title: Contextual interaction of GABAergic circuitry with dynamic synapses.
abstract: Visual context shapes human perception, yet our understanding of this phenomenon in terms of synaptic circuitry is still rudimentary. Our in vitro experiments with avian tectum reveal two distinct GABAergic pathways that mediate the spatiotemporal tectal interaction of retinal inputs. One pathway mediates postsynaptic lateral inhibition. The other pathway interacts with the synaptic depression of retinotectal synapses. Simulations of an experimentally constrained model including the two pathways reproduce the observed avian tectum wide-field neuron's sensitivity to small and moving stimuli, while being insensitive to whole-field motion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA.
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Khanbabaie
authors.forename: Alireza S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Mahani
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wessel
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D001640:Bicuculline / Q000494:pharmacology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002645:Chickens / Q000502:physiology*; D018118:Chloride Channels / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004594:Electrophysiology; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D018756:GABA Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D010852:Picrotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology; D016012:Poisson Distribution; D012160:Retina / Q000502:physiology; D013477:Superior Colliculi / Q000502:physiology; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology*; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D001640:Bicuculline; D018118:Chloride Channels; D018756:GABA Antagonists; D010852:Picrotoxin; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid