The development of subnetworks of the TRN

项目摘要 我们与视觉世界的关系在很大程度上取决于我们接收和处理光线的能力。 the eye.许多非图像形成视觉功能需要一部分来自光的信息， 控制我们的生物钟，控制眼球运动，影响情绪。大脑的一个主要区域 接收这种非图像形成视觉信息的大脑位于腹侧丘脑，被称为 腹外侧膝状体核（vLGN）。尽管vLGN与下游区域有关， 在重要的功能中，包括视觉功能、昼夜光诱导和前庭功能， 没有被好好研究过。造成这一重大知识差距的原因之一是，人们对基金会知之甚少。 vLGN的心理特征，特别是关于其细胞和分子景观，从而使其 技术上具有挑战性的开发工具，以回答悬而未决的问题，其作用在视觉信息亲， 切辛这项研究的动机是需要表征vLGN的分子结构，并确定 与视网膜纤维形成连接的神经元。该项目直接与BRAIN倡议保持一致， 美国国立卫生研究院的蓝图计划，扩大神经科学的基本理解，使用创新的重新， 搜索方法来表征神经系统中的细胞类型，并映射大脑中连接的神经元。 这项工作的结果将显著影响该领域，并产生对视觉区域的更深入理解 接收、处理和传输非图像形成视觉信息的大脑。

PROJECT SUMMARY Our relationship with the visual world is heavily dependent on our ability to receive and process light coming into the eye. A portion of that light-derived information is needed for many non-image-forming visual functions like programming our biological clocks, controlling eye movement, and influencing mood. A major region of the brain which receives this non-image-forming visual information is located in the ventral thalamus and known as the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus (vLGN). Although the vLGN has connections with downstream regions involved in important functions, including visuomotor function, circadian photoentrainment, and vestibular function, it has not been well-studied. One reason for this significant gap in knowledge is that very little is known about funda- mental characteristics of vLGN, particularly with respect to its cellular and molecular landscape, thus making it technically challenging to develop tools to answer outstanding questions about its role in visual information pro- cessing. This study is motivated by the need to characterize the molecular architecture of vLGN, and to identify the neurons which form connections with retinal fibers. This project directly aligns with the BRAIN Initiative and the NIH's Blueprint Program by expanding fundamental understanding of neuroscience using innovative re- search methods to characterize cell types in the nervous system and mapping connected neurons in the brain. The results of this work will significantly impact the field and generate a deeper understanding of a visual region of the brain which receives, processes, and transmits non-image-forming visual information.