Multiple Visual Field Representations in the Visual Wulst of a Laterally Eyed Bird, the Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata).
The visual wulst is the telencephalic target of the avian thalamofugal visual system. It contains several retinotopically organised representations of the contralateral visual field. We used optical imaging of intrinsic signals, electrophysiological recordings, and retrograde tracing with two fluore...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2016-01-01
|
| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4854416?pdf=render |
| _version_ | 1818549543468269568 |
|---|---|
| author | Hans-Joachim Bischof Dennis Eckmeier Nina Keary Siegrid Löwel Uwe Mayer Neethu Michael |
| author_facet | Hans-Joachim Bischof Dennis Eckmeier Nina Keary Siegrid Löwel Uwe Mayer Neethu Michael |
| author_sort | Hans-Joachim Bischof |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The visual wulst is the telencephalic target of the avian thalamofugal visual system. It contains several retinotopically organised representations of the contralateral visual field. We used optical imaging of intrinsic signals, electrophysiological recordings, and retrograde tracing with two fluorescent tracers to evaluate properties of these representations in the zebra finch, a songbird with laterally placed eyes. Our experiments revealed that there is some variability of the neuronal maps between individuals and also concerning the number of detectable maps. It was nonetheless possible to identify three different maps, a posterolateral, a posteromedial, and an anterior one, which were quite constant in their relation to each other. The posterolateral map was in contrast to the two others constantly visible in each successful experiment. The topography of the two other maps was mirrored against that map. Electrophysiological recordings in the anterior and the posterolateral map revealed that all units responded to flashes and to moving bars. Mean directional preferences as well as latencies were different between neurons of the two maps. Tracing experiments confirmed previous reports on the thalamo-wulst connections and showed that the anterior and the posterolateral map receive projections from separate clusters within the thalamic nuclei. Maps are connected to each other by wulst intrinsic projections. Our experiments confirm that the avian visual wulst contains several separate retinotopic maps with both different physiological properties and different thalamo-wulst afferents. This confirms that the functional organization of the visual wulst is very similar to its mammalian equivalent, the visual cortex. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T08:34:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-15d64081a3674bd38df4cce0393d5808 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T08:34:43Z |
| publishDate | 2016-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-15d64081a3674bd38df4cce0393d58082022-12-22T00:30:59ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032016-01-01115e015492710.1371/journal.pone.0154927Multiple Visual Field Representations in the Visual Wulst of a Laterally Eyed Bird, the Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata).Hans-Joachim BischofDennis EckmeierNina KearySiegrid LöwelUwe MayerNeethu MichaelThe visual wulst is the telencephalic target of the avian thalamofugal visual system. It contains several retinotopically organised representations of the contralateral visual field. We used optical imaging of intrinsic signals, electrophysiological recordings, and retrograde tracing with two fluorescent tracers to evaluate properties of these representations in the zebra finch, a songbird with laterally placed eyes. Our experiments revealed that there is some variability of the neuronal maps between individuals and also concerning the number of detectable maps. It was nonetheless possible to identify three different maps, a posterolateral, a posteromedial, and an anterior one, which were quite constant in their relation to each other. The posterolateral map was in contrast to the two others constantly visible in each successful experiment. The topography of the two other maps was mirrored against that map. Electrophysiological recordings in the anterior and the posterolateral map revealed that all units responded to flashes and to moving bars. Mean directional preferences as well as latencies were different between neurons of the two maps. Tracing experiments confirmed previous reports on the thalamo-wulst connections and showed that the anterior and the posterolateral map receive projections from separate clusters within the thalamic nuclei. Maps are connected to each other by wulst intrinsic projections. Our experiments confirm that the avian visual wulst contains several separate retinotopic maps with both different physiological properties and different thalamo-wulst afferents. This confirms that the functional organization of the visual wulst is very similar to its mammalian equivalent, the visual cortex.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4854416?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Hans-Joachim Bischof Dennis Eckmeier Nina Keary Siegrid Löwel Uwe Mayer Neethu Michael Multiple Visual Field Representations in the Visual Wulst of a Laterally Eyed Bird, the Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata). PLoS ONE |
| title | Multiple Visual Field Representations in the Visual Wulst of a Laterally Eyed Bird, the Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata). |
| title_full | Multiple Visual Field Representations in the Visual Wulst of a Laterally Eyed Bird, the Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata). |
| title_fullStr | Multiple Visual Field Representations in the Visual Wulst of a Laterally Eyed Bird, the Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata). |
| title_full_unstemmed | Multiple Visual Field Representations in the Visual Wulst of a Laterally Eyed Bird, the Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata). |
| title_short | Multiple Visual Field Representations in the Visual Wulst of a Laterally Eyed Bird, the Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata). |
| title_sort | multiple visual field representations in the visual wulst of a laterally eyed bird the zebra finch taeniopygia guttata |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4854416?pdf=render |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT hansjoachimbischof multiplevisualfieldrepresentationsinthevisualwulstofalaterallyeyedbirdthezebrafinchtaeniopygiaguttata AT denniseckmeier multiplevisualfieldrepresentationsinthevisualwulstofalaterallyeyedbirdthezebrafinchtaeniopygiaguttata AT ninakeary multiplevisualfieldrepresentationsinthevisualwulstofalaterallyeyedbirdthezebrafinchtaeniopygiaguttata AT siegridlowel multiplevisualfieldrepresentationsinthevisualwulstofalaterallyeyedbirdthezebrafinchtaeniopygiaguttata AT uwemayer multiplevisualfieldrepresentationsinthevisualwulstofalaterallyeyedbirdthezebrafinchtaeniopygiaguttata AT neethumichael multiplevisualfieldrepresentationsinthevisualwulstofalaterallyeyedbirdthezebrafinchtaeniopygiaguttata |