Genetic mapping of visual circuits

项目摘要 光是一个非常重要的调节生理和行为在广泛的生物体。尽管 它对影响生理和行为的重要性，光信息从 眼睛对大脑的影响行为还不太清楚。该提案的核心目标是 通过关注中继神经元的连接和影响，从遗传学上绘制视觉基础电路 视网膜的神经节细胞。我们将使用小鼠遗传学来确定特定视网膜病变的影响。 神经节细胞亚型对行为的影响，研究这些视网膜神经节细胞对 视觉核，并在细胞水平上绘制大脑中视网膜神经节细胞的连通性。这些研究 将增强我们对视觉处理的理解，并有可能更好地告知我们的理解 以及治疗视觉系统的功能障碍和损伤以更好地改善人类健康。

PROJECT SUMMARY Light is a profoundly important regulator of physiology and behavior across a wide range of organisms. Despite its importance for influencing physiology and behavior, the circuits by which light information is relayed from the eye to the brain to influence behavior are not well understood. The central goal of this proposal is to genetically map the circuits underlying vision by focusing on the connectivity and influence of the relay neurons of the retina, the retinal ganglion cells. We will use mouse genetics to identify the influence of specific retinal ganglion cell subtypes on behavior, investigate the influence of these retinal ganglion cells on signaling within visual nuclei, and map the connectivity of retinal ganglion cells in the brain at the cellular level. These studies will enhance our understanding of visual processing and have the potential to better inform our understanding and treatment of dysfunction and injury of the visual system to better improve human health.