgehog), Artiodactyla (domestic pig) and Carnivora (ferret). Minicolumns, identified by the presence of a long bundle of radial, myelinated fibers stretching from layer III to the white matter of silver-stained sections, were found in the human, chimpanzee, gorilla and guinea pig V-1. Shorter bundles confined to one or two layers were found in the other species but represent modules rather than minicolumns. The inter-bundle distance, and hence density of minicolumns, varied systematically both within a local area that might represent a hypercolumn but also across the whole visual field. The distance between all bundles had a similar range for human, chimpanzee, gorilla, ferret and guinea pig: most bundles were 20-45 μm apart. By contrast, the space between bundles was greater for the hedgehog and pig (20-140 μm). The mean density of minicolumns was greater in tangential sections of the gorilla and chimpanzee (1,243-1,287 bundles/mm2) than in human (314-422 bundles/mm2) or guinea pig (643 bundles/mm2). The minicolumnar bundles did not form a hexagonal lattice but were arranged in thin curving and branched bands separated by thicker bands of neuropil/somata. Estimates of the total number of modules/minicolumns within V-1 were strongly correlated with visual acuity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mark N. Wallace
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Institute of Hearing Research, University Park, Nottingham, United Kingdom
- Hearing Sciences, Mental Health and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Oliver Zobay
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Institute of Hearing Research, University Park, Nottingham, United Kingdom
- School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Hearing Sciences—Scottish Section, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Eden Hardman
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Institute of Hearing Research, University Park, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Zoe Thompson
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Institute of Hearing Research, University Park, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Phillipa Dobbs
- Veterinary Department, Twycross Zoo, East Midland Zoological Society, Atherstone, United Kingdom
| | - Lisa Chakrabarti
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Alan R. Palmer
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Institute of Hearing Research, University Park, Nottingham, United Kingdom
- Hearing Sciences, Mental Health and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Tuning instability of non-columnar neurons in the salt-and-pepper whisker map in somatosensory cortex. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6611. [PMID: 36329010 PMCID: PMC9633707 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34261-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Rodent sensory cortex contains salt-and-pepper maps of sensory features, whose structure is not fully known. Here we investigated the structure of the salt-and-pepper whisker somatotopic map among L2/3 pyramidal neurons in somatosensory cortex, in awake mice performing one-vs-all whisker discrimination. Neurons tuned for columnar (CW) and non-columnar (non-CW) whiskers were spatially intermixed, with co-tuned neurons forming local (20 µm) clusters. Whisker tuning was markedly unstable in expert mice, with 35-46% of pyramidal cells significantly shifting tuning over 5-18 days. Tuning instability was highly concentrated in non-CW tuned neurons, and thus was structured in the map. Instability of non-CW neurons was unchanged during chronic whisker paralysis and when mice discriminated individual whiskers, suggesting it is an inherent feature. Thus, L2/3 combines two distinct components: a stable columnar framework of CW-tuned cells that may promote spatial perceptual stability, plus an intermixed, non-columnar surround with highly unstable tuning.
Collapse
|
7
|
Jung YJ, Almasi A, Sun SH, Yunzab M, Cloherty SL, Bauquier SH, Renfree M, Meffin H, Ibbotson MR. Orientation pinwheels in primary visual cortex of a highly visual marsupial. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabn0954. [PMID: 36179020 PMCID: PMC9524828 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn0954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Primary visual cortices in many mammalian species exhibit modular and periodic orientation preference maps arranged in pinwheel-like layouts. The role of inherited traits as opposed to environmental influences in determining this organization remains unclear. Here, we characterize the cortical organization of an Australian marsupial, revealing pinwheel organization resembling that of eutherian carnivores and primates but distinctly different from the simpler salt-and-pepper arrangement of eutherian rodents and rabbits. The divergence of marsupials from eutherians 160 million years ago and the later emergence of rodents and rabbits suggest that the salt-and-pepper structure is not the primitive ancestral form. Rather, the genetic code that enables complex pinwheel formation is likely widespread, perhaps extending back to the common therian ancestors of modern mammals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Young Jun Jung
- National Vision Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Ali Almasi
- Optalert Limited, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Shi H. Sun
- Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Molis Yunzab
- Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | | | - Sebastien H. Bauquier
- Veterinary Hospital, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Marilyn Renfree
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Hamish Meffin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Michael R. Ibbotson
