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Lin F, Li Y, Wang J, Jardines S, King R, Chrenek MA, Wiggs JL, Boatright JH, Geisert EE. POU6F2, a risk factor for glaucoma, myopia and dyslexia, labels specific populations of retinal ganglion cells. Sci Rep 2024; 14:10096. [PMID: 38698014 PMCID: PMC11066091 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-60444-5] [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: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Pou6f2 is a genetic connection between central corneal thickness (CCT) in the mouse and a risk factor for developing primary open-angle glaucoma. POU6F2 is also a risk factor for several conditions in humans, including glaucoma, myopia, and dyslexia. Recent findings demonstrate that POU6F2-positive retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) comprise a number of RGC subtypes in the mouse, some of which also co-stain for Cdh6 and Hoxd10. These POU6F2-positive RGCs appear to be novel of ON-OFF directionally selective ganglion cells (ooDSGCs) that do not co-stain with CART or SATB2 (typical ooDSGCs markers). These POU6F2-positive cells are sensitive to damage caused by elevated intraocular pressure. In the DBA/2J mouse glaucoma model, heavily-labeled POU6F2 RGCs decrease by 73% at 8 months of age compared to only 22% loss of total RGCs (labeled with RBPMS). Additionally, Pou6f2-/- mice suffer a significant loss of acuity and spatial contrast sensitivity along with an 11.4% loss of total RGCs. In the rhesus macaque retina, POU6F2 labels the large parasol ganglion cells that form the magnocellular (M) pathway. The association of POU6F2 with the M-pathway may reveal in part its role in human glaucoma, myopia, and dyslexia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangyu Lin
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Ying Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Jiaxing Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Sandra Jardines
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1 Gustave L. Levy Pl, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Rebecca King
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Micah A Chrenek
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Janey L Wiggs
- Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School Boston, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jeffrey H Boatright
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
- Atlanta Veterans Administration Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Decatur, GA, USA
| | - Eldon E Geisert
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
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Montijn JS, Riguccini V, Levelt CN, Heimel JA. Impaired Direction Selectivity in the Nucleus of the Optic Tract of Albino Mice. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2023; 64:9. [PMID: 37548962 PMCID: PMC10411648 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.64.11.9] [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: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Human albinos have a low visual acuity. This is partially due to the presence of spontaneous erroneous eye movements called pendular nystagmus. This nystagmus is present in other albino vertebrates and has been hypothesized to be caused by aberrant wiring of retinal ganglion axons to the nucleus of the optic tract (NOT), a part of the accessory optic system involved in the optokinetic response to visual motion. The NOT in pigmented rodents is preferentially responsive to ipsiversive motion (i.e., motion in the contralateral visual field in the temporonasal direction). We compared the response to visual motion in the NOT of albino and pigmented mice to understand if motion coding and preference are impaired in the NOT of albino mice. Methods We recorded neuronal spiking activity with Neuropixels probes in the visual cortex and NOT in C57BL/6JRj mice (pigmented) and DBA/1JRj mice with oculocutaneous albinism (albino). Results We found that in pigmented mice, NOT is retinotopically organized, and neurons are direction tuned, whereas in albino mice, neuronal tuning is severely impaired. Neurons in the NOT of albino mice do not have a preference for ipsiversive movement. In contrast, neuronal tuning in visual cortex was preserved in albino mice and did not differ significantly from the tuning in pigmented mice. Conclusions We propose that excessive interhemispheric crossing of retinal projections in albinos may cause the disrupted left/right direction encoding we found in NOT. This, in turn, impairs the normal horizontal optokinetic reflex and leads to pendular albino nystagmus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorrit S. Montijn
- Department of Circuits, Structure & Function, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Valentina Riguccini
- Department of Molecular Visual Plasticity, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Christiaan N. Levelt
- Department of Molecular Visual Plasticity, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - J. Alexander Heimel
- Department of Circuits, Structure & Function, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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Maruyama T, Ishii T, Kaneda M. Starburst amacrine cells form gap junctions in the early postnatal stage of the mouse retina. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1173579. [PMID: 37293630 PMCID: PMC10244514 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1173579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Although gap junctional coupling in the developing retina is important for the maturation of neuronal networks, its role in the development of individual neurons remains unclear. Therefore, we herein investigated whether gap junctional coupling by starburst amacrine cells (SACs), a key neuron for the formation of direction selectivity, occurs during the developmental stage in the mouse retina. Neurobiotin-injected SACs coupled with many neighboring cells before eye-opening. The majority of tracer-coupled cells were retinal ganglion cells, and tracer coupling was not detected between SACs. The number of tracer-coupled cells significantly decreased after eye-opening and mostly disappeared by postnatal day 28 (P28). Membrane capacitance (Cm), an indicator of the formation of electrical coupling with gap junctions, was larger in SACs before than after eye-opening. The application of meclofenamic acid, a gap junction blocker, reduced the Cm of SACs. Gap junctional coupling by SACs was regulated by dopamine D1 receptors before eye-opening. In contrast, the reduction in gap junctional coupling after eye-opening was not affected by visual experience. At the mRNA level, 4 subtypes of connexins (23, 36, 43, and 45) were detected in SACs before eye-opening. Connexin 43 expression levels significantly decreased after eye-opening. These results indicate that gap junctional coupling by SACs occurs during the developmental period and suggest that the elimination of gap junctions proceeds with the innate system.
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Sánchez-Sáez X, Ortuño-Lizarán I, Sánchez-Castillo C, Lax P, Cuenca N. Starburst amacrine cells, involved in visual motion perception, loose their synaptic input from dopaminergic amacrine cells and degenerate in Parkinson's disease patients. Transl Neurodegener 2023; 12:17. [PMID: 37013599 PMCID: PMC10071607 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-023-00348-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The main clinical symptoms characteristic of Parkinson's disease (PD) are bradykinesia, tremor, and other motor deficits. However, non-motor symptoms, such as visual disturbances, can be identified at early stages of the disease. One of these symptoms is the impairment of visual motion perception. Hence, we sought to determine if the starburst amacrine cells, which are the main cellular type involved in motion direction selectivity, are degenerated in PD and if the dopaminergic system is related to this degeneration. METHODS Human eyes from control (n = 10) and PD (n = 9) donors were available for this study. Using immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy, we quantified starburst amacrine cell density (choline acetyltransferase [ChAT]-positive cells) and the relationship between these cells and dopaminergic amacrine cells (tyrosine hydroxylase-positive cells and vesicular monoamine transporter-2-positive presynapses) in cross-sections and wholemount retinas. RESULTS First, we found two different ChAT amacrine populations in the human retina that presented different ChAT immunoreactivity intensity and different expression of calcium-binding proteins. Both populations are affected in PD and their density is reduced compared to controls. Also, we report, for the first time, synaptic contacts between dopaminergic amacrine cells and ChAT-positive cells in the human retina. We found that, in PD retinas, there is a reduction of the dopaminergic synaptic contacts into ChAT cells. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, this work indicates degeneration of starburst amacrine cells in PD related to dopaminergic degeneration and that dopaminergic amacrine cells could modulate the function of starburst amacrine cells. Since motion perception circuitries are affected in PD, their assessment using visual tests could provide new insights into the diagnosis of PD.
