Skip to main content

Formation of retinal direction-selective circuitry initiated by starburst amacrine cell homotypic contact.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Ray, TA; Roy, S; Kozlowski, C; Wang, J; Cafaro, J; Hulbert, SW; Wright, CV; Field, GD; Kay, JN
Published in: Elife
April 3, 2018

A common strategy by which developing neurons locate their synaptic partners is through projections to circuit-specific neuropil sublayers. Once established, sublayers serve as a substrate for selective synapse formation, but how sublayers arise during neurodevelopment remains unknown. Here, we identify the earliest events that initiate formation of the direction-selective circuit in the inner plexiform layer of mouse retina. We demonstrate that radially migrating newborn starburst amacrine cells establish homotypic contacts on arrival at the inner retina. These contacts, mediated by the cell-surface protein MEGF10, trigger neuropil innervation resulting in generation of two sublayers comprising starburst-cell dendrites. This dendritic scaffold then recruits projections from circuit partners. Abolishing MEGF10-mediated contacts profoundly delays and ultimately disrupts sublayer formation, leading to broader direction tuning and weaker direction-selectivity in retinal ganglion cells. Our findings reveal a mechanism by which differentiating neurons transition from migratory to mature morphology, and highlight this mechanism's importance in forming circuit-specific sublayers.

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

Elife

DOI

EISSN

2050-084X

Publication Date

April 3, 2018

Volume

7

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Retinal Ganglion Cells
  • Retina
  • Neuropil
  • Mice
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Animals
  • Amacrine Cells
  • 42 Health sciences
  • 32 Biomedical and clinical sciences
  • 31 Biological sciences
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Ray, T. A., Roy, S., Kozlowski, C., Wang, J., Cafaro, J., Hulbert, S. W., … Kay, J. N. (2018). Formation of retinal direction-selective circuitry initiated by starburst amacrine cell homotypic contact. Elife, 7. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.34241
Ray, Thomas A., Suva Roy, Christopher Kozlowski, Jingjing Wang, Jon Cafaro, Samuel W. Hulbert, Christopher V. Wright, Greg D. Field, and Jeremy N. Kay. “Formation of retinal direction-selective circuitry initiated by starburst amacrine cell homotypic contact.Elife 7 (April 3, 2018). https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.34241.
Ray TA, Roy S, Kozlowski C, Wang J, Cafaro J, Hulbert SW, et al. Formation of retinal direction-selective circuitry initiated by starburst amacrine cell homotypic contact. Elife. 2018 Apr 3;7.
Ray, Thomas A., et al. “Formation of retinal direction-selective circuitry initiated by starburst amacrine cell homotypic contact.Elife, vol. 7, Apr. 2018. Pubmed, doi:10.7554/eLife.34241.
Ray TA, Roy S, Kozlowski C, Wang J, Cafaro J, Hulbert SW, Wright CV, Field GD, Kay JN. Formation of retinal direction-selective circuitry initiated by starburst amacrine cell homotypic contact. Elife. 2018 Apr 3;7.

Published In

Elife

DOI

EISSN

2050-084X

Publication Date

April 3, 2018

Volume

7

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Retinal Ganglion Cells
  • Retina
  • Neuropil
  • Mice
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Animals
  • Amacrine Cells
  • 42 Health sciences
  • 32 Biomedical and clinical sciences
  • 31 Biological sciences