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The Neuroscientist, Vol. 10, No. 4, 337-346 (2004)
DOI: 10.1177/1073858404265254
© 2004 SAGE Publications

Reviews

Pathway-Specific Maturation, Visual Deprivation, and Development of Retinal Pathway

Hongping Xu

Departments of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Yale University, School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.

Ning Tian

Departments of Ophthalmology and Visual Science and Neurobiology, Yale University, School of Medicine, 330 Cedar Street, BML 212, New Haven, CT 06520 ning.tian{at}yale.edu

One of the fundamental features of the visual system is the segregation of neural circuits that process increments and decrements of luminance into ON and OFF pathways. In mature retina, the dendrites of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in the inner plexiform layer (IPL) of retina are separated into ON or OFF sublaminaspecific stratification. At an early developmental stage, however, the dendrites of most RGCs are ramified throughout the IPL. The maturation of RGC ON/OFF dendritic stratification requires neural activities mediated by afferent inputs from bipolar and amacrine cells. The synchronized spontaneous burst activities in early postnatal developing retina regulate RGC dendritic filopodial movements and the maintenance or elimination of dendritic processes. After eye opening, visual experience further remodels and consolidates the retinal neural circuit into mature forms. Several neurotransmitter systems, including glutamatergic, acetylcholinergic, GAB Aergic, and glycinergic systems, might act together to modulate the RGC dendritic refinement. In addition, both the bipolar cells and cholinergic amacrine cells may provide laminar cues for the maturation of RGC dendritic stratification.

Key Words: Activity-dependent synaptic plasticity • Synaptic pathway • Visual deprivation • Retinal ganglion cells


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