Speaker：Siyang Li (李思扬) Xinyuan Zhao (赵心源) Jingjing Liu (刘菁菁)

Title:  Direction selectivity in the retina

Guest information:

1. Dr. Shiming Tang (PKU)

http://www.bio.pku.edu.cn/teacher_dis_oa.php?cid=146&&teaid=66

2. Dr. Yulong Li (PKU)

http://www.bio.pku.edu.cn/teacher_dis_oa.php?cid=146&&teaid=43

Abstract:

The ability of processing and computing visual information is essential for animal survival. And this remarkable ability exists starting from the retina. Some of retinal ganglion cells show preference to motion stimulation in a certain direction. People have characterized four classes of direction selective ON-OFF ganglion cells that corresponds to four cardinal directions (i.e., dorsal, ventral, nasal and temporal) and three classes of direction selective ON ganglion cells. But how the asymmetric structure in the retinal neural circuits and synaptic connections gives rise to the preference of one direction and where the asymmetry is generated from during signal transmitting as well as development are still under intense study. With the development of some techniques such as patch-clamp and two-photon microscopy, along with genetic tool, scientists are able to uncover more secrets from the neural circuits in the retina. And these study in the retina will provide some insights into more general questions about neural circuits and synaptic organization in other parts of central nervous system.

Recommend Literatures：

Review:

1. Vaney D I, Sivyer B, Taylor W R. Direction selectivity in the retina: symmetry and asymmetry in structure and function[J]. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 2012, 13(3):194.

Link：https://www.nature.com/articles/nrn3165.pdf

2. Borst A, Euler T. Seeing Things in Motion: Models, Circuits, and Mechanisms[J]. Neuron, 2011, 71(6):974-994.

Link: https://ac.els-cdn.com/S0896627311007860/1-s2.0-S0896627311007860-main.pdf?_tid=7eb11fca-e2e2-11e7-bb73-00000aab0f6c&acdnat=1513484987_37cc88bc9fe30a9aacb035773b052028

Papers:

1. Lee, Seunghoon, Kim, et al. Role of ACh-GABA Cotransmission in Detecting Image Motion and Motion Direction[J]. Neuron, 2010, 68(6):1159-1172.

Link: http://www.cell.com/neuron/pdf/S0896-6273(10)00973-6.pdf

2. Briggman K L, Helmstaedter M, Denk W. Wiring specificity in the direction-selectivity circuit of the retina.[J]. Nature, 2011, 471(7337):183-8.

Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/nature09818.pdf

3. Euler T, Detwiler P B, Denk W. Directionally selective calcium signals in dendrites of starburst amacrine cells.[J]. Nature, 2002, 418(6900):845.

Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/nature00931.pdf