- National Vision Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Jiao C, Li M, Hu D. The neurons in mouse V1 show different degrees of spatial clustering. Brain Res Bull 2022; 190:62-68. [PMID: 36122802 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2022.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Higher mammals' primary visual cortex exhibits columnar organization, where neurons with similar response preferences are clustered. In contrast, rodents are presumed to lack this fine-scale organization; their neurons appear to be randomly arranged, described as a salt-and-pepper map. However, recent studies suggested a weak but significant spatial clustering of tuning in the salt-and-pepper map, similar to columnar organization. Thus, the salt-and-pepper map possesses the characteristics of both columnar organization and random arrangement. This raises the question about whether this mixed organization is attributed to different types of neurons. Here, we examined the tuning of primary visual cortical neurons in awake mice with a two-photon calcium imaging dataset, which were released by Allen Institute MindScope Program. First, we demonstrated that neurons with similar response preferences were clustered by showing that neighboring neurons tended to have similar orientation and temporal frequency preferences. Then, we compared the clustering of tuning between simple cells and complex cells and found the clustering of tuning among simple cells was significantly more prominent than that among complex cells. Furthermore, the simple/complex cell classification correlated with the stability of neuronal response. Neurons with stable responses were arranged independent of their tuning similarity, whereas unstable neurons were clustered according to their tuning similarity. These findings might represent a balance between efficiency and robustness: relatively independent tuning among stable neurons represents visual information efficiently, whereas unstable neurons with similar response preferences are clustered to obtain a robust representation with population codes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chong Jiao
- College of Intelligence Science and Technology, National University of Defense Technology, 109 Deya road, Changsha 410073, Hunan, China
| | - Ming Li
- College of Intelligence Science and Technology, National University of Defense Technology, 109 Deya road, Changsha 410073, Hunan, China.
| | - Dewen Hu
- College of Intelligence Science and Technology, National University of Defense Technology, 109 Deya road, Changsha 410073, Hunan, China
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Swindale NV, Goodhill GJ. Editorial: Cortical Maps: Data and Models. Front Neuroinform 2022; 16:954042. [PMID: 35784187 PMCID: PMC9247640 DOI: 10.3389/fninf.2022.954042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas V. Swindale
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- *Correspondence: Nicholas V. Swindale
| | - Geoffrey J. Goodhill
- Departments of Developmental Biology and Neuroscience, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Queensland Brain Institute and School of Mathematics and Physics, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Pereiro X, Beriain S, Rodriguez L, Roiz-Valle D, Ruzafa N, Vecino E. Characteristics of Whale Müller Glia in Primary and Immortalized Cultures. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:854278. [PMID: 35360150 PMCID: PMC8964101 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.854278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Müller cells are the principal glial cells in the retina and they assume many of the functions carried out by astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and ependymal cells in other regions of the central nervous system. Müller cells express growth factors, neurotransmitter transporters and antioxidant agents that could fulfill important roles in preventing excitotoxic damage to retinal neurons. Vertebrate Müller cells are well-defined cells, characterized by a common set of features throughout the phylum. Nevertheless, several major differences have been observed among the Müller cells in distinct vertebrates, such as neurogenesis, the capacity to reprogram fish Müller glia to neurons. Here, the Müller glia of the largest adult mammal in the world, the whale, have been analyzed, and given the difficulties in obtaining cetacean cells for study, these whale glia were analyzed both in primary cultures and as immortalized whale Müller cells. After isolating the retina from the eye of a beached sei whale (Balaenoptera borealis), primary Müller cell cultures were established and once the cultures reached confluence, half of the cultures were immortalized with the simian virus 40 (SV40) large T-antigen commonly used to immortalize human cell lines. The primary cell cultures were grown until cells reached senescence. Expression of the principal molecular markers of Müller cells (GFAP, Vimentin and Glutamine synthetase) was studied in both primary and immortalized cells at each culture passage. Proliferation kinetics of the cells were analyzed by time-lapse microscopy: the time between divisions, the time that cells take to divide, and the proportion of dividing cells in the same field. The karyotypes of the primary and immortalized whale Müller cells were also characterized. Our results shown that W21M proliferate more rapidly and they have a stable karyotype. W21M cells display a heterogeneous cell morphology, less motility and a distinctive expression of some typical molecular markers of Müller cells, with an increase in dedifferentiation markers like α-SMA and β-III tubulin, while they preserve their GS expression depending on the culture passage. Here we also discuss the possible influence of the animal's age and size on these cells, and on their senescence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xandra Pereiro
- Experimental Ophthalmo-Biology Group, Department of Cell Biology and Histology, University of Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain
- Begiker-Ophthalmology Research Group, BioCruces Health Research Institute, Cruces Hospital, Barakaldo, Spain
| | - Sandra Beriain
- Experimental Ophthalmo-Biology Group, Department of Cell Biology and Histology, University of Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain
| | - Lara Rodriguez
