Research article summary (published 12 Oct 2009):

Direction-specific disruption of subcortical visual behavior and receptive fields in mice lacking the beta2 subunit of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor.

Full Abstract

Retinotopic mapping is a basic feature of visual system organization, but its role in processing visual information is unknown. Mutant mice lacking the beta2 subunit of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor have imprecise maps in both visual cortex (V1) and the superior colliculus (SC) due to the disruption of spontaneous retinal activity during development. Here, we use behavioral and physiological approaches to study their visual functions. We find that beta2-/- mice fail to track visual stimuli moving along the nasotemporal axis in a subcortical optomotor behavior, but track normally along the dorsoventral axis. In contrast, these mice display normal acuity along both axes in the visual water task, a behavioral test of cortical functions. Consistent with the behavioral results, we find that V1 neurons in beta2-/- mice have normal response properties, while SC neurons have disrupted receptive fields, including enlarged structure and decreased direction and orientation selectivity along the nasotemporal axis. The subcortical-specific deficits indicate that retinotopic map disruption has different impacts on the development of functional properties in V1 and the SC.

Author information

Author/s: Wang, Lupeng (L); Rangarajan, Krsna V (KV); Lawhn-Heath, Courtney A (CA); Sarnaik, Rashmi (R); Wang, Bor-Shuen (BS); Liu, Xiaorong (X); Cang, Jianhua (J);

Affiliation: Department of Neurobiology and Physiology and Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.

Grants: EY018621 (Agency:NEI NIH HHS) ; EY019034 (Agency:NEI NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience (J Neurosci), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-Oct; vol 29 (issue 41) : pp 12909-18

Dates: Created 2009/10/15; Completed 2009/10/30;

PMID: 19828805, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 10/30/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

External Links for this article
(including full text providers, if available):

Click Electronic Full-text Provider Links to see options for finding the electronic full text links to this article. Note there may be a subscription or fee required for access to the full text. See our FAQ for information on finding FREE full text articles.

This article may also be located in paper journal collections available in many libraries. Use the Journal and Publication Information above to find the full article.

MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Analysis of Variance Animals Brain Mapping Disease Models, Animal Evoked Potentials, Visual - genetics Head Movements - physiology Mice Mice, Inbred C57BL Mice, Knockout Nystagmus, Optokinetic - genetics

Orientation - physiology Perceptual Disorders - genetics; pathology Photic Stimulation Receptors, Nicotinic - deficiency; genetics Sensory Receptor Cells - physiology Space Perception - physiology Superior Colliculi - pathology; physiopathology Visual Cortex - pathology Visual Fields - genetics Visual Pathways - physiopathology

Associated Chemicals: Chrnb2 protein, mouse (0) ; Receptors, Nicotinic (0)

Related articles

These are the highest related articles currently in the database:

• Functional circuitry underlying natural and interventional cancellation of visual neglect. 17 Nov 2003
• Altered navigational strategy use and visuospatial deficits in hAPP transgenic mice. 26 Nov 2006
• Spatial attention: normal processes and their breakdown. 30 Jul 2003
• Subcortical modulation of spatial attention including evidence that the Sprague effect extends to man. 30 Jul 2004
• Perceptual distortions in the neural representation of visual space. 27 Feb 1999
• Functional degradation of extrastriate visual cortex in senescent rhesus monkeys. 4 May 2006
• How humans reach: distinct cortical systems for central and peripheral vision. 30 Jan 2007
• Optokinetic stimulation and the egocentred midsagittal plane: an fMRI study. 19 Jan 2002
• Direction-specific impairment of motion perception and spatial orientation in downbeat and upbeat nystagmus in humans. 25 Mar 1998
• Direction-dependent visual cortex activation during horizontal optokinetic stimulation (fMRI study). 30 Mar 2006

See 100+ related articles.

Related Article Map

Legend: - FREE Full text Article. - Abstract only. - Title only. More help.

See a large map of 100+ related articles.