Understanding of visual neural circuits based on the operant conditioning

在本课题中，我们试图达到两个目的，即：(1)利用操作性条件反射技术估计鸡的颜色识别能力；(2)阐明鸡直肠中投射到f层的视网膜神经节细胞的形态特征。首先，我们改进了操作性条件反射装置，使实验更加精确，在实验装置上新安装了启动踏板，并在实验前隐藏了提示踏板。因此，我们可以理解，小鸡关心的是奖励食物与线索颜色踏板位置之间的关系，而不是食物与预先烙印的线索颜色之间的关系（小鸡对孵化后第一次看到的颜色表现出强烈的偏好）。这一结果表明，雏鸟天生对空间位置信息的关注比后天获得的印迹信息更强烈。第二个目的是，我们用抗AChR抗体标记RGCs， AChR将轴突发送到顶盖的f层，并用荧光轴突示踪剂DiI标记RGCs。标记的RGCs表现为IIc、IIIs和IVc组的形态学特征。特别是与运动物体相关的IVc组仅投射到f层。

In current year, we Attempted to achieve two purposes in our subject, that is, (1) estimation of color discrimination in chick by using of techniques of operant conditioning and (2) elucidation of morphological characteristics of retinal ganglion cells projecting to F-lamina in chick rectum. For the first purpose, we improved the devise for operant conditioning to make the experiment more precise, a starting pedal was newly furnished to the device and a cue pedal was hidden from chick before the test. As a result, we could understand that chick cares for the relation between the food of reward and the position of a cue color pedal rather than the relation between the food and a pre-imprinted cue color(chicks show strong preference for the color that they see first after hatched). This result suggested that chick cared more strongly for information of position in the space innately than acquired imprinting information. In second purpose, we labeled RGCs with antibody against AChR, which send axons to F-lamina of tectum and with florescence axonal tracer, DiI. The labeled RGCs showed the morphological properties of Group IIc, IIIs, and IVc. Particular, Group IVc related to the moving object projected exclusively to F-lamina.