High frequency, synchronized bursting drives eye-specific segregation of retinogeniculate projections.
Blockade of retinal waves prevents the segregation of retinogeniculate afferents into eye-specific layers in the visual thalamus. However, the key features of retinal waves that drive this refinement are controversial. Some manipulations of retinal waves lead to normal eye-specific segregation but others do not. By comparing retinal spiking patterns in several mutant mice with differing levels of eye-specific segregation, we show that the presence of high-frequency bursts synchronized across neighboring retinal ganglion cells correlates with robust eye-specific segregation and that the presence of high levels of asynchronous spikes does not inhibit this segregation. These findings provide a possible resolution to previously described discrepancies regarding the role of retinal waves in retinogeniculate segregation.
Torborg
Christine L
CL
Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093-0357, USA.
Hansen
Kristi A
KA
Feller
Marla B
MB
D000200:Action Potentials; D000818:Animals; D017630:Connexins / Q000172:deficiency / Q000502:physiology; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005829:Geniculate Bodies / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009799:Ocular Physiological Phenomena; D011930:Reaction Time; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000172:deficiency / Q000502:physiology; D012160:Retina / Q000502:physiology*; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000502:physiology; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology*; D000097004:Gap Junction delta-2 Protein
D017630:Connexins; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; D000097004:Gap Junction delta-2 Protein