Nob mice wave goodbye to eye-specific segregation.
Spontaneous retinal activity is necessary to establish and maintain eye-specific projections to the LGN, but whether the spatial and temporal structure of this activity is important remains unclear. A new study by Demas et al. in the current issue of Neuron shows that when the frequency of spontaneous retinal waves is increased and waves abnormally persist past eye opening, eye-specific projections to the LGN desegregate. These results provide important new insight into the mechanisms that drive eye-specific refinement and stabilization.
Huberman
Andrew D
AD
Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California 94305, USA.
D000818:Animals; D005829:Geniculate Bodies / Q000254:growth & development*; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D012160:Retina / Q000502:physiology*; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000254:growth & development*