LRRTM1 underlies synaptic convergence in visual thalamus

LRRTM1 underlies synaptic convergence in visual thalamus

It has long been thought that the mammalian visual system is organized into parallel pathways, with incoming visual signals being parsed in the retina based on feature (e.g. color, contrast and motion) and then transmitted to the brain in unmixed, feature-specific channels. To faithfully convey feature-specific information from retina to cortex, thalamic relay cells must receive inputs from onl...

Local dendrodendritic inhibition regulates fast synaptic transmission in visual thalamus.

Inhibition from thalamic interneurons plays a critical role in modulating information transfer between thalamus and neocortex. Interestingly, these neurons yield inhibition via two distinct outputs: presynaptic dendrites that innervate thalamocortical relay neurons and axonal outputs. Since the dendrites of thalamic interneurons are the primary targets of incoming synaptic information, it has b...

Effects of visual deprivation on synaptic plasticity of visual cortex

  TBS (Theta Burst Stimulation) and PBs (Primed Bursts) are among effective tetanic stimulations for induction of LTP in hippocampus. Recent studies have indicated that TBS is effective in LTP induction in layer III synapses of neocortex, only if applied to layer IV. However, the possibility of neocortical LTP induction using PBs, has not yet been investigated. Sensory deprivation greatly influ...

Visual thalamus, “it’s complicated”

Synaptic targets of thalamic reticular nucleus terminals in the visual thalamus of the cat.

A major inhibitory input to the dorsal thalamus arises from neurons in the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN), which use gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) as a neurotransmitter. We examined the synaptic targets of TRN terminals in the visual thalamus, including the A lamina of the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), the medial interlaminar nucleus (MIN), the lateral posterior nucleus (LP), and ...