Ganglion Cell Types Research Articles

Three Forms of Spatial Temporal Feedforward Inhibition Are Common to Different Ganglion Cell Types in Rabbit Retina

There exist more than 30 different morphological amacrine cell types, but there may be fewer physiological types. Here we studied the amacrine cell outputs by measuring the temporal and spatial properties of feedforward inhibition to four different types of ganglion cells. These ganglion cells, each with concentric receptive field organization, appear to receive a different relative contribution of the same three forms of feed-forward inhibition, namely: local glycinergic, local sustained GABAergic, and broad transient GABAergic inhibition. Two of these inhibitory components, local glycinergic inhibition and local sustained GABAergic inhibition were localized to narrow regions confined to the dendritic fields of the ganglion cells. The third, a broad transient GABAergic inhibition, was driven from regions peripheral to the dendritic area. Each inhibitory component is also correlated with characteristic kinetics expressed in all ganglion cells: broad transient GABAergic inhibition had the shortest latency, local glycinergic inhibition had an intermediate latency, and local sustained GABAergic inhibition had the longest latency. We suggest each of these three inhibitory components represents the output from a distinct class of amacrine cell, mediates a specific visual function, and each forms a basic functional component for the four ganglion cell types. Similar subunits likely exist in the circuits of other ganglion cell types as well.

Susceptibility to N-methyl-d-aspartate toxicity in morphological and functional types of cat retinal ganglion cells

To examine whether different types of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in the cat retina have different survival rates when exposed to N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA). NMDA injury was induced by intravitreal administration of NMDA at final concentrations of 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8 mM. The total number of surviving RGCs and their distribution were counted by retrograde labeling with a fluorescent dye. Measurements of the proportions of the main RGC types (alpha, beta, and neither alpha nor beta cells) were obtained by using intracellular injections of Lucifer yellow. The mean percentage of surviving RGCs in the NMDA-injected retina was reduced to 59.4% (0.2 mM NMDA), 35.8% (0.4 mM), 10.8% (0.6 mM), and 14.1% (0.8 mM). At 0.2 mM, the survival rate of alpha cells was reduced to 56%, but that of beta cells remained at 81%. At 0.8 mM, the survival rate of alpha cells was 19%, while beta cells rapidly decreased to 9.9%. No difference was detected in NMDA vulnerability between ON- and OFF-center RGCs. Different RGC types display different susceptibilities to NMDA injury. A specific examination of the functions of different types of RGCs would be helpful in detecting retinal excitotoxicity such as in chronic retinal ischemia.

Reliability and Frequency Response of Excitatory Signals Transmitted to Different Types of Retinal Ganglion Cell

The same visual stimulus evokes a different pattern of neural signals each time the stimulus is presented. Because this unreliability reduces visual performance, it is important to understand how it arises from neural circuitry. We asked whether different types of ganglion cell receive excitatory signals with different reliability and frequency content and, if so, how retinal circuitry contributes to these differences. If transmitter release is governed by Poisson statistics, the SNR of the postsynaptic currents (ratio of signal power to noise power) should grow linearly with quantal rate (qr), a prediction that we confirmed experimentally. Yet ganglion cells of the same type receive quanta at different rates. Thus to obtain a measure of reliability independent of quantal rate, we calculated the ratio SNR/qr, and found this measure to be type-specific. We also found type-specific differences in the frequency content of postsynaptic currents, although types whose dendrites branched at nearby levels of the inner plexiform layer (IPL) had similar frequency content. As a result, there was an orderly distribution of frequency response through the depth of the IPL, with alternating layers of broadband and high-pass signals. Different types of bipolar cell end at different depths of the IPL and provide excitatory synapses to ganglion cell dendrites there. Thus these findings indicate that a bipolar cell synapse conveys signals whose temporal message and reliability (SNR/qr) are determined by neuronal type. The final SNR of postsynaptic currents is set by the dendritic membrane area of a ganglion cell, which sets the numbers of bipolar cell synapses and thus the rate at which it receives quanta [SNR = qr x (SNR/qr)].