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Grants
- FEDER-PID 2019-106230RB-I00 Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación
- FEDER-PID 2019-106230RB-I00 Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación
- FPU16/04114 Ministerio de Universidades
- RETICS-FEDER RD16/0008/0016 Instituto de Salud Carlos III
- IDIFEDER/2017/064 Conselleria de Innovación, Universidades, Ciencia y Sociedad Digital, Generalitat Valenciana
- PROMETEO/2021/024 Conselleria de Innovación, Universidades, Ciencia y Sociedad Digital, Generalitat Valenciana
- PROMETEO/2021/024 Conselleria de Innovación, Universidades, Ciencia y Sociedad Digital, Generalitat Valenciana
- APOSTD/2020/245 Conselleria de Innovación, Universidades, Ciencia y Sociedad Digital, Generalitat Valenciana
- 2019/00286/001 Es Retina Asturias
- 2019/00286/001 Es Retina Asturias
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Sánchez-Sáez
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, San Vicente del Raspeig, Spain
| | - Isabel Ortuño-Lizarán
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, San Vicente del Raspeig, Spain
| | - Carla Sánchez-Castillo
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, San Vicente del Raspeig, Spain
| | - Pedro Lax
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, San Vicente del Raspeig, Spain
- Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Alicante, Spain
| | - Nicolás Cuenca
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, San Vicente del Raspeig, Spain.
- Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Alicante, Spain.
- Ramón Margalef Institute, University of Alicante, San Vicente del Raspeig, Spain.
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5
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Whitney IE, Butrus S, Dyer MA, Rieke F, Sanes JR, Shekhar K. Vision-Dependent and -Independent Molecular Maturation of Mouse Retinal Ganglion Cells. Neuroscience 2023; 508:153-173. [PMID: 35870562 PMCID: PMC10809145 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
The development and connectivity of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), the retina's sole output neurons, are patterned by activity-independent transcriptional programs and activity-dependent remodeling. To inventory the molecular correlates of these influences, we applied high-throughput single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to mouse RGCs at six embryonic and postnatal ages. We identified temporally regulated modules of genes that correlate with, and likely regulate, multiple phases of RGC development, ranging from differentiation and axon guidance to synaptic recognition and refinement. Some of these genes are expressed broadly while others, including key transcription factors and recognition molecules, are selectively expressed by one or a few of the 45 transcriptomically distinct types defined previously in adult mice. Next, we used these results as a foundation to analyze the transcriptomes of RGCs in mice lacking visual experience due to dark rearing from birth or to mutations that ablate either bipolar or photoreceptor cells. 98.5% of visually deprived (VD) RGCs could be unequivocally assigned to a single RGC type based on their transcriptional profiles, demonstrating that visual activity is dispensable for acquisition and maintenance of RGC type identity. However, visual deprivation significantly reduced the transcriptomic distinctions among RGC types, implying that activity is required for complete RGC maturation or maintenance. Consistent with this notion, transcriptomic alternations in VD RGCs significantly overlapped with gene modules found in developing RGCs. Our results provide a resource for mechanistic analyses of RGC differentiation and maturation, and for investigating the role of activity in these processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene E Whitney
- Center for Brain Science and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Salwan Butrus
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Michael A Dyer
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Fred Rieke
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Joshua R Sanes
- Center for Brain Science and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
| | - Karthik Shekhar
- Center for Brain Science and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, QB3, Center for Computational Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Biological Systems Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
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6
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Brock O, Gelegen C, Sully P, Salgarella I, Jager P, Menage L, Mehta I, Jęczmień-Łazur J, Djama D, Strother L, Coculla A, Vernon AC, Brickley S, Holland P, Cooke SF, Delogu A. A Role for Thalamic Projection GABAergic Neurons in Circadian Responses to Light. J Neurosci 2022; 42:9158-9179. [PMID: 36280260 PMCID: PMC9761691 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0112-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The thalamus is an important hub for sensory information and participates in sensory perception, regulation of attention, arousal and sleep. These functions are executed primarily by glutamatergic thalamocortical neurons that extend axons to the cortex and initiate cortico-thalamocortical connectional loops. However, the thalamus also contains projection GABAergic neurons that do not extend axons toward the cortex. Here, we have harnessed recent insight into the development of the intergeniculate leaflet (IGL) and the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus (LGv) to specifically target and manipulate thalamic projection GABAergic neurons in female and male mice. Our results show that thalamic GABAergic neurons of the IGL and LGv receive retinal input from diverse classes of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) but not from the M1 intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cell (ipRGC) type. We describe the synergistic role of the photoreceptor melanopsin and the thalamic neurons of the IGL/LGv in circadian entrainment to dim light. We identify a requirement for the thalamic IGL/LGv neurons in the rapid changes in vigilance states associated with circadian light transitions.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The intergeniculate leaflet (IGL) and ventral lateral geniculate nucleus (LGv) are part of the extended circadian system and mediate some nonimage-forming visual functions. Here, we show that each of these structures has a thalamic (dorsal) as well as prethalamic (ventral) developmental origin. We map the retinal input to thalamus-derived cells in the IGL/LGv complex and discover that while RGC input is dominant, this is not likely to originate from M1ipRGCs. We implicate thalamic cells in the IGL/LGv in vigilance state transitions at circadian light changes and in overt behavioral entrainment to dim light, the latter exacerbated by concomitant loss of melanopsin expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Brock
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 9NU, United Kingdom
| | - Cigdem Gelegen
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 9NU, United Kingdom
| | - Peter Sully
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 9NU, United Kingdom
| | - Irene Salgarella
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 9NU, United Kingdom
| | - Polona Jager
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 9NU, United Kingdom
| | - Lucy Menage
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 9NU, United Kingdom
| | - Ishita Mehta
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 9NU, United Kingdom
| | - Jagoda Jęczmień-Łazur
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 9NU, United Kingdom
| | - Deyl Djama
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 9NU, United Kingdom
- Department of Life Sciences and Centre for Neurotechnology, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Lauren Strother
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 9NU, United Kingdom
| | - Angelica Coculla
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 9NU, United Kingdom
| | - Anthony C Vernon
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 9NU, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen Brickley
- Department of Life Sciences and Centre for Neurotechnology, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Philip Holland
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 9NU, United Kingdom
- Wolfson Centre for Age Related Disease, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, United Kingdom
| | - Samuel F Cooke
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 9NU, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, United Kingdom
| | - Alessio Delogu
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 9NU, United Kingdom
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7
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Somaiya RD, Stebbins K, Gingrich EC, Xie H, Campbell JN, Garcia ADR, Fox MA. Sonic hedgehog-dependent recruitment of GABAergic interneurons into the developing visual thalamus. eLife 2022; 11:e79833. [PMID: 36342840 PMCID: PMC9640189 DOI: 10.7554/elife.79833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Axons of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) play critical roles in the development of inhibitory circuits in visual thalamus. We previously reported that RGC axons signal astrocytes to induce the expression of fibroblast growth factor 15 (FGF15), a motogen required for GABAergic interneuron migration into visual thalamus. However, how retinal axons induce thalamic astrocytes to generate Fgf15 and influence interneuron migration remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate that impairing RGC activity had little impact on interneuron recruitment into mouse visual thalamus. Instead, our data show that retinal-derived sonic hedgehog (SHH) is essential for interneuron recruitment. Specifically, we show that thalamus-projecting RGCs express SHH and thalamic astrocytes generate downstream components of SHH signaling. Deletion of RGC-derived SHH leads to a significant decrease in Fgf15 expression, as well as in the percentage of interneurons recruited into visual thalamus. Overall, our findings identify a morphogen-dependent neuron-astrocyte signaling mechanism essential for the migration of thalamic interneurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachana Deven Somaiya
- Center for Neurobiology Research, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech CarilionRoanokeUnited States
- Graduate Program in Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health, Virginia TechBlacksburgUnited States
| | - Katelyn Stebbins
- Center for Neurobiology Research, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech CarilionRoanokeUnited States
- Graduate Program in Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health, Virginia TechBlacksburgUnited States
- Virginia Tech Carilion School of MedicineRoanokeUnited States
| | - Ellen C Gingrich
- Department of Biology, Drexel UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of MedicinePhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Hehuang Xie
- Fralin Life Sciences Institute at Virginia TechBlacksburgUnited States
- School of Neuroscience, College of Science, Virginia TechBlacksburgUnited States
