The orientation bias of LGN neurons shows topographic relation to area centralis in the cat retina

1986 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Shou ◽  
D. Ruan ◽  
Y. Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Cat Retina ◽  
Area Centralis ◽  
Orientation Bias

Mechanism of directional selectivity in simple neurons of the cat's visual cortex analyzed with stationary flash sequences

1984 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 294-324 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Ganz ◽  
R. Felder
Keyword(s):  
Visual Angle ◽  
Directional Asymmetry ◽  
Directional Selectivity ◽  
Discharge Region ◽  
Linear Summation ◽  
Basic Module ◽  
Cat Retina ◽  
Area Centralis ◽  
Excitatory Responses ◽  
Discharge Center

The properties of simple neurons showing selectivity to direction of motion in area 17 of the cat cortex were examined. We analyzed in particular a sample of cells receiving a projection from 0 to 10 degrees in visual angle from the area centralis of the cat retina. Three categories of simple neurons were examined: directionally asymmetric (DA) neurons, directionally selective neurons of the unimodal type (DS1), and bimodal types (DS2). Poststimulus time histograms (PSTH) were obtained to moving white and black bars as well as to static onset sequences and static offset sequences. Our analysis involves a comparison of responses to single static flashes at various receptive-field locations with responses to sequence pairs of static flashes at those same locations. We find that DA neurons are not sensitive to the direction in which a pair of stimuli are presented. Inhibitory and excitatory responses show properties of linear summation whatever the direction of the stimulus sequence. Their behavior is reminiscent of retinal and LGN neurons. The synergy model accounts well for a DA neurons's directional asymmetry. If pairs of stimuli are close enough (usually an interstimulus distance of 20' or less for the central 10 degrees of the cat's visual field), then DS neurons show striking departures from linear summation. Specifically, this departure entails an anisotropic distribution of inhibition. The directional selectivity of DS neurons cannot be explained on the basis of a simple linear combination of their on and off region's responses. Directional selectivity is produced entirely within an on-excitatory discharge region or entirely within an off-excitatory discharge region. The excitatory discharge center of even the simplest unimodal DS neuron can be shown to be decomposable into subunits smaller than that discharge center. The fact that the spread of this anisotropy of inhibition is often much more restricted than the entire extent of the DS neuron's excitatory discharge center argues strongly that underlying subregions or modules are contributing their inputs to DS neurons. A DS neuron does not analyze motion as an isolated unit; to the contrary, it is probably embedded in a pool of mutually "cooperative" DS neurons. The basic module of directional analysis is responsive either to an on-on sequence or an off-off sequence but not to both. It is not selective to an on-off sequence. Therefore, unimodal DS neurons (DS1) are performing an analysis of single moving edges.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

scholarly journals Analysis of orientation bias in cat retina

1982 ◽  
Vol 329 (1) ◽  
pp. 243-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. R. Levick ◽  
L. N. Thibos
Keyword(s):  
Cat Retina ◽  
Orientation Bias

The morphology and topographic distribution of substance- P-like immunoreactive amacrine cells in the cat retina

1989 ◽  
Vol 237 (1289) ◽  
pp. 471-488 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Substance P ◽  
Ganglion Cell ◽  
Plexiform Layer ◽  
Amacrine Cells ◽  
Maximum Density ◽  
Peripheral Retina ◽  
Inner Plexiform Layer ◽  
Cat Retina ◽  
Area Centralis ◽  
Topographic Distribution

In cat retinal wholemounts, substance-P-like immunoreactivity (SP-IR) was localized in a distinct population of amacrines whose cell bodies were normally placed in the ganglion cell layer. Although displaced amacrines accounted for 80-95% of the SP-IR amacrines in peripheral retina, this proportion decreased considerably within the area centralis, accounting for 50-80% of the labelled cells at maximum density. The SP-IR cells in both the inner nuclear and ganglion cell layers gave rise to well-defined varicose dendrites of uniform appearance that stratified around 60% depth (S3/S4) of the inner plexiform layer. In addition, sparse fine dendrites in stratum 1 (S1) could sometimes be traced to inner nuclear cells and occasionally to displaced amacrines. The combined SP-IR cell density ranged from less than 50 cells mm -2 in the far periphery to more than 500 cells mm -2 in the area centralis; the maximum density showed little individual variation despite wide differences in the proportion of displaced cells. The 39000 SP-IR amacrines in a mapped retina had a triangular topographic distribution, with intermediate isodensity lines extending vertically in superior retina and horizontally along both arms of the visual streak. Colocalization experiments established that all SP-IR cells in cat retina showed GABA-like immunoreactivity, and that the SP-IR amacrines were quite distinct from the cholinergic amacrines identified by choline acetyltransferase immunohistochemistry.