- Experimental Ophthalmo-Biology Group, Department of Cell Biology and Histology, University of Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain
| | - David Roiz-Valle
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University Institute of Oncology (IUOPA), University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Noelia Ruzafa
- Experimental Ophthalmo-Biology Group, Department of Cell Biology and Histology, University of Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain
- Begiker-Ophthalmology Research Group, BioCruces Health Research Institute, Cruces Hospital, Barakaldo, Spain
| | - Elena Vecino
- Experimental Ophthalmo-Biology Group, Department of Cell Biology and Histology, University of Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain
- Begiker-Ophthalmology Research Group, BioCruces Health Research Institute, Cruces Hospital, Barakaldo, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Kwon KM, Lee MJ, Chung HS, Pak JH, Jeon CJ. The Organization of Somatostatin-Immunoreactive Cells in the Visual Cortex of the Gerbil. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10010092. [PMID: 35052772 PMCID: PMC8773527 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10010092] [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: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Somatostatin (SST) is widely expressed in the brain and plays various, vital roles involved in neuromodulation. The purpose of this study is to characterize the organization of SST neurons in the Mongolian gerbil visual cortex (VC) using immunocytochemistry, quantitative analysis, and confocal microscopy. As a diurnal animal, the Mongolian gerbil provides us with a different perspective to other commonly used nocturnal rodent models. In this study, SST neurons were located in all layers of the VC except in layer I; they were most common in layer V. Most SST neurons were multipolar round/oval or stellate cells. No pyramidal neurons were found. Moreover, 2-color immunofluorescence revealed that only 33.50%, 24.05%, 16.73%, 0%, and 64.57% of SST neurons contained gamma-aminobutyric acid, calbindin-D28K, calretinin, parvalbumin, and calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II, respectively. In contrast, neuropeptide Y and nitric oxide synthase were abundantly expressed, with 80.07% and 75.41% in SST neurons, respectively. Our immunocytochemical analyses of SST with D1 and D2 dopamine receptors and choline acetyltransferase, α7 and β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors suggest that dopaminergic and cholinergic fibers contact some SST neurons. The results showed some distinguishable features of SST neurons and provided some insight into their afferent circuitry in the gerbil VC. These findings may support future studies investigating the role of SST neurons in visual processing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kyung-Min Kwon
- Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, BK21 FOUR KNU Creative Bio-Research Group, College of Natural Sciences, Brain Science and Engineering Institute, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Korea; (K.-M.K.); (M.-J.L.)
- Research Institute for Dok-do and Ulleung-do Island, Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Kyungpook National University, 80 Daehak-ro, Buk-gu, Daegu 41566, Korea;
| | - Myung-Jun Lee
- Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, BK21 FOUR KNU Creative Bio-Research Group, College of Natural Sciences, Brain Science and Engineering Institute, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Korea; (K.-M.K.); (M.-J.L.)
| | - Han-Saem Chung
- Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Korea;
| | - Jae-Hong Pak
- Research Institute for Dok-do and Ulleung-do Island, Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Kyungpook National University, 80 Daehak-ro, Buk-gu, Daegu 41566, Korea;
- Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Korea;
| | - Chang-Jin Jeon
- Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, BK21 FOUR KNU Creative Bio-Research Group, College of Natural Sciences, Brain Science and Engineering Institute, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Korea; (K.-M.K.); (M.-J.L.)
- Research Institute for Dok-do and Ulleung-do Island, Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Kyungpook National University, 80 Daehak-ro, Buk-gu, Daegu 41566, Korea;
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Schmidt KE, Wolf F. Punctuated evolution of visual cortical circuits? Evidence from the large rodent Dasyprocta leporina, and the tiny primate Microcebus murinus. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2021; 71:110-118. [PMID: 34823047 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2021.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Recent reports of the lack of periodic orientation columns in a very large rodent species, the red-rumped agouti, and the existence of incompressible hypercolumns in the lineage of primates, as demonstrated in one of the smallest primates, the mouse lemur, strengthen the interpretation that salt-and-pepper and columns-and-pinwheel mosaics are two distinct functional layouts. These layouts do neither depend on lifestyle nor scale with body size, brain size, absolute neuron numbers, binocular overlap, or visual acuity, but are primarily distinguishable by phylogenetic traits. The predictive value of other biological signatures such as V1 neuronal surface density and the central-peripheral density ratio of retinal ganglion cells are reconsidered, and experiments elucidating the intracortical connectivity in rodents are proposed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin E Schmidt
- Neurobiology of Vision Lab, Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, 59078 970, Av. Sen. Salgado Filho, 3000, Lagoa Nova, Natal, RN, Brazil.
| | - Fred Wolf
- Göttingen Campus Institute for Dynamics of Biological Networks, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany; Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany; Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Herrmann-Rein-Strasse, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|