Neuron
Volume 39, Issue 1, 3 July 2003, Pages 85-96
Journal home page for Neuron

Article
Visual Stimulation Is Required for Refinement of ON and OFF Pathways in Postnatal RetinaDaw

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0896-6273(03)00389-1Get rights and content
Under an Elsevier user license
open archive

Abstract

ON and OFF pathways separately relay increment and decrement luminance signals from retinal bipolar cells to cortex. ON-OFF retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are activated via synaptic inputs onto bistratified dendrites localized in the ON and OFF regions of the inner plexiform layer. Postnatal maturational processes convert bistratifying ON-OFF RGCs to monostratifying ON and OFF RGCs. Although visual deprivation influences refinement of higher visual centers, no previous studies suggest that light regulates either the development of the visual-evoked signaling in retinal ON and OFF pathways, nor pruning of bistratified RGC dendrites. We find that dark rearing blocks both the maturational loss of ON-OFF responsive RGCs and the pruning of dendrites. Thus, in retina, there is a previously unrecognized, pathway-specific maturation that is profoundly affected by visual deprivation.

Cited by (0)