INTERCELLULAR COMMUNICATION IN RETINAL DEVELOPMENT

描述（改编自申请人摘要）：确定神经元如何 连接在生命早期变得高度组织化， 了解神经系统是如何发育的。精确的神经模式 连接在发展过程中出现，因为不适当的连接是 删除，并保持适当的。这个竞争过程是 由神经元活动驱动，使得细胞“一起激发， 一起“在视觉系统的发展过程中， 通过行动潜力活动驱动的进程进行重组， 视网膜，甚至在视力开始之前。本建议涉及以下方面的作用： 在建立功能性离散系统中的自发周期性爆发活动 雪貂视网膜向其中心目标的投射。具体 它的重点是ON和OFF视网膜神经节细胞的神经支配模式， 在发育过程中通过基于时间差异的机制进行了完善， 它们的自发爆发模式具体目标1解决了 相互作用发生在视网膜内层， 在发育的适当时期，ON和OFF神经节细胞的模式。 GABA和谷氨酸介导的相互作用将使用 电生理和钙成像技术。具体目标二是 确定ON和OFF的爆发节律之间的时间关系 细胞，并研究它们的活动模式中的哪些信息可以 隔离它们的连通性。ON和OFF之间的相关活动 将通过记录来自成对的神经节细胞的细胞外信息来检查神经节细胞。 细胞建模技术将用于测试和预测如何自发 ON和OFF神经节细胞的模式可以指定ON和OFF视网膜小膝状体 连通性。

DESCRIPTION (Adapted from applicant's abstract): Determining how neuronal connections become highly organized early in life is fundamental to understanding of how the nervous system develops. Precise patterns of neural connections emerge during development as inappropriate connections are eliminated, and appropriate ones are maintained. This competitive process is driven by neuronal activity such that cells that "fire together, wire together." Connectivity in many parts of the developing visual system undergo restructuring through processes driven by action potential activity from the retina, even before the onset of vision. This proposal addresses the role of spontaneous periodic bursting activity in establishing functionally discrete projections from the retina to its central targets in the ferret. Specifically it focuses on how the innervation patterns of ON and OFF retinal ganglion cells are refined during development by mechanisms based on temporal differences in their spontaneous bursting patterns. Specific aim 1 addresses what cellular interactions occur in the inner retina to create distinct spontaneous activity patterns of ON and OFF ganglion cells at appropriate periods in development. Interactions mediated by GABA and glutamate will be investigated using electrophysiological and calcium imaging techniques. Specific aim 2 is to determine the temporal relationship between the bursting rhythms of ON and OFF cells, and investigate what information in their activity pattern could to segregation of their connectivity. Correlated activity between ON and OFF ganglion cells will be examined by recording extracellularly from pairs of cells. Modeling techniques will be used to test and predict how spontaneous patterns in ON and OFF ganglion cells can specify ON and OFF retinogeniculate connectivity.