Responses and receptive fields of amacrine cells and ganglion cells in the salamander retina

Retinal amacrine cells (ACs) and ganglion cells (GCs) have been shown to display large morphological diversity, and here we show that four types of ACs and three types of GCs exhibit physiologically-distinguishable properties. They are the sustained ON ACs; sustained OFF ACs; transient ON–OFF ACs; transient ON–OFF ACs with wide receptive fields; sustained ON-center/OFF-surround GCs; sustained OFF-center/ON-surround GCs and transient ON–OFF GCs. By comparing response waveforms, receptive fields and relative rod/cone inputs of ACs and GCs with the corresponding parameters of various types of the presynaptic bipolar cells (BCs), we analyze how different types of BCs mediate synaptic inputs to various ACs and GCs. Although more types of third-order retinal neurons may be identified by more refined classification criteria, our observations suggest that many morphologically-distinct ACs and GCs share very similar physiological responses.

The projective field of single bipolar cells in the retina

Event Abstract Back to Event The projective field of single bipolar cells in the retina Hiroki Asari1* and Markus Meister2 1 Harvard University, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, United States 2 Harvard University, United States The vertebrate retina contains about 10 types of bipolar cells that convey information from photoreceptors to retinal ganglion cells. Previous studies suggest that they form parallel channels, and that each bipolar cell type contributes a specific visual message to select types of ganglion cells. Here we test this hypothesis by determining the full projective field of a single bipolar cell, specifically the responses it elicits in the population of ganglion cells. In the isolated salamander retina, we controlled bipolar cell activity with an intracellular electrode while recording the firing of ganglion cells with a multi-electrode array and manipulating the intervening circuitry pharmacologically. We found that excitation of a single bipolar cell altered the responses of many ganglion cells. The effect was generally excitatory at short distances and inhibitory at longer distances. Electrical synapses among bipolar cells contributed substantially to the lateral spread of excitation, whereas amacrine cells suppressed the excitatory spread and mediated the inhibitory effects. Within the excitatory region, different ganglion cells showed distinct temporal response patterns. A sustained depolarization of the bipolar cell produced a transient burst of spikes in some ganglion cells but sustained firing in others. This range of response kinetics resulted primarily from the interactions of individual bipolar cell terminals with amacrine cells. Our results highlight the diversity of neuronal circuits that distribute signals from a bipolar cell to various ganglion cells, and suggest considerable cross-talk between bipolar cell channels through gap junctions and via amacrine cells. Conference: Computational and Systems Neuroscience 2010, Salt Lake City, UT, United States, 25 Feb - 2 Mar, 2010. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: Poster session I Citation: Asari H and Meister M (2010). The projective field of single bipolar cells in the retina. Front. Neurosci. Conference Abstract: Computational and Systems Neuroscience 2010. doi: 10.3389/conf.fnins.2010.03.00145 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 02 Mar 2010; Published Online: 02 Mar 2010. * Correspondence: Hiroki Asari, Harvard University, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Paris, United States, asari@fas.harvard.edu Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Hiroki Asari Markus Meister Google Hiroki Asari Markus Meister Google Scholar Hiroki Asari Markus Meister PubMed Hiroki Asari Markus Meister Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

Latency characteristics of the short-wavelength-sensitive cones and their associated pathways

There are many distinct types of retinal ganglion and LGN cells that have opponent cone inputs and which may carry chromatic information. Of interest are the asymmetries in those LGN cells that carry S-cone signals: in S-ON cells, S+ signals are opposed by (L + M) whereas, in many S-OFF cells, L+ signals are opposed by (S + M), giving -S + L - M (C. Tailby, S. G. Solomon, & P. Lennie, 2008). However, the S-opponent pathway is traditionally modeled as +/-[S - (L + M)]. A phase lag of the S-cone signal has been inferred from psychophysical thresholds for discriminating combinations of simultaneous sinusoidal modulations along +/-[L - M] and +/-[S - (L + M)] directions (C. F. Stromeyer, R. T. Eskew, R. E. Kronauer, & L. Spillmann, 1991). We extend this experiment, measuring discrimination thresholds as a function of the phase delay between pairs of orthogonal component modulations. When one of the components isolates the tritan axis, there are phase delays at which discrimination is impossible; when neither component is aligned with the tritan axis, discrimination is possible at all delays. The data imply that the S-cone signal is delayed by approximately 12 ms relative to (L - M) responses. Given that post-receptoral mechanisms show diverse tuning around the tritan axis, we suggest that the delay arises before the S-opponent channels are constructed, possibly in the S-cones themselves.