- Genetics, Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Program, Virginia TechBlacksburgUnited States
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia–Maryland College of Veterinary MedicineBlacksburgUnited States
| | - John N Campbell
- Department of Biology, University of VirginiaCharlottesvilleUnited States
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of VirginiaCharlottesvilleUnited States
| | - A Denise R Garcia
- Department of Biology, Drexel UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of MedicinePhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Michael A Fox
- Center for Neurobiology Research, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech CarilionRoanokeUnited States
- School of Neuroscience, College of Science, Virginia TechBlacksburgUnited States
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, Virginia TechBlacksburgUnited States
- Department of Pediatrics, Virginia Tech Carilion School of MedicineRoanokeUnited States
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8
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Baldicano AK, Nasir-Ahmad S, Novelli M, Lee SCS, Do MTH, Martin PR, Grünert U. Retinal ganglion cells expressing CaM kinase II in human and nonhuman primates. J Comp Neurol 2022; 530:1470-1493. [PMID: 35029299 PMCID: PMC9010361 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 12/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Immunoreactivity for calcium-/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) in the primate dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) has been attributed to geniculocortical relay neurons and has also been suggested to arise from terminals of retinal ganglion cells. Here, we combined immunostaining with single-cell injections to investigate the expression of CaMKII in retinal ganglion cells of three primate species: macaque (Macaca fascicularis, M. nemestrina), human, and marmoset (Callithrix jacchus). We found that in all species, about 2%-10% of the total ganglion cell population expressed CaMKII. In all species, CaMKII was expressed by multiple types of wide-field ganglion cell including large sparse, giant sparse (melanopsin-expressing), broad thorny, and narrow thorny cells. Three other ganglion cells types, namely, inner and outer stratifying maze cells in macaque and tufted cells in marmoset were also found. Double labeling experiments showed that CaMKII-expressing cells included inner and outer stratifying melanopsin cells. Nearly all CaMKII-expressing ganglion cell types identified here are known to project to the koniocellular layers of the dLGN as well as to the superior colliculus. The best characterized koniocellular projecting cell type-the small bistratified (blue ON/yellow OFF) cell-was, however, not CaMKII-positive in any species. Our results indicate that the pattern of CaMKII expression in retinal ganglion cells is largely conserved across different species of primate suggesting a common functional role. But the results also show that CaMKII is not a marker for all koniocellular projecting retinal ganglion cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa K Baldicano
- Save Sight Institute and Discipline of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Subha Nasir-Ahmad
- Save Sight Institute and Discipline of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia
| | - Mario Novelli
- Save Sight Institute and Discipline of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Sammy C S Lee
- Save Sight Institute and Discipline of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia
| | - Michael Tri H Do
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center and Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Paul R Martin
- Save Sight Institute and Discipline of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia
| | - Ulrike Grünert
- Save Sight Institute and Discipline of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia
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9
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Kim YJ, Peterson BB, Crook JD, Joo HR, Wu J, Puller C, Robinson FR, Gamlin PD, Yau KW, Viana F, Troy JB, Smith RG, Packer OS, Detwiler PB, Dacey DM. Origins of direction selectivity in the primate retina. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2862. [PMID: 35606344 PMCID: PMC9126974 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30405-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
From mouse to primate, there is a striking discontinuity in our current understanding of the neural coding of motion direction. In non-primate mammals, directionally selective cell types and circuits are a signature feature of the retina, situated at the earliest stage of the visual process. In primates, by contrast, direction selectivity is a hallmark of motion processing areas in visual cortex, but has not been found in the retina, despite significant effort. Here we combined functional recordings of light-evoked responses and connectomic reconstruction to identify diverse direction-selective cell types in the macaque monkey retina with distinctive physiological properties and synaptic motifs. This circuitry includes an ON-OFF ganglion cell type, a spiking, ON-OFF polyaxonal amacrine cell and the starburst amacrine cell, all of which show direction selectivity. Moreover, we discovered that macaque starburst cells possess a strong, non-GABAergic, antagonistic surround mediated by input from excitatory bipolar cells that is critical for the generation of radial motion sensitivity in these cells. Our findings open a door to investigation of a precortical circuitry that computes motion direction in the primate visual system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeon Jin Kim
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Beth B Peterson
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Joanna D Crook
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Hannah R Joo
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Jiajia Wu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Christian Puller
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Farrel R Robinson
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Washington National Primate Research Center, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Paul D Gamlin
- Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294-4390, USA
| | - King-Wai Yau
- Departments of Neuroscience and Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205-2185, USA
| | - Felix Viana
- Institute of Neuroscience, UMH-CSIC, San Juan de Alicante, 03550, Spain
| | - John B Troy
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Robert G Smith
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Orin S Packer
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Peter B Detwiler
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Dennis M Dacey
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
- Washington National Primate Research Center, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
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10
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Nasir-Ahmad S, Vanstone KA, Novelli M, Lee SCS, Do MTH, Martin PR, Grünert U. Satb1 expression in retinal ganglion cells of marmosets, macaques, and humans. J Comp Neurol 2022; 530:923-940. [PMID: 34622958 PMCID: PMC8831458 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Recent advances in single-cell RNA sequencing have enabled the molecular distinction of ganglion cell populations in mammalian retinas. Here we used antibodies against the transcription factor special AT-rich binding protein 1 (Satb1, a protein which is expressed by on-off direction-selective ganglion cells in mouse retina) to study Satb1 expression in the retina of marmosets (Callithrix jacchus), macaques (Macaca fascicularis), and humans. In all species, Satb1 was exclusively expressed in retinal ganglion cells. The Satb1 cells made up ∼2% of the ganglion cell population in the central retina of all species, rising to a maximum ∼7% in peripheral marmoset retina. Intracellular injections in marmoset and macaque retinas revealed that most Satb1 expressing ganglion cells are widefield ganglion cells. In marmoset, Satb1 cells have a densely branching dendritic tree and include broad and narrow thorny, recursive bistratified, and parasol cells, all of which show some costratification with the outer or inner cholinergic amacrine cells. The recursive bistratified cells showed the strongest costratification but did not show extensive cofasciculation as reported for on-off direction-selective ganglion cells in rabbit and rodent retinas. In macaque, Satb1 was not expressed in recursive bistratified cells, but in large sparsely branching cells. Our findings further support the idea that the expression of transcription factors in retinal ganglion cells is not conserved across Old World (human and macaque) and New World (marmoset) primates and provides a further step to link a molecular marker with specific cell types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subha Nasir-Ahmad
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Save Sight Institute, and Discipline of Ophthalmology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Sydney Node, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Kurt A Vanstone
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Save Sight Institute, and Discipline of Ophthalmology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Mario Novelli
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Save Sight Institute, and Discipline of Ophthalmology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Sammy C S Lee
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Save Sight Institute, and Discipline of Ophthalmology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Sydney Node, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Michael Tri H Do
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center and Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Paul R Martin
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Save Sight Institute, and Discipline of Ophthalmology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Sydney Node, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Ulrike Grünert
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Save Sight Institute, and Discipline of Ophthalmology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Sydney Node, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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11
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Ichinose T, Habib S. ON and OFF Signaling Pathways in the Retina and the Visual System. FRONTIERS IN OPHTHALMOLOGY 2022; 2:989002. [PMID: 36926308 PMCID: PMC10016624 DOI: 10.3389/fopht.2022.989002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Visual processing starts at the retina of the eye, and signals are then transferred primarily to the visual cortex and the tectum. In the retina, multiple neural networks encode different aspects of visual input, such as color and motion. Subsequently, multiple neural streams in parallel convey unique aspects of visual information to cortical and subcortical regions. Bipolar cells, which are the second order neurons of the retina, separate visual signals evoked by light and dark contrasts and encode them to ON and OFF pathways, respectively. The interplay between ON and OFF neural signals is the foundation for visual processing for object contrast which underlies higher order stimulus processing. ON and OFF pathways have been classically thought to signal in a mirror-symmetric manner. However, while these two pathways contribute synergistically to visual perception in some instances, they have pronounced asymmetries suggesting independent operation in other cases. In this review, we summarize the role of the ON-OFF dichotomy in visual signaling, aiming to contribute to the understanding of visual recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomomi Ichinose
