Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
Science. 2010 Oct 29;330(6004):669-73. doi: 10.1126/science.1192949.
The optic tectum of zebrafish is involved in behavioral responses that require the detection of small objects. The superficial layers of the tectal neuropil receive input from retinal axons, while its deeper layers convey the processed information to premotor areas. Imaging with a genetically encoded calcium indicator revealed that the deep layers, as well as the dendrites of single tectal neurons, are preferentially activated by small visual stimuli. This spatial filtering relies on GABAergic interneurons (using the neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid) that are located in the superficial input layer and respond only to large visual stimuli. Photo-ablation of these cells with KillerRed, or silencing of their synaptic transmission, eliminates the size tuning of deeper layers and impairs the capture of prey.
斑马鱼的视顶盖参与需要检测小物体的行为反应。顶盖神经毡的浅层接收来自视网膜轴突的输入,而其深层将处理后的信息传递到前运动区。使用基因编码的钙指示剂进行成像显示,深层以及单个顶盖神经元的树突优先被小视觉刺激激活。这种空间滤波依赖于位于浅层输入层中的 GABA 能中间神经元(使用神经递质γ-氨基丁酸),它们仅对大的视觉刺激作出反应。使用 KillerRed 对这些细胞进行光消融,或抑制其突触传递,会消除深层的大小调谐,并损害猎物的捕获。