DSCAM and DSCAML1 Function in Self-Avoidance in Multiple Cell Types in the Developing Mouse Retina

DSCAM and DSCAM-LIKE1 (DSCAML1) serve diverse neurodevelopmental functions, including axon guidance, synaptic adhesion, and self-avoidance, depending on the species, cell type, and gene family member studied. We examined the function of DSCAM and DSCAML1 in the developing mouse retina. In addition to a subset of amacrine cells, Dscam was expressed in most retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). RGCs had fasciculated dendrites and clumped cell bodies in Dscam(-/-) mice, suggesting a role in self-avoidance. Dscaml1 was expressed in the rod circuit, and mice lacking Dscaml1 had fasciculated rod bipolar cell dendrites and clumped AII amacrine cell bodies, also indicating a role in self-avoidance. Neurons in Dscam or Dscaml1 mutant retinas stratified their processes appropriately in synaptic laminae in the inner plexiform layer, and functional synapses formed in the rod circuit in mice lacking Dscaml1. Therefore, DSCAM and DSCAML1 function similarly in self-avoidance, and are not essential for synaptic specificity in the mouse retina.

Synaptic inputs onto small bistratified (blue‐ON/yellow‐OFF) ganglion cells in marmoset retina

The inner plexiform layer of the retina contains functional subdivisions, which segregate ON and OFF type light responses. Here, we studied quantitatively the ON and OFF synaptic input to small bistratified (blue-ON/yellow-OFF) ganglion cells in marmosets (Callithrix jacchus). Small bistratified cells display an extensive inner dendritic tier that receives blue-ON input from short-wavelength-sensitive (S) cones via blue cone bipolar cells. The outer dendritic tier is sparse and is thought to receive yellow-OFF input from medium (M)- and long (L)-wavelength-sensitive cones via OFF diffuse bipolar cells. In total, 14 small bistratified cells from different eccentricities were analyzed. The cells were retrogradely labeled from the koniocellular layers of the lateral geniculate nucleus and subsequently photofilled. Retinal preparations were processed with antibodies against the C-terminal binding protein 2, the AMPA receptor subunit GluR4, and/or gephyrin to identify bipolar and/or amacrine input. The results show that the synaptic input is evenly distributed across the dendritic tree, with a density similar to that reported previously for other ganglion cell types. The population of cells showed a consistent pattern, where bipolar input to the inner tier is about fourfold greater than bipolar input to the outer tier. This structural asymmetry of bipolar input may help to balance the weight of cone signals from the sparse S cone array against inputs from the much denser M/L cone array.

Segregation of short-wavelength-sensitive (S) cone signals in the macaque dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus.

An important problem in the study of the mammalian visual system is whether functionally different retinal ganglion cell types are anatomically segregated further up along the central visual pathway. It was previously demonstrated that, in a New World diurnal monkey (marmoset), the neurones carrying signals from the short-wavelength-sensitive (S) cones [blue–yellow (B/Y)-opponent cells] are predominantly located in the koniocellular layers of the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), whereas the red–green (R/G)-opponent cells carrying signals from the medium- and long-wavelength-sensitive cones are segregated in the parvocellular layers. Here, we used extracellular single-unit recordings followed by histological reconstruction to investigate the distribution of color-selective cells in the LGN of the macaque, an Old World diurnal monkey. Cells were classified using cone-isolating stimuli to identify their cone inputs. Our results indicate that the majority of cells carrying signals from S-cones are located either in the koniocellular layers or in the ‘koniocellular bridges’ that fully or partially span the parvocellular layers. By contrast, the R/G-opponent cells are located in the parvocellular layers. We conclude that anatomical segregation of B/Y- and R/G-opponent afferent signals for color vision is common to the LGNs of New World and Old World diurnal monkeys.

