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Reelin Is Required for Class-Specific Retinogeniculate Targeting
- Source :
- The Journal of Neuroscience. 31:575-586
- Publication Year :
- 2011
- Publisher :
- Society for Neuroscience, 2011.
-
Abstract
- Development of visual system circuitry requires the formation of precise synaptic connections between neurons in the retina and brain. For example, axons from retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) form synapses onto neurons within subnuclei of the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) [i.e., the dorsal LGN (dLGN), ventral LGN (vLGN), and intergeniculate leaflet (IGL)]. Distinct classes of RGCs project to these subnuclei: the dLGN is innervated by image-forming RGCs, whereas the vLGN and IGL are innervated by non-image-forming RGCs. To explore potential mechanisms regulating class-specific LGN targeting, we sought to identify differentially expressed targeting molecules in these LGN subnuclei. One candidate targeting molecule enriched in the vLGN and IGL during retinogeniculate circuit formation was the extracellular matrix molecule reelin. Anterograde labeling of RGC axons in mutant mice lacking functional reelin (relnrl/rl) revealed reduced patterns of vLGN and IGL innervation and misrouted RGC axons in adjacent non-retino-recipient thalamic nuclei. Using genetic reporter mice, we further demonstrated that mistargeted axons were from non-image-forming, intrinsically photosensitive RGCs (ipRGCs). In contrast to mistargeted ipRGC axons, axons arising from image-forming RGCs and layer VI cortical neurons correctly targeted the dLGN inrelnrl/rlmutants. Together, these data reveal that reelin is essential for the targeting of LGN subnuclei by functionally distinct classes of RGCs.
- Subjects :
- Retinal Ganglion Cells
genetic structures
Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal
Mutant
Nerve Tissue Proteins
Lateral geniculate nucleus
Retinal ganglion
Article
Mice
medicine
Animals
Reelin
Cerebral Cortex
Extracellular Matrix Proteins
Retina
biology
General Neuroscience
Serine Endopeptidases
Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells
Geniculate Bodies
Axons
Mice, Mutant Strains
eye diseases
Reelin Protein
medicine.anatomical_structure
nervous system
Cerebral cortex
biology.protein
sense organs
Signal transduction
Neuroscience
Signal Transduction
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 15292401 and 02706474
- Volume :
- 31
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- The Journal of Neuroscience
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....2a9ed6bb61a8e48c233257e16b4bd874