- Department of Ophthalmology, Visual and Anatomical Sciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Correspondence: Tomomi Ichinose, MD, PhD,
| | - Samar Habib
- Department of Ophthalmology, Visual and Anatomical Sciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Department of Medical Parasitology, Mansoura Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
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12
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Stacy AK, Van Hooser SD. Development of Functional Properties in the Early Visual System: New Appreciations of the Roles of Lateral Geniculate Nucleus. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2022; 53:3-35. [PMID: 35112333 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2021_297] [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] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In the years following Hubel and Wiesel's first reports on ocular dominance plasticity and amblyopia, much attention has been focused on understanding the role of cortical circuits in developmental and experience-dependent plasticity. Initial studies found few differences between retinal ganglion cells and neurons in the lateral geniculate nucleus and uncovered little evidence for an impact of altered visual experience on the functional properties of lateral geniculate nucleus neurons. In the last two decades, however, studies have revealed that the connectivity between the retina and lateral geniculate nucleus is much richer than was previously appreciated, even revealing visual plasticity - including ocular dominance plasticity - in lateral geniculate nucleus neurons. Here we review the development of the early visual system and the impact of experience with a distinct focus on recent discoveries about lateral geniculate nucleus, its connectivity, and evidence for its plasticity and rigidity during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea K Stacy
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, USA
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13
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D'Souza SP, Swygart DI, Wienbar SR, Upton BA, Zhang KX, Mackin RD, Casasent AK, Samuel MA, Schwartz GW, Lang RA. Retinal patterns and the cellular repertoire of neuropsin (Opn5) retinal ganglion cells. J Comp Neurol 2021; 530:1247-1262. [PMID: 34743323 PMCID: PMC8969148 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25272] [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: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Obtaining a parts list of the sensory components of the retina is vital to understanding the effects of light in behavior, health, and disease. Rods, cones, and intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) are the best described photoreceptors in the mammalian retina, but recent functional roles have been proposed for retinal neuropsin (Opn5) - an atypical opsin. However, little is known about the pattern of Opn5 expression in the retina. Using cre (Opn5cre ) and cre-dependent reporters, we uncover patterns of Opn5 expression and find that Opn5 is restricted to retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Opn5-RGCs are non-homogenously distributed through the retina, with greater densities of cells located in the dorsotemporal quadrant. In addition to local topology of these cells, using cre-dependent AAV viral tracing, we surveyed their central targets and found that they are biased towards image-forming and image-stabilizing regions. Finally, molecular and electrophysiological profiling reveal that Opn5-RGCs comprise previously defined RGC types which respond optimally to edges and object-motion (F-mini-ONs, HD2, HD1, LEDs, ooDSRGCs, etc.). Together, these data describe the second collection of RGCs that express atypical opsins in the mouse, and expand the roles of image-forming cells in retinal physiology and function. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shane P D'Souza
- Molecular and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA.,The Visual Systems Group.,Center for Chronobiology, Abrahamson Pediatric Eye Institute, Division of Pediatric Ophthalmology
| | - David I Swygart
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Sophia R Wienbar
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Brian A Upton
- Molecular and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA.,The Visual Systems Group.,Center for Chronobiology, Abrahamson Pediatric Eye Institute, Division of Pediatric Ophthalmology.,Medical Scientist Training Program, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Kevin X Zhang
- Molecular and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA.,The Visual Systems Group.,Center for Chronobiology, Abrahamson Pediatric Eye Institute, Division of Pediatric Ophthalmology.,Medical Scientist Training Program, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Robert D Mackin
- Huffington Center on Aging, Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Anna K Casasent
- Huffington Center on Aging, Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Melanie A Samuel
- Huffington Center on Aging, Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Gregory W Schwartz
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.,Department of Neurobiology, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60201, USA
| | - Richard A Lang
- The Visual Systems Group.,Center for Chronobiology, Abrahamson Pediatric Eye Institute, Division of Pediatric Ophthalmology.,Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
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14
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Xiao D, Jin K, Qiu S, Lei Q, Huang W, Chen H, Su J, Xu Q, Xu Z, Gou B, Tie X, Liu F, Liu S, Liu Y, Xiang M. In vivo Regeneration of Ganglion Cells for Vision Restoration in Mammalian Retinas. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:755544. [PMID: 34671605 PMCID: PMC8520940 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.755544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Glaucoma and other optic neuropathies affect millions of people worldwide, ultimately causing progressive and irreversible degeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and blindness. Previous research into cell replacement therapy of these neurodegenerative diseases has been stalled due to the incapability for grafted RGCs to integrate into the retina and project properly along the long visual pathway. In vivo RGC regeneration would be a promising alternative approach but mammalian retinas lack regenerative capacity. It therefore has long been a great challenge to regenerate functional and properly projecting RGCs for vision restoration in mammals. Here we show that the transcription factors (TFs) Math5 and Brn3b together are able to reprogram mature mouse Müller glia (MG) into RGCs. The reprogrammed RGCs extend long axons that make appropriate intra-retinal and extra-retinal projections through the entire visual pathway to innervate both image-forming and non-image-forming brain targets. They exhibit typical neuronal electrophysiological properties and improve visual responses in RGC loss mouse models. Together, our data provide evidence that mammalian MG can be reprogrammed by defined TFs to achieve in vivo regeneration of functional RGCs as well as a promising new therapeutic approach to restore vision to patients with glaucoma and other optic neuropathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongchang Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kangxin Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Suo Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qiannan Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wanjing Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haiqiao Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jing Su
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qiang Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zihui Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bin Gou
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoxiu Tie
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Feng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Sheng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yizhi Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Mengqing Xiang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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15
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Ayupe AC, Beckedorff F, Levay K, Yon B, Salgueiro Y, Shiekhattar R, Park KK. Identification of long noncoding RNAs in injury-resilient and injury-susceptible mouse retinal ganglion cells. BMC Genomics 2021; 22:741. [PMID: 34649511 PMCID: PMC8518251 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-08050-x] [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: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emerging evidence indicates that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are important regulators of various biological processes, and their expression can be altered following certain pathological conditions, including central nervous system injury. Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), whose axons form the optic nerve, are a heterogeneous population of neurons with more than 40 molecularly distinct subtypes in mouse. While most RGCs, including the ON-OFF direction-selective RGCs (ooDSGCs), are vulnerable to axonal injury, a small population of RGCs, including the intrinsically photosensitive RGCs (ipRGCs), are more resilient. RESULTS By performing systematic analyses on RNA-sequencing data, here we identify lncRNAs that are expressed in ooDSGCs and ipRGCs with and without axonal injury. Our results reveal a repertoire of different classes of lncRNAs, including long intergenic noncoding RNAs and antisense ncRNAs that are differentially expressed between these RGC types. Strikingly, we also found dozens of lncRNAs whose expressions are altered markedly in response to axonal injury, some of which are expressed exclusively in either one of the types. Moreover, analyses into these lncRNAs unraveled their neighboring coding genes, many of which encode transcription factors and signaling molecules, suggesting that these lncRNAs may act in cis to regulate important biological processes in these neurons. Lastly, guilt-by-association analysis showed that lncRNAs are correlated with apoptosis associated genes, suggesting potential roles for these lncRNAs in RGC survival. CONCLUSIONS Overall, the results of this study reveal RGC type-specific expression of lncRNAs and provide a foundation for future investigation of the function of lncRNAs in regulating neuronal type specification and survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana C Ayupe
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1095 NW 14th Ter, FL, 33136, Miami, USA.
