Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV 89557, USA.
Department of Biology and Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA.
Curr Biol. 2019 Dec 2;29(23):4130-4138.e5. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.10.017. Epub 2019 Nov 21.
The superior colliculus (SC) plays a highly conserved role in visual processing and mediates visual orienting behaviors across species, including both overt motor orienting [1, 2] and orienting of attention [3, 4]. To determine the specific circuits within the superficial superior colliculus (sSC) that drive orienting and approach behavior toward appetitive stimuli, we explored the role of three genetically defined cell types in mediating prey capture in mice. Chemogenetic inactivation of two classically defined cell types, the wide-field (WF) and narrow-field (NF) vertical neurons, revealed that they are involved in distinct aspects of prey capture. WF neurons were required for rapid prey detection and distant approach initiation, whereas NF neurons were required for accurate orienting during pursuit as well as approach initiation and continuity. In contrast, prey capture did not require parvalbumin-expressing (PV) neurons that have previously been implicated in fear responses. The visual coding and projection targets of WF and NF cells were consistent with their roles in prey detection versus pursuit, respectively. Thus, our studies link specific neural circuit connectivity and function with stimulus detection and orienting behavior, providing insight into visuomotor and attentional mechanisms mediated by superior colliculus.
上丘（SC）在视觉处理中发挥着高度保守的作用，介导了跨物种的视觉定向行为，包括明显的运动定向[1,2]和注意力的定向[3,4]。为了确定驱动朝向和接近奖赏性刺激的行为的浅层上丘（sSC）内的特定回路，我们探索了三种基因定义的细胞类型在介导小鼠捕食行为中的作用。通过化学遗传失活两种经典定义的细胞类型，宽场（WF）和窄场（NF）垂直神经元，揭示它们参与了捕食的不同方面。WF 神经元对于快速猎物检测和远距离起始接近是必需的，而 NF 神经元对于追逐过程中的准确定向以及起始和连续性接近是必需的。相比之下，捕食行为并不需要先前涉及恐惧反应的表达 parvalbumin 的神经元。WF 和 NF 细胞的视觉编码和投射靶标与其在猎物检测与追逐中的作用分别一致。因此，我们的研究将特定的神经回路连接和功能与刺激检测和定向行为联系起来，为上丘介导的运动和注意力机制提供了深入了解。