Selective projection patterns from subtypes of retinal ganglion cells to tectum and pretectum: Distribution and relation to behavior

AbstractAn important issue to understand is how visual information can influence the motor system and affect behavior. Using the lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) as an experimental model we examined the morphological subtypes of retinal ganglion cells and their projection pattern to the tectum, which controls eye, head, and body movements, and to the pretectum, which mediates both visual escape responses and the dorsal light response. We identified six distinct morphological types of retinal ganglion cell. Four of these distribute their dendrites in the inner plexiform layer (image forming layer) and project in a retinotopic manner to all areas of the tectum. The posterior part of the retina has the highest density of ganglion cells and projects to the rostral part of the tectum, in which the visual field in front of the lamprey will be represented. From this area both orienting and evasive behaviors can be elicited. In contrast, pretectum receives input from two ganglion cells types that send their dendrites only to the outer plexiform layer or the outer limiting membrane and therefore may directly contact photoreceptors, and transmit information without additional delay to pretectum, which may be particularly important for visual escape responses. One of these two types, the bipolar ganglion cell, is only found in a small patch of retina just ventral of the optic nerve. Due to its distribution, morphology, and projections we suggest that this cell may control the dorsal light response. J. Comp. Neurol. 517:257–275, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Morphology of retinal ganglion cells in the ferret (Mustela putorius furo)

The ferret is the premiere mammalian model of retinal and visual system development, but the spectrum and properties of its retinal ganglion cells are less well understood than in another member of the Carnivora, the domestic cat. Here, we have extensively surveyed the dendritic architecture of ferret ganglion cells and report that the classification scheme previously developed for cat ganglion cells can be applied with few modifications to the ferret retina. We confirm the presence of alpha and beta cells in ferret retina, which are very similar to those in cat retina. Both cell types exhibited an increase in dendritic field size with distance from the area centralis (eccentricity) and with distance from the visual streak. Both alpha and beta cell populations existed as two subtypes whose dendrites stratified mainly in sublamina a or b of the inner plexiform layer. Six additional morphological types of ganglion cells were identified: four monostratified cell types (delta, epsilon, zeta, and eta) and two bistratified types (theta and iota). These types closely resembled their counterparts in the cat in terms of form, relative field size, and stratification. Our data indicate that, among carnivore species, the retinal ganglion cells resemble one another closely and that the ferret is a useful model for studies of the ontogenetic differentiation of ganglion cell types.

Selective projection patterns from subtypes of retinal ganglion cells to tectum and pretectum: Distribution and relation to behavior

An important issue to understand is how visual information can influence the motor system and affect behavior. Using the lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) as an experimental model we examined the morphological subtypes of retinal ganglion cells and their projection pattern to the tectum, which controls eye, head, and body movements, and to the pretectum, which mediates both visual escape responses and the dorsal light response. We identified six distinct morphological types of retinal ganglion cell. Four of these distribute their dendrites in the inner plexiform layer (image forming layer) and project in a retinotopic manner to all areas of the tectum. The posterior part of the retina has the highest density of ganglion cells and projects to the rostral part of the tectum, in which the visual field in front of the lamprey will be represented. From this area both orienting and evasive behaviors can be elicited. In contrast, pretectum receives input from two ganglion cells types that send their dendrites only to the outer plexiform layer or the outer limiting membrane and therefore may directly contact photoreceptors, and transmit information without additional delay to pretectum, which may be particularly important for visual escape responses. One of these two types, the bipolar ganglion cell, is only found in a small patch of retina just ventral of the optic nerve. Due to its distribution, morphology, and projections we suggest that this cell may control the dorsal light response.

