Responses to Spatial Contrast in the Mouse Suprachiasmatic Nuclei

Current Biology : CB
Joshua W MoulandRobert J Lucas

Abstract

A direct retinal projection targets the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) (an important hypothalamic control center). The accepted function of this projection is to convey information about ambient light (irradiance) to synchronize the SCN's endogenous circadian clock with local time and drive the diurnal variations in physiology and behavior [1-4]. Here, we report that it also renders the SCN responsive to visual images. We map spatial receptive fields (RFs) for SCN neurons and find that only a minority are excited (or inhibited) by light from across the scene as expected for irradiance detectors. The most commonly encountered units have RFs with small excitatory centers, combined with very extensive inhibitory surrounds that reduce their sensitivity to global changes in light in favor of responses to spatial patterns. Other units have larger excitatory RF centers, but these always cover a coherent region of visual space, implying visuotopic order at the single-unit level. Approximately 75% of light-responsive SCN units modulate their firing according to simple spatial patterns (drifting or inverting gratings) without changes in irradiance. The time-averaged firing rate of the SCN is modestly increased under these conditions, but ...Continue Reading

Citations

May 17, 2018·Scientific Reports·Marina SaitoIkuya Murakami
Sep 19, 2017·The European Journal of Neuroscience·Jihwan Myung, Scott D Pauls
Jul 12, 2019·Frontiers in Physiology·Yanling XieLili Chen
Nov 9, 2017·Cell Reports·Adam R StinchcombeDaniel B Forger
Mar 2, 2021·Biochemical Pharmacology·Stefania EvangelistiRaffaele Lodi
May 25, 2021·Frontiers in Neuroscience·Adam R StinchcombeDaniel B Forger
Jun 5, 2021·Annual Review of Vision Science·Dan-E Nilsson

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