title: Emergence of binocular functional properties in a monocular neural circuit.
abstract: Sensory circuits frequently integrate converging inputs while maintaining precise functional relationships between them. For example, in mammals with stereopsis, neurons at the first stages of binocular visual processing show a close alignment of receptive-field properties for each eye. Still, basic questions about the global wiring mechanisms that enable this functional alignment remain unanswered, including whether the addition of a second retinal input to an otherwise monocular neural circuit is sufficient for the emergence of these binocular properties. We addressed this question by inducing a de novo binocular retinal projection to the larval zebrafish optic tectum and examining recipient neuronal populations using in vivo two-photon calcium imaging. Notably, neurons in rewired tecta were predominantly binocular and showed matching direction selectivity for each eye. We found that a model based on local inhibitory circuitry that computes direction selectivity using the topographic structure of both retinal inputs can account for the emergence of this binocular feature.
authors.affiliation: Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Pavan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ramdya
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Engert
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids; D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007814:Larva; D051739:Microphthalmia-Associated Transcription Factor / Q000172:deficiency; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D012683:Sensory Deprivation; D011984:Sensory Receptor Cells / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology*; D013477:Superior Colliculi / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D015348:Vision, Binocular / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D014794:Visual Fields / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D015027:Zebrafish; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins / Q000172:deficiency
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D051739:Microphthalmia-Associated Transcription Factor; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; C098463:dolaisoleucine; C497237:mitfa protein, zebrafish; D002118:Calcium