Neuronal connectivity underlying color vision

描述(由候选人提供)：色觉需要对不同类型的彩色感光细胞的输出进行比较。在脊椎动物中，这种处理的初始步骤是由连接到彩色光感受器的视网膜神经元执行的。在果蝇身上，这种连接很可能发生在延髓，这是一种靠近果蝇视网膜的大脑结构。原则上，可以在四种不同类型的苍蝇色光感受器之间进行一些不同的比较。我们计划识别接触两种或两种以上不同类型光感受器的神经元。这一点，再加上我们对光感受器特性的了解，将使我们更好地理解苍蝇颜色处理的机制。我们预计，我们将揭示的基本原理将适用于包括人类在内的不同动物的颜色视觉。为此，我们建议开发三种不同的方法来可视化连接到光感受器的神经元：通过随机标记不同的神经元组，通过识别特定组的延髓神经元的标记，通过直接标记连接到彩色光感受器的神经元。我们的工作将为进一步研究颜色处理神经元的遗传操作和进一步理解颜色知觉提供坚实的基础。

DESCRIPTION (provided by candidate): Color vision requires a comparison of outputs from different types of color photoreceptor cells. In vertebrates, the initial steps of this processing are performed by retinal neurons that connect to the color photoreceptors. In fruit flies, such connections are likely to occur in the medulla, a brain structure close to the fly retina. In principle, a number of different comparisons could be made between four different types of fly color photoreceptors. We plan to identify neurons which contact two or more different types of photoreceptors. This, together with our knowledge of photoreceptor properties, will provide a better understanding of the mechanisms of color processing in flies. We expect that the basic principles that we will uncover will apply to color vision in different animals, including humans. To this end, we propose to develop three different approaches for visualizing neurons connected to the photoreceptors: by randomly labeling different sets of neurons, by identifying markers for specific sets of medulla neurons and by directly labeling neurons connected to the color photoreceptors. Our work will provide a solid foundation for further studies involving genetic manipulations of color-processing neurons and further understanding of color perception .