Retinal waves coordinate patterned activity throughout the developing visual system

摘要

The morphological and functional development of the vertebrate nervous system is initially governed by genetic factors and subsequently refined by neuronal activity. However, fundamental features of the nervous system emerge before sensory experience is possible. Thus, activity-dependent development occurring before the onset of experience must be driven by spontaneous activity, but the origin and nature of activity in vivo remains largely untested. Here we use optical methods to show in live neonatal mice that waves of spontaneous retinal activity are present and propagate throughout the entire visual system before eye opening. This patterned activity encompassed the visual field, relied on cholinergic neurotransmission, preferentially initiated in the binocular retina and exhibited spatiotemporal correlations between the two hemispheres. Retinal waves were the primary source of activity in the midbrain and primary visual cortex, but only modulated ongoing activity in secondary visual areas. Thus, spontaneous retinal activity is transmitted through the entire visual system and carries patterned information capable of guiding the activity-dependent development of complex intra- and inter-hemispheric circuits before the onset of vision.%以前关于在试管中制备发育中的视网膜组织的rn研究工作显示存在自发的活动波，后者被认为rn在视觉系统的发育中很重要。在这项研究中，rnMichael Cralr及其同事用光学方法演示活的新rn生小鼠存在视网膜波，他们同时还显示了这些rn活动波在眼睛睁开之前是怎样穿过视觉系统来rn传播、以驱动视觉系统依赖于活动的成熟过程rn的。这一发现表明，自发神经活动在胎儿发育rn过程中决定整个脑中的神经连线方式，这种持rn续进行的活动的中断在神经疾病(如人类的自rn闭症)中可能扮演一个重要角色。