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Extra-receptive-field motion facilitation in on-off directionally selective ganglion cells of the rabbit retina

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 June 2009

Franklin R. Amthor ,
Norberto M. Grzywacz  and
David K. Merwine
Franklin R. Amthor
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology and Neurobiology Research Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham
Norberto M. Grzywacz
Affiliation:
The Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute, San Francisco
David K. Merwine
Affiliation:
School of Optometry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham
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Abstract

The excitatory receptive-field centers of On-Off directionally selective (DS) ganglioncells of the rabbit retina correspond closely to the lateral extent of their dendritic arborizations. Some investigators have hypothesized from this that theories for directionalselectivity that entail a lateral spread of excitation from outside the ganglion cell dendritic tree, such as from starburst amacrine cells, are therefore untenable. We show herethat significant motion facilitation is conducted from well outside the classical excitatory receptive-field center (and, therefore, dendritic arborization) of On-Off DS ganglioncells for preferred-direction, but not null-direction moving stimuli. These results are consistent with a role in directional selectivity for cells with processes lying beyond the On-Off ganglion cell's excitatory receptive-field center. These results also highlight the fundamental distinction in retinal ganglion cell receptive-field organization between classical excitatory mechanisms and those that facilitate other excitation without producing directly observable excitation by themselves.

Keywords

RetinaElectrophysiologyGanglion cellsMotion detectionDirectional selectivity
Type
Research Articles
Information
Visual Neuroscience , Volume 13 , Issue 2 , March 1996 , pp. 303 - 309
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

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