Selective projection patterns from subtypes of retinal ganglion cells to tectum and pretectum: Distribution and relation to behavior

AbstractAn important issue to understand is how visual information can influence the motor system and affect behavior. Using the lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) as an experimental model we examined the morphological subtypes of retinal ganglion cells and their projection pattern to the tectum, which controls eye, head, and body movements, and to the pretectum, which mediates both visual escape responses and the dorsal light response. We identified six distinct morphological types of retinal ganglion cell. Four of these distribute their dendrites in the inner plexiform layer (image forming layer) and project in a retinotopic manner to all areas of the tectum. The posterior part of the retina has the highest density of ganglion cells and projects to the rostral part of the tectum, in which the visual field in front of the lamprey will be represented. From this area both orienting and evasive behaviors can be elicited. In contrast, pretectum receives input from two ganglion cells types that send their dendrites only to the outer plexiform layer or the outer limiting membrane and therefore may directly contact photoreceptors, and transmit information without additional delay to pretectum, which may be particularly important for visual escape responses. One of these two types, the bipolar ganglion cell, is only found in a small patch of retina just ventral of the optic nerve. Due to its distribution, morphology, and projections we suggest that this cell may control the dorsal light response. J. Comp. Neurol. 517:257–275, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Approach sensitivity in the retina processed by a multifunctional neural circuit

The detection of approaching objects, such as looming predators, is necessary for survival. Which neurons and circuits mediate this function? We combined genetic labeling of cell types, two-photon microscopy, electrophysiology and theoretical modeling to address this question. We identify an approach-sensitive ganglion cell type in the mouse retina, resolve elements of its afferent neural circuit, and describe how these confer approach sensitivity on the ganglion cell. The circuit's essential building block is a rapid inhibitory pathway: it selectively suppresses responses to non-approaching objects. This rapid inhibitory pathway, which includes AII amacrine cells connected to bipolar cells through electrical synapses, was previously described in the context of night-time vision. In the daytime conditions of our experiments, the same pathway conveys signals in the reverse direction. The dual use of a neural pathway in different physiological conditions illustrates the efficiency with which several functions can be accommodated in a single circuit.

Dendritic field structure of the large ganglion cells in the retina of Pholidapus dybowskii Steindachner, 1880 (Pisces: Perciformes: Stichaeidae)

This paper deals with the dendritic field structure of three large ganglion cell types in the retina of a marine teleost, Pholidapus dybowskii. Cells were retrograde labeled with horseradish peroxidase applied to lesioned fibers of the optic nerve. Their morphology was studied in wholemounted retinae. Dendritic fields of αab cells were more complex. Their structural complexity measured using Kolmogorov and information fractal dimensions exceeded significantly those of αa and biplexiform cells. The latter two types exhibited no significant differences in complexity and spatial heterogeneity of dendritic field. The cell types studied differed dramatically in the relationships between fractal and nonfractal parameters of their dendritic arbors. The functional and evolutionary implications of the dendritic field structure of retinal ganglion cells are discussed.

High-sensitivity rod photoreceptor input to the blue-yellow color opponent pathway in macaque retina

Small bistratified cells (SBCs) in the primate retina carry a major blue-yellow opponent signal to the brain. Here we show that SBCs also carry signals from rod photoreceptors, with the same sign as S cone input. SBCs exhibited robust responses under low scotopic conditions (<0.01 P*/rod/s). Physiological and anatomical experiments indicated that this rod input arose from the AII amacrine cell mediated rod pathway. Rod and cone signals were both present in SBCs at mesopic light levels. We discuss three implications of these findings. First, more retinal circuits than previously thought may multiplex rod and cone signals, efficiently exploiting the limited number of optic nerve fibers. Second, signals from AII amacrine cells may diverge to most or all of the <20 RGC types in the peripheral primate retina. Third, rod input to SBCs may be the substrate for behavioral biases toward perception of blue at mesopic light levels.

