title: Orientation Tuning Depends on Spatial Frequency in Mouse Visual Cortex.
abstract: The response properties of neurons to sensory stimuli have been used to identify their receptive fields and to functionally map sensory systems. In primary visual cortex, most neurons are selective to a particular orientation and spatial frequency of the visual stimulus. Using two-photon calcium imaging of neuronal populations from the primary visual cortex of mice, we have characterized the response properties of neurons to various orientations and spatial frequencies. Surprisingly, we found that the orientation selectivity of neurons actually depends on the spatial frequency of the stimulus. This dependence can be easily explained if one assumed spatially asymmetric Gabor-type receptive fields. We propose that receptive fields of neurons in layer 2/3 of visual cortex are indeed spatially asymmetric, and that this asymmetry could be used effectively by the visual system to encode natural scenes.
authors.affiliation: NeuroTechnology Center, Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University , New York, New York 10027.
authors.forename: Inbal
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-8975-3938
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ayzenshtat
authors.affiliation: NeuroTechnology Center, Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University , New York, New York 10027.
authors.forename: Jesse
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-1870-5757
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.affiliation: NeuroTechnology Center, Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University , New York, New York 10027.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yuste
mesh_terms: D000758:Anesthesia; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D056969:Voltage-Sensitive Dye Imaging
chemical_list: D002118:Calcium
keywords: Gabor model; asymmetry; calcium imaging; cortical tuning; mouse; orientation selectivity; spatial frequency; two-photon; visual cortex