| | - Felipe Beckedorff
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Human Genetics, Biomedical Research Building, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Room 719, 1501 NW 10th Avenue, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
| | - Konstantin Levay
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1095 NW 14th Ter, FL, 33136, Miami, USA
| | - Benito Yon
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1095 NW 14th Ter, FL, 33136, Miami, USA
| | - Yadira Salgueiro
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1095 NW 14th Ter, FL, 33136, Miami, USA
| | - Ramin Shiekhattar
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Human Genetics, Biomedical Research Building, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Room 719, 1501 NW 10th Avenue, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
| | - Kevin K Park
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1095 NW 14th Ter, FL, 33136, Miami, USA.
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16
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Grünert U, Martin PR. Morphology, Molecular Characterization, and Connections of Ganglion Cells in Primate Retina. Annu Rev Vis Sci 2021; 7:73-103. [PMID: 34524877 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-vision-100419-115801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The eye sends information about the visual world to the brain on over 20 parallel signal pathways, each specialized to signal features such as spectral reflection (color), edges, and motion of objects in the environment. Each pathway is formed by the axons of a separate type of retinal output neuron (retinal ganglion cell). In this review, we summarize what is known about the excitatory retinal inputs, brain targets, and gene expression patterns of ganglion cells in humans and nonhuman primates. We describe how most ganglion cell types receive their input from only one or two of the 11 types of cone bipolar cell and project selectively to only one or two target regions in the brain. We also highlight how genetic methods are providing tools to characterize ganglion cells and establish cross-species homologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrike Grünert
- Save Sight Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia; , .,Sydney Node, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, The University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia
| | - Paul R Martin
- Save Sight Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia; , .,Sydney Node, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, The University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia
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17
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Hoy J. Mouse vision: La vie en ultraviolet. Curr Biol 2021; 31:R962-R964. [PMID: 34375602 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Visual systems evolve to extract salient information from natural scenes. A new study demonstrates that the specialized organization of ultraviolet-sensitive photoreceptors in the mouse retina optimizes the visibility of aerial predators within the upper visual scenes experienced by mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Hoy
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada Reno, Reno, NV 89557, USA.
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18
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Ning K, Sendayen BE, Kowal TJ, Wang B, Jones BW, Hu Y, Sun Y. Primary Cilia in Amacrine Cells in Retinal Development. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2021; 62:15. [PMID: 34241625 PMCID: PMC8287049 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.62.9.15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Primary cilia are conserved organelles found in polarized cells within the eye that regulate cell growth, migration, and differentiation. Although the role of cilia in photoreceptors is well-studied, the formation of cilia in other retinal cell types has received little attention. In this study, we examined the ciliary profile focused on the inner nuclear layer of retinas in mice and rhesus macaque primates. Methods Retinal sections or flatmounts from Arl13b-Cetn2 tg transgenic mice were immunostained for cell markers (Pax6, Sox9, Chx10, Calbindin, Calretinin, ChaT, GAD67, Prox1, TH, and vGluT3) and analyzed by confocal microscopy. Primate retinal sections were immunostained for ciliary and cell markers (Pax6 and Arl13b). Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and ERGs were used to assess visual function of Vift88 mice. Results During different stages of mouse postnatal eye development, we found that cilia are present in Pax6-positive amacrine cells, which were also observed in primate retinas. The cilia of subtypes of amacrine cells in mice were shown by immunostaining and electron microscopy. We also removed primary cilia from vGluT3 amacrine cells in mouse and found no significant vision defects. In addition, cilia were present in the outer limiting membrane, suggesting that a population of Müller glial cells forms cilia. Conclusions We report that several subpopulations of amacrine cells in inner nuclear layers of the retina form cilia during early retinal development in mice and primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Ning
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, United States
| | - Brent E Sendayen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, United States.,Palo Alto Veterans Administration, Palo Alto, California, United States
| | - Tia J Kowal
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, United States
| | - Biao Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, United States
| | - Bryan W Jones
- Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
| | - Yang Hu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, United States
| | - Yang Sun
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, United States.,Palo Alto Veterans Administration, Palo Alto, California, United States
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19
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Haverkamp S, Albert L, Balaji V, Němec P, Dedek K. Expression of cell markers and transcription factors in the avian retina compared with that in the marmoset retina. J Comp Neurol 2021; 529:3171-3193. [PMID: 33834511 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25154] [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: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
In the vertebrate retina, amacrine and ganglion cells represent the most diverse cell classes. They can be classified into different cell types by several features, such as morphology, light responses, and gene expression profile. Although birds possess high visual acuity (similar to primates that we used here for comparison) and tetrachromatic color vision, data on the expression of transcription factors in retinal ganglion cells of birds are largely missing. In this study, we tested various transcription factors, known to label subpopulations of cells in mammalian retinae, in two avian species: the common buzzard (Buteo buteo), a raptor with exceptional acuity, and the domestic pigeon (Columba livia domestica), a good navigator and widely used model for visual cognition. Staining for the transcription factors Foxp2, Satb1 and Satb2 labeled most ganglion cells in the avian ganglion cell layer. CtBP2 was established as marker for displaced amacrine cells, which allowed us to reliably distinguish ganglion cells from displaced amacrine cells and assess their densities in buzzard and pigeon. When we additionally compared the temporal and central fovea of the buzzard with the fovea of primates, we found that the cellular organization in the pits was different in primates and raptors. In summary, we demonstrate that the expression of transcription factors is a defining feature of cell types not only in the retina of mammals but also in the retina of birds. The markers, which we have established, may provide useful tools for more detailed studies on the retinal circuitry of these highly visual animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silke Haverkamp
- Department of Computational Neuroethology, Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Bonn, Germany
| | - László Albert
- Animal Navigation/Neurosensorics Group, Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Vaishnavi Balaji
- Animal Navigation/Neurosensorics Group, Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Pavel Němec
- Department of Zoology, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Karin Dedek
- Animal Navigation/Neurosensorics Group, Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany.,Research Center Neurosensory Science, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
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20
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Nasir-Ahmad S, Lee SCS, Martin PR, Grünert U. Identification of retinal ganglion cell types expressing the transcription factor Satb2 in three primate species. J Comp Neurol 2021; 529:2727-2749. [PMID: 33527361 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Revised: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
In primates, the retinal ganglion cells contributing to high acuity spatial vision (midget cells and parasol cells), and blue-yellow color vision (small bistratified cells) are well understood. Many other ganglion cell types with large dendritic fields (named wide-field ganglion cells) have been identified, but their spatial density and distribution are largely unknown. Here we took advantage of the recently established molecular diversity of ganglion cells to study wide-field ganglion cell populations in three primate species. We used antibodies against the transcription factor Special AT-rich binding protein 2 (Satb2) to explore its expression in macaque (Macaca fascicularis, M. nemestrina), human and marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) retinas. In all three species, Satb2 cells make up a low proportion (1.5-4%) of the ganglion cell population, with a slight increase from central to peripheral retina. Intracellular dye injections revealed that in macaque and human retinas, the large majority (over 80%) of Satb2 cells are inner and outer stratifying large sparse cells. By contrast, in marmoset retina the majority (over 60%) of Satb2 expressing cells were broad thorny cells, with smaller proportions of recursive bistratified (putative direction-selective), large bistratified, and outer stratifying narrow thorny cells. Our findings imply that Satb2 expression has undergone rapid species specific adaptations during primate evolution, because expression is not conserved across Old World (macaque, human) and New World (marmoset) suborders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subha Nasir-Ahmad
