Receptive Field Properties of Koniocellular On/Off Neurons in the Lateral Geniculate Nucleus of Marmoset Monkeys

Abstract

The koniocellular (K) layers of the primate dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus house a variety of visual receptive field types, not all of which have been fully characterized. Here we made single-cell recordings targeted to the K layers of diurnal New World monkeys (marmosets). A subset of recorded cells was excited by both increments and decrements of light intensity (on/off-cells). Histological reconstruction of the location of these cells confirmed that they are segregated to K layers; we therefore refer to these cells as K-on/off cells. The K-on/off cells show high contrast sensitivity, strong bandpass spatial frequency tuning, and their response magnitude is strongly reduced by stimuli larger than the excitatory receptive field (silent suppressive surrounds). Stationary counterphase gratings evoke unmodulated spike rate increases or frequency-doubled responses in K-on/off cells; such responses are largely independent of grating spatial phase. The K-on/off cells are not orientation or direction selective. Some (but not all) properties of K-on/off cells are consistent with those of local-edge-detector/impressed-by-contrast cells reported in studies of cat retina and geniculate, and broad-thorny ganglion cells recorded in macaque monkey retina. The receptive field properties of K-on/off cells and their preferential location in the ventral K layers (K1 and K2) make them good candidates for the direct projection from geniculate to extrastriate cortical area MT/V5. If so, they could contribute to visual information processing in the dorsal ("where" or "action") visual stream.We characterize cells in an evolutionary ancient part of the visual pathway in primates. The cells are located in the lateral geniculate nucleus(themainvisualafferentrelaynucleus),inregionscalledkoniocellularlayersthatareknowntoprojecttoextrastriatevisualareas as well as primary visual cortex. The cells show high contrast sensitivity and rapid, transient responses to light onset and offset. Their properties suggest they could contribute to visual processing in the dorsal ("where" or "action") visual stream.

The postnatal development of MT, V1, LGN, pulvinar and SC in prosimian galagos (Otolemur garnettii)

“…Notably, M cells are the main contributor from V1 to MT and the dorsal cortical stream, which is thought to mature earlier than the ventral stream (Bourne & Rosa, ). As some K cells project to MT (Sincich, Park, Wohlgemuth, & Horton, ; Stepniewska, Ql, & Kaas, ; Warner, Goldshmit, & Bourne, ), these projections likely contribute to MT function (see Eiber et al, for K cell response properties in marmosets). The present results suggest that LGNd is responsible for V1 activation at the time of birth in galagos, and V1 inputs to MT, together with K cell inputs to MT, contribute to MT activation at birth or soon thereafter.…”

Morphological identification and systematic classification of mammalian retinal ganglion cells. I. Rabbit retinal ganglion cells

“…In fact, a