Optogenetic Stimulation of Single Ganglion Cells in the Living Primate Fovea
Year: 2025
Type: preprint
Abstract: Though the responses of the rich variety of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) reflect the totality of visual processing in the retina and provide the sole conduit for those processed responses to the brain, we have much to learn about how the brain uses these signals to guide behavior. An impediment to developing a comprehensive understanding of the role of retinal circuits in behavior is the paucity of causal studies in the intact primate visual system. Here we demonstrate the ability to optogenetically activate individual RGCs with flashes of light focused on single RGC somas in vivo, with no evidence for activation of neighboring cells. The ability to selectively activate specific cells is the first step toward causal experiments that directly link retinal circuits to visual experience and behavior.
Source: eLife
Authors: Peter J Murphy, Juliette E McGregor, Zhengyang Xu, Qiang Yang, William Merigan, David R Williams
Institutions: University of Rochester, University of Rochester Medicine
Language: English
Subfield: Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,500
OpenAlex ID: W4411605656