Work

Differential topographic organization and retinal inheritance of direction and orientation selectivity in the visual thalamus

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) of the thalamus, a major retinal target, processes and relays visual information, including direction selectivity (DS) and orientation selectivity (OS). However, the organization of DS and OS in the LGN, including the extent to which the information is directly inherited from the retina or generated within the LGN, remains poorly understood. Using high-density recordings from across the mouse LGN, we reveal two distinct organization patterns: LGN DS responses are scarce in the central visual field and are topographically aligned to translatory optic flow dynamics around it, whereas OS responses span the visual field. In transgenic mice lacking retinal DS, we find that only LGN DS, but not LGN OS responses are eliminated. Our results suggest that LGN DS is inherited from the retina, although the retinogeniculate transfer is topography-dependent and potentially optimized for representations that support visually-guided behaviors.

Source: Nature Communications

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-64321-1

Authors: Hadar Yaakov, Alina S. Heukamp, Serena Riccitelli, Michal Rivlin-Etzion

Institutions: Weizmann Institute of Science, Ospedale Policlinico San Martino

Language: English

Topic: Visual perception and processing mechanisms

Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $6,990

Funders: Minerva Foundation, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel Science Foundation, H2020 European Research Council