Abstract
A central hypothesis of neural development is that patterned activity drives the refinement of initially imprecise connections. We have examined this hypothesis directly by altering the frequency of spontaneous waves of activity that sweep across the mammalian retina prior to vision. Activity levels were increased in vivo using agents that elevate cAMP. When one eye is made more active, its layer within the LGN is larger despite the other eye having normal levels of activity. Remarkably, when the frequency of retinal waves is increased in both eyes, normally sized layers form. Because relative, rather than absolute, levels of activity between the eyes regulate the amount of LGN territory devoted to each eye, we conclude that activity acts instructively to guide binocular segregation during development.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
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Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Animals, Newborn
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Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic / pharmacology
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Cholera Toxin / pharmacology
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Colforsin / pharmacology
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Cyclic AMP / analogs & derivatives
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Cyclic AMP / metabolism*
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Dendrites / ultrastructure
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Ferrets
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Fluorescent Dyes / administration & dosage
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Fluorescent Dyes / metabolism
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Functional Laterality
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Geniculate Bodies / anatomy & histology
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Geniculate Bodies / metabolism*
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Histocytochemistry
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Nicotinic Agonists / pharmacology
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Patch-Clamp Techniques
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Pyridines / pharmacology
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Retina / cytology
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Retina / drug effects
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Retina / growth & development
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Retina / physiology*
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Retinal Ganglion Cells / cytology
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Vision, Binocular / physiology
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Visual Pathways / growth & development
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Visual Pathways / physiology*
Substances
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Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic
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Fluorescent Dyes
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Nicotinic Agonists
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Pyridines
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Colforsin
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Cholera Toxin
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Cyclic AMP
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epibatidine