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Save Sight Institute and Discipline of Ophthalmology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Sammy C S Lee
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Save Sight Institute and Discipline of Ophthalmology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Paul R Martin
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Save Sight Institute and Discipline of Ophthalmology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Ulrike Grünert
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Save Sight Institute and Discipline of Ophthalmology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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21
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Aranda ML, Schmidt TM. Diversity of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells: circuits and functions. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:889-907. [PMID: 32965515 PMCID: PMC8650628 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-020-03641-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The melanopsin-expressing, intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) are a relatively recently discovered class of atypical ganglion cell photoreceptor. These ipRGCs are a morphologically and physiologically heterogeneous population that project widely throughout the brain and mediate a wide array of visual functions ranging from photoentrainment of our circadian rhythms, to driving the pupillary light reflex to improve visual function, to modulating our mood, alertness, learning, sleep/wakefulness, regulation of body temperature, and even our visual perception. The presence of melanopsin as a unique molecular signature of ipRGCs has allowed for the development of a vast array of molecular and genetic tools to study ipRGC circuits. Given the emerging complexity of this system, this review will provide an overview of the genetic tools and methods used to study ipRGCs, how these tools have been used to dissect their role in a variety of visual circuits and behaviors in mice, and identify important directions for future study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos L Aranda
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Tiffany M Schmidt
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
- Department of Ophthalmology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
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22
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Ahn J, Yoo Y, Goo YS. Spike-triggered Clustering for Retinal Ganglion Cell Classification. Exp Neurobiol 2020; 29:433-452. [PMID: 33321473 PMCID: PMC7788309 DOI: 10.5607/en20029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), the retina's output neurons, encode visual information through spiking. The RGC receptive field (RF) represents the basic unit of visual information processing in the retina. RFs are commonly estimated using the spike-triggered average (STA), which is the average of the stimulus patterns to which a given RGC is sensitive. Whereas STA, based on the concept of the average, is simple and intuitive, it leaves more complex structures in the RFs undetected. Alternatively, spike-triggered covariance (STC) analysis provides information on second-order RF statistics. However, STC is computationally cumbersome and difficult to interpret. Thus, the objective of this study was to propose and validate a new computational method, called spike-triggered clustering (STCL), specific for multimodal RFs. Specifically, RFs were fit with a Gaussian mixture model, which provides the means and covariances of multiple RF clusters. The proposed method recovered bipolar stimulus patterns in the RFs of ON-OFF cells, while the STA identified only ON and OFF RGCs, and the remaining RGCs were labeled as unknown types. In contrast, our new STCL analysis distinguished ON-OFF RGCs from the ON, OFF, and unknown RGC types classified by STA. Thus, the proposed method enables us to include ON-OFF RGCs prior to retinal information analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jungryul Ahn
- Department of Physiology, Chungbuk National University School of Medicine, Cheongju 28644, Korea
| | - Yongseok Yoo
- Department of Electronics Engineering, Incheon National University, Incheon 22012, Korea
| | - Yong Sook Goo
- Department of Physiology, Chungbuk National University School of Medicine, Cheongju 28644, Korea
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23
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Famiglietti EV. Morphological identification and systematic classification of mammalian retinal ganglion cells. I. Rabbit retinal ganglion cells. J Comp Neurol 2020; 528:3305-3450. [PMID: 32725618 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) convey visual signals to 50 regions of the brain. For reasons of interest and convenience, they constitute an excellent system for the study of brain structure and function. There is general agreement that, absent a complete "parts list," understanding how the nervous system processes information will remain an elusive goal. Recent studies indicate that there are 30-50 types of ganglion cell in mouse retina, whereas only a few years ago it was still written that mice and the more visually oriented lagomorphs had less than 20 types of RGC. More than 30 years ago, I estimated that rabbits have about 40 types of RGC. The present study indicates that this number is much too low. I have employed the old but powerful method of Golgi-impregnation to rabbit retina, studying the range of component neurons in this already well-studied retinal system. Close quantitative and qualitative analyses of 1,142 RGCs in 26 retinas take into account cell body and dendritic field size, level(s) of dendritic stratification in the retina's inner plexiform layer, and details of dendritic branching. Ninety-one morphologies are recognized. Of these, at least 32 can be correlated with physiologically studied RGCs, dye-injected for morphological analysis. It is unlikely that rabbits have 91 types of RGC, but is argued here that this number lies between 60 and 70. The present study provides a "yardstick" for measuring the output of future molecular studies that may be more definitive in fixing the number of RGC types in rabbit retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward V Famiglietti
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Physiology, and Biotechnology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.,Division of Ophthalmology, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
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24
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Alvarado JA, Dhande OS, Prosseda PP, Kowal TJ, Ning K, Jabbehdari S, Hu Y, Sun Y. Developmental distribution of primary cilia in the retinofugal visual pathway. J Comp Neurol 2020; 529:1442-1455. [PMID: 32939774 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The mammalian visual system is composed of circuitry connecting sensory input from the retina to the processing core of the visual cortex. The two main retinorecipient brain targets, the superior colliculus (SC) and dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN), bridge retinal input and visual output. The primary cilium is a conserved organelle increasingly viewed as a critical sensor for the regulation of developmental and homeostatic pathways in most mammalian cell types. Moreover, cilia have been described as crucial for neurogenesis, neuronal maturation, and survival in the cortex and retina. However, cilia in the visual relay center remain to be fully described. In this study, we characterized the ciliation profile of the SC and dLGN and found that the overall number of ciliated cells declined during development. Interestingly, shorter ciliated cells in both regions were identified as neurons, whose numbers remained stable over time, suggesting that cilia retention is a critical feature for optimal neuronal function in SC and dLGN. Our study suggests that primary cilia are important for neuronal maturation and function in cells of the SC and dLGN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge A Alvarado
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | - Onkar S Dhande
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | - Philipp P Prosseda
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | - Tia J Kowal
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | - Ke Ning
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | - Sayena Jabbehdari
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Yang Hu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, USA.,Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Yang Sun
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, USA.,Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA.,Palo Alto Veterans Administration, Palo Alto, California, USA
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25
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Distributed and retinotopically asymmetric processing of coherent motion in mouse visual cortex. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3565. [PMID: 32678087 PMCID: PMC7366664 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17283-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Perception of visual motion is important for a range of ethological behaviors in mammals. In primates, specific visual cortical regions are specialized for processing of coherent visual motion. However, whether mouse visual cortex has a similar organization remains unclear, despite powerful genetic tools available for measuring population neural activity. Here, we use widefield and 2-photon calcium imaging of transgenic mice to measure mesoscale and cellular responses to coherent motion. Imaging of primary visual cortex (V1) and higher visual areas (HVAs) during presentation of natural movies and random dot kinematograms (RDKs) reveals varied responsiveness to coherent motion, with stronger responses in dorsal stream areas compared to ventral stream areas. Moreover, there is considerable anisotropy within visual areas, such that neurons representing the lower visual field are more responsive to coherent motion. These results indicate that processing of visual motion in mouse cortex is distributed heterogeneously both across and within visual areas.
