A Retinal Circuit Generating a Dynamic Predictive Code for Oriented Features

Neuron. 2019 Jun 19;102(6):1211-1222.e3. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.04.002. Epub 2019 May 1.

Abstract

Sensory systems must reduce the transmission of redundant information to function efficiently. One strategy is to continuously adjust the sensitivity of neurons to suppress responses to common features of the input while enhancing responses to new ones. Here we image the excitatory synaptic inputs and outputs of retinal ganglion cells to understand how such dynamic predictive coding is implemented in the analysis of spatial patterns. Synapses of bipolar cells become tuned to orientation through presynaptic inhibition, generating lateral antagonism in the orientation domain. Individual ganglion cells receive excitatory synapses tuned to different orientations, but feedforward inhibition generates a high-pass filter that only transmits the initial activation of these inputs, removing redundancy. These results demonstrate how a dynamic predictive code can be implemented by circuit motifs common to many parts of the brain.

Keywords: orientation; predictive code; retina; synapse; tectum; vision; zebrafish.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Escherichia coli Proteins
  • Glutamic Acid / metabolism
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Larva
  • Neural Inhibition / physiology*
  • Optical Imaging
  • Orientation, Spatial
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Retina
  • Retinal Bipolar Cells / metabolism
  • Retinal Bipolar Cells / physiology*
  • Retinal Ganglion Cells / metabolism
  • Retinal Ganglion Cells / physiology*
  • Space Perception / physiology*
  • Synapses / metabolism
  • Synapses / physiology*
  • Vision, Ocular / physiology*
  • Visual Pathways
  • Zebrafish

Substances

  • Escherichia coli Proteins
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • iGluSnFR protein
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Glutamic Acid