ON Inputs to the OFF Layer: Bipolar Cells That Break the Stratification Rules of the Retina

The vertebrate retina is a distinctly laminar structure. Functionally, the inner plexiform layer, in which bipolar cells synapse onto amacrine and ganglion cells, is subdivided into two sublaminae. Cells that depolarize at light offset ramify in sublamina a; those that depolarize at light onset ramify in sublamina b. The separation of ON and OFF pathways appears to be a fundamental principle of retinal organization that is reflected throughout the entire visual system. We show three clear exceptions to this rule, in which the axons of calbindin-positive ON cone bipolar cells make ribbon synapses as they pass through the OFF layers with three separate cell types: (1) dopaminergic amacrine cells, (2) intrinsically photosensitive ganglion cells, and (3) bistratified diving ganglion cells. The postsynaptic location of the AMPA receptor GluR4 at these sites suggests that ON bipolar cells can make functional synapses as their axons pass through the OFF layers of the inner plexiform layer. These findings resolve a long-standing question regarding the anomalous ON inputs to dopaminergic amacrine cells and suggest that certain ON bipolar cell axons can break the stratification rules of the inner plexiform layer by providing significant synaptic output before their terminal specializations. These outputs are not only to dopaminergic amacrine cells but also to at least two ON ganglion cell types that have dendrites that arborize in sublamina a.

Larval size constraints determine directional ontogenetic shifts in the visual system of teleosts1

We summarize characteristic sequences of morphological change in the teleost visual system from larvae to large adults at the level of the retina, the optic tract and the optic tectum. These shifts include sizes and ratios of cone and rod receptor cells, sizes and types of retinal ganglion cells and optic tract fibers as well as features of the optic tectum. Teleost larvae are the smallest vertebrates known. We suggest that the utilization of color contrasts as an adaptive benefit dictates the starting point of morophological development, which is a pure cone retina in most fish larvae. The direction of morphological and functional shifts in the teleost visual system during growth is determined by continuous retinal stretch, which allows for improving visual abilities. The larval visual system probably provides just adequate photopic (cone-)acuity for plankton feeding, but limited space in the retina hampers optimization of both, photopic resolving power and sensitivity Limited space also Irevents the simultaneous development of the scotopic (rod-)system. Over a wide range of body sizes, morphological parameters change, photopic and scotopic resolving power, acuity and sensitivity improve. Size constraints in the teleost visual system and lifefong shifts in sensory capacities are discussed with respect to ecology and the niche concept.

The Primate Retina Contains Distinct Types of Y-Like Ganglion Cells: Figure 1.

Our understanding of visual processing arises from studies conducted in different species. As such, establishing the extent to which the mechanisms encoding a visual scene are homologous across these species is important. This is perhaps most easily accomplished in the retina, where structure and

Bistratified ganglion cells of rabbit retina: Neural architecture for contrast-independent visual responses

Bistratified (BS) ganglion cells have long been recognized in vertebrate retina. Thirty years ago, it became clear that bistratification allows the integration of ON and OFF retinal pathways to produce contrast-independent responses in ganglion cells. Best studied is the type 1 bistratified (BS1) ganglion cell of rabbit retina, the physiologically well-characterized ON-OFF directionally selective (DS) ganglion cell, which is co-stratified with the two types of starburst amacrine (SA) cells in sublaminae a and b of the inner plexiform layer (IPL). DS responses have recently been documented in the latter. In this report, BS1 cells are further studied and are used as "fiducials" to characterize a second type of BS ganglion cell. An example of a possible third type is shown to be distinct from examples of BS1 and BS2 cells. All three have two distinct, narrowly stratified arborizations, one in sublamina a and one in sublamina b. All have similar dimensions, except for their dendritic trees, differing also in branching pattern. BS1 cells have compact, regular, highly branched trees; BS2 cells have significantly larger, more sparsely branched, irregular, radiate trees; the proposed BS3 type is intermediate in field size, and its branching pattern is different from the first two. BS2 and BS3 cells are co-stratified, branching nearer to the margins of the IPL, out of range of SA cells. In a previous report by others, illustrating the morphology of intracellularly stained ganglion cells, one example each of both "orientation-selective" ganglion cells and "uniformity detectors" resembles the BS2 cell. A rationale is presented for correlating BS2 cells with uniformity detectors.