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26
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Städele C, Keleş MF, Mongeau JM, Frye MA. Non-canonical Receptive Field Properties and Neuromodulation of Feature-Detecting Neurons in Flies. Curr Biol 2020; 30:2508-2519.e6. [PMID: 32442460 PMCID: PMC7343589 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.04.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Several fundamental aspects of motion vision circuitry are prevalent across flies and mice. Both taxa segregate ON and OFF signals. For any given spatial pattern, motion detectors in both taxa are tuned to speed, selective for one of four cardinal directions, and modulated by catecholamine neurotransmitters. These similarities represent conserved, canonical properties of the functional circuits and computational algorithms for motion vision. Less is known about feature detectors, including how receptive field properties differ from the motion pathway or whether they are under neuromodulatory control to impart functional plasticity for the detection of salient objects from a moving background. Here, we investigated 19 types of putative feature selective lobula columnar (LC) neurons in the optic lobe of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster to characterize divergent properties of feature selection. We identified LC12 and LC15 as feature detectors. LC15 encodes moving bars, whereas LC12 is selective for the motion of discrete objects, mostly independent of size. Neither is selective for contrast polarity, speed, or direction, highlighting key differences in the underlying algorithms for feature detection and motion vision. We show that the onset of background motion suppresses object responses by LC12 and LC15. Surprisingly, the application of octopamine, which is released during flight, reverses the suppressive influence of background motion, rendering both LCs able to track moving objects superimposed against background motion. Our results provide a comparative framework for the function and modulation of feature detectors and new insights into the underlying neuronal mechanisms involved in visual feature detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carola Städele
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7239, USA
| | - Mehmet F Keleş
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7239, USA
| | - Jean-Michel Mongeau
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7239, USA
| | - Mark A Frye
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7239, USA.
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27
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Yildizoglu T, Riegler C, Fitzgerald JE, Portugues R. A Neural Representation of Naturalistic Motion-Guided Behavior in the Zebrafish Brain. Curr Biol 2020; 30:2321-2333.e6. [PMID: 32386533 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.04.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2018] [Revised: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
All animals must transform ambiguous sensory data into successful behavior. This requires sensory representations that accurately reflect the statistics of natural stimuli and behavior. Multiple studies show that visual motion processing is tuned for accuracy under naturalistic conditions, but the sensorimotor circuits extracting these cues and implementing motion-guided behavior remain unclear. Here we show that the larval zebrafish retina extracts a diversity of naturalistic motion cues, and the retinorecipient pretectum organizes these cues around the elements of behavior. We find that higher-order motion stimuli, gliders, induce optomotor behavior matching expectations from natural scene analyses. We then image activity of retinal ganglion cell terminals and pretectal neurons. The retina exhibits direction-selective responses across glider stimuli, and anatomically clustered pretectal neurons respond with magnitudes matching behavior. Peripheral computations thus reflect natural input statistics, whereas central brain activity precisely codes information needed for behavior. This general principle could organize sensorimotor transformations across animal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tugce Yildizoglu
- Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Research Group of Sensorimotor Control, Martinsried 82152, Germany
| | - Clemens Riegler
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - James E Fitzgerald
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA.
| | - Ruben Portugues
- Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Research Group of Sensorimotor Control, Martinsried 82152, Germany; Institute of Neuroscience, Technical University of Munich, Munich 80802, Germany; Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich 80802, Germany.
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28
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Keeley PW, Eglen SJ, Reese BE. From random to regular: Variation in the patterning of retinal mosaics. J Comp Neurol 2020; 528:2135-2160. [PMID: 32026463 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Revised: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The various types of retinal neurons are each positioned at their respective depths within the retina where they are believed to be assembled as orderly mosaics, in which like-type neurons minimize proximity to one another. Two common statistical analyses for assessing the spatial properties of retinal mosaics include the nearest neighbor analysis, from which an index of their "regularity" is commonly calculated, and the density recovery profile derived from autocorrelation analysis, revealing the presence of an exclusion zone indicative of anti-clustering. While each of the spatial statistics derived from these analyses, the regularity index and the effective radius, can be useful in characterizing such properties of orderly retinal mosaics, they are rarely sufficient for conveying the natural variation in the self-spacing behavior of different types of retinal neurons and the extent to which that behavior generates uniform intercellular spacing across the mosaic. We consider the strengths and limitations of these and other spatial statistical analyses for assessing the patterning in retinal mosaics, highlighting a number of misconceptions and their frequent misuse. Rather than being diagnostic criteria for determining simply whether a population is "regular," they should be treated as descriptive statistics that convey variation in the factors that influence neuronal positioning. We subsequently apply multiple spatial statistics to the analysis of eight different mosaics in the mouse retina, demonstrating conspicuous variability in the degree of patterning present, from essentially random to notably regular. This variability in patterning has both a developmental as well as a functional significance, reflecting the rules governing the positioning of different types of neurons as the architecture of the retina is assembled, and the distinct mechanisms by which they regulate dendritic growth to generate their characteristic coverage and connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick W Keeley
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California
| | - Stephen J Eglen
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Benjamin E Reese
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California.,Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California
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29
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Ahn J, Rueckauer B, Yoo Y, Goo YS. New Features of Receptive Fields in Mouse Retina through Spike-triggered Covariance. Exp Neurobiol 2020; 29:38-49. [PMID: 32122107 PMCID: PMC7075653 DOI: 10.5607/en.2020.29.1.38] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2019] [Revised: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) encode various spatiotemporal features of visual information into spiking patterns. The receptive field (RF) of each RGC is usually calculated by spike-triggered average (STA), which is fast and easy to understand, but limited to simple and unimodal RFs. As an alternative, spike-triggered covariance (STC) has been proposed to characterize more complex patterns in RFs. This study compares STA and STC for the characterization of RFs and demonstrates that STC has an advantage over STA for identifying novel spatiotemporal features of RFs in mouse RGCs. We first classified mouse RGCs into ON, OFF, and ON/OFF cells according to their response to full-field light stimulus, and then investigated the spatiotemporal patterns of RFs with random checkerboard stimulation, using both STA and STC analysis. We propose five sub-types (T1–T5) in the STC of mouse RGCs together with their physiological implications. In particular, the relatively slow biphasic pattern (T1) could be related to excitatory inputs from bipolar cells. The transient biphasic pattern (T2) allows one to characterize complex patterns in RFs of ON/OFF cells. The other patterns (T3–T5), which are contrasting, alternating, and monophasic patterns, could be related to inhibitory inputs from amacrine cells. Thus, combining STA and STC and considering the proposed sub-types unveil novel characteristics of RFs in the mouse retina and offer a more holistic understanding of the neural coding mechanisms of mouse RGCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jungryul Ahn
- Department of Physiology, Chungbuk National University School of Medicine, Cheongju 28644, Korea
| | - Bodo Rueckauer
- Institute of Neuroinformatics, ETH Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Yongseok Yoo
- Department of Electronics Engineering, Incheon National University, Incheon 22012, Korea
| | - Yong Sook Goo
- Department of Physiology, Chungbuk National University School of Medicine, Cheongju 28644, Korea
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30
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Patterson SS, Kuchenbecker JA, Anderson JR, Neitz M, Neitz J. A Color Vision Circuit for Non-Image-Forming Vision in the Primate Retina. Curr Biol 2020; 30:1269-1274.e2. [PMID: 32084404 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.01.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Revised: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Melanopsin-expressing, intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) synchronize our biological clocks with the external light/dark cycle [1]. In addition to photoentrainment, they mediate the effects of light experience as a central modulator of mood, learning, and health [2]. This makes a complete account of the circuity responsible for ipRGCs' light responses essential to understanding their diverse roles in our well-being. Considerable progress has been made in understanding ipRGCs' melanopsin-mediated responses in rodents [3-5]. However, in primates, ipRGCs also have a rare blue-OFF response mediated by an unknown short-wavelength-sensitive (S)-cone circuit [6]. Identifying this S-cone circuit is particularly important because ipRGCs mediate many of the wide-ranging effects of short-wavelength light on human biology. These effects are often attributed to melanopsin, but there is evidence for an S-cone contribution as well [7, 8]. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the S-OFF response is mediated by the S-ON pathway through inhibitory input from an undiscovered S-cone amacrine cell. Using serial electron microscopy in the macaque retina, we reconstructed the neurons and synapses of the S-cone connectome, revealing a novel inhibitory interneuron, an amacrine cell, receiving excitatory glutamatergic input exclusively from S-ON bipolar cells. This S-cone amacrine cell makes highly selective inhibitory synapses onto ipRGCs, resulting in a blue-OFF response. Identification of the S-cone amacrine cell provides the missing component of an evolutionarily ancient circuit using spectral information for non-image forming visual functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara S Patterson
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, University of Washington, Seattle WA 98109, USA
| | | | - James R Anderson
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, John A. Moran Eye Center, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
| | - Maureen Neitz
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Washington, Seattle WA 98109, USA
| | - Jay Neitz
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Washington, Seattle WA 98109, USA.
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31
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Grünert U, Martin PR. Cell types and cell circuits in human and non-human primate retina. Prog Retin Eye Res 2020; 78:100844. [PMID: 32032773 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2020.100844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
This review summarizes our current knowledge of primate including human retina focusing on bipolar, amacrine and ganglion cells and their connectivity. We have two main motivations in writing. Firstly, recent progress in non-invasive imaging methods to study retinal diseases mean that better understanding of the primate retina is becoming an important goal both for basic and for clinical sciences. Secondly, genetically modified mice are increasingly used as animal models for human retinal diseases. Thus, it is important to understand to which extent the retinas of primates and rodents are comparable. We first compare cell populations in primate and rodent retinas, with emphasis on how the fovea (despite its small size) dominates the neural landscape of primate retina. We next summarise what is known, and what is not known, about the postreceptoral neurone populations in primate retina. The inventories of bipolar and ganglion cells in primates are now nearing completion, comprising ~12 types of bipolar cell and at least 17 types of ganglion cell. Primate ganglion cells show clear differences in dendritic field size across the retina, and their morphology differs clearly from that of mouse retinal ganglion cells. Compared to bipolar and ganglion cells, amacrine cells show even higher morphological diversity: they could comprise over 40 types. Many amacrine types appear conserved between primates and mice, but functions of only a few types are understood in any primate or non-primate retina. Amacrine cells appear as the final frontier for retinal research in monkeys and mice alike.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrike Grünert
- The University of Sydney, Save Sight Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Sydney Node, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia.
| | - Paul R Martin
- The University of Sydney, Save Sight Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Sydney Node, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia
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32
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Sharma S, Chakravarthy H, Suresh G, Devanathan V. Adult Goat Retinal Neuronal Culture: Applications in Modeling Hyperglycemia. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:983. [PMID: 31607843 PMCID: PMC6756134 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 09/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Culture of adult neurons of the central nervous system (CNS) can provide a unique model system to explore neurodegenerative diseases. The CNS includes neurons and glia of the brain, spinal cord and retina. Neurons in the retina have the advantage of being the most accessible cells of the CNS, and can serve as a reliable mirror to the brain. Typically, primary cultures utilize fetal rodent neurons, but very rarely adult neurons from larger mammals. Here, we cultured primary retinal neurons isolated from adult goat up to 10 days, and established an in vitro model of hyperglycemia for performing morphological and molecular characterization studies. Immunofluorescence staining revealed that approximately 30–40% of cultured cells expressed neuronal markers. Next, we examined the relative expression of cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) in adult goat brain and retina. We also studied the effect of different glucose concentrations and media composition on the growth and expression of CAMs in cultured retinal neurons. Hyperglycemia significantly enhances neurite outgrowth in adult retinal neurons in culture. Expression of CAMs such as Caspr1, Contactin1 and Prion is downregulated in the presence of high glucose. Hyperglycemia downregulates the expression of the transcription factor CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP α), predicted to bind CAM gene promoters. Collectively, our study demonstrates that metabolic environment markedly affects transcriptional regulation of CAMs in adult retinal neurons in culture. The effect of hyperglycemia on CAM interactions, as well as related changes in intracellular signaling pathways in adult retinal neurons warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sapana Sharma
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Tirupati, India
| | - Harshini Chakravarthy
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Tirupati, India
| | - Gowthaman Suresh
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Tirupati, India
| | - Vasudharani Devanathan
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Tirupati, India
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