Quantitative aspects of synaptic ribbon formation in the outer plexiform layer of the developing cat retina

1989 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
David H. Rapaport
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Plexiform Layer ◽  
Outer Plexiform Layer ◽  
Synaptic Ribbons ◽  
Cone Photoreceptor ◽  
Synaptic Ribbon ◽  
Quantitative Electron Microscopy ◽  
Cat Retina ◽  
Area Centralis

AbstractThe development of synaptic ribbons in rod and cone photoreceptor terminals of the cat retina was studied using quantitative electron microscopy. At the region of the area centralis, synaptic ribbon profiles are initially recognized at PCD (postconception day) 59. Synaptic ribbon density increases rapidly, reaching a peak of 0.55 ribbons/μm3 at PCD 68 (postnatal day 3) and maintains approximately that value for an additional 8 d. Following PCD 76, ribbon density begins to decrease, to 0.37 ribbons/μm3 at PCD 82 and 0.25 ribbons/μm3 at PCD 102. Although ribbon density drops by approximately 50% during this 39-d period, the outer plexiform layer (OPL) volume at the area centralis increases by about 20%. Ribbon density continues to decrease gradually over a protracted period to reach a final adult value of 0.11–0.14 ribbons/μm3. During the period of high ribbon density, rod spherules with two, or even three ribbon profiles, were routinely observed. In contrast, in the adult, spherules with more than one ribbon profile are only rarely encountered. During development, the length of synaptic ribbon profiles increases from a mean of 0.22 μm at PCD 62 to the 0.47 μm mean length found in the adult.

scholarly journals Temporal and mosaic distribution of large ganglion cells in the retina of a daggertooth aulopiform deep–sea fish ( Anotopterus pharao )

2000 ◽  
Vol 355 (1401) ◽  
pp. 1161-1166 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Uemura ◽  
H. Somiya ◽  
M. Moku ◽  
K. Kawaguchi
Keyword(s):  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Outer Part ◽  
Plexiform Layer ◽  
Inner Plexiform Layer ◽  
Retinal Ganglion ◽  
Cat Retina ◽  
Epipelagic Zone ◽  
Area Centralis ◽  
Mean Size ◽  
Mosaic Distribution

The daggertooth Anotopteruspharao (Aulopiformes: Anotopteridae) is a large, piscivorous predator that lives within the epipelagic zone at night. In this species, the distribution of retinal ganglion cells has been examined. An isodensity contour map of ganglion cells shows that the cells concentrate in a slightly ventral region of the temporal retina. The region of high ganglion cell density contains 4.07 × 10 3 cells mm −2 , and the resulting visual acuity is 3.5 cycles deg −1 . Outside the area centralis, conspicuously large ganglion cells (LGCs) are observed in the temporal margin of the retina. The LGCs are regularly arrayed, and displaced into the inner plexiform layer. Thick dendrites extend into the outer part (sublamina a) of the inner plexiform layer. In the retinal whole mount, the total number of LGCs is 1590 (90.7cm specimen), and the mean size of the LGCs is about four times larger than that of the ordinary ganglion cells. The morphological appearance of the LGCs was similar to the off–type alpha cells of the cat retina. The function of these distinctive LGCs is discussed in relation to specific head–up feeding behaviour.

Demonstration of cell types among cone bipolar neurons of cat retina

1990 ◽  
Vol 330 (1258) ◽  
pp. 305-321 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Large Population ◽  
Plexiform Layer ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Bipolar Cells ◽  
Inner Plexiform Layer ◽  
Regular Array ◽  
Cat Retina ◽  
Area Centralis ◽  
Ultrathin Sections ◽  
Total Reconstruction

We identified all the cone bipolar cells (80) in a small patch of one retina and then studied in detail the complete subset (42) that sends axons to sublamina b of the inner plexiform layer. The point was to learn whether the ‘types' suggested previously, based on a few examples from a large population, could be substantiated or whether there would be intermediate forms. Tissue from the area centralis (1° eccentricity), was prepared as a series of 279 ultrathin sections and photographed in the electron microscope. Thirteen cells were reconstructed completely and parcelled into five categories (b 4 —b 5 ) based on external morphology. For nine of these cells (two from categories b 1 -b 4 and one from b 5 ) most of the synaptic inputs and outputs were identified. When these nine cells were parcelled according to their synaptic patterns, they sorted into the same five categories. The remaining 29 cells in the population, though not reconstructed, were studied in detail by tracing their processes through the series. Ten of these cells, those near the margin of the series, were incomplete. The other 19 cells had essentially the same distribution of morphologies and synaptic patterns as the subset studied by total reconstruction: when plotted in multiparametric space, they formed distinct clusters corresponding to the five morphological categories. There was no hint of intermediate forms. That all the neurons in the population sort into some cluster (no intermediate forms), and that each neuron sorts into the same cluster by different criteria, argues that the clusters represent natural types. Each type forms a regular array in the region studied with an axonal ‘coverage factor' that is close to one.

On the distribution of gamma cells in the cat retina

1995 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 687-700 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.J. Stein ◽  
D.M. Berson
Keyword(s):  
Beta Cells ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Retrograde Transport ◽  
Cat Retina ◽  
Cell Class ◽  
Visual Streak ◽  
Area Centralis ◽  
Soma Size ◽  
Retinal Distribution ◽  
The Brain

AbstractGanglion cells of the cat retina that are neither alpha nor beta cells are often lumped for convenience into a single anatomical group—the gamma cells (Boycott & Wässle, 1974; Stone, 1983; Wässle & Boycott, 1991). Defined in this way, gamma cells are the morphological counterpart to the physiological W-cell class, which includes all ganglion cells that are neither Y (alpha) nor X (beta) cells. We have estimated the retinal distribution of gamma cells by using retrograde transport to label ganglion cells innervating the superior colliculus and by assuming that these included virtually all gamma cells and no beta cells. We excluded labeled alpha cells on the basis of soma size. Our data suggest that gamma cells represent just under half of the ganglion cells in most of the nasal retina, but only about a third of those in the area centralis and temporal retina. Gamma cells do not appear to be more highly concentrated in the nasal visual streak than are other ganglion cells. In the temporal retina, gamma cells with crossed projections to the brain are apparently at least twice as common as those with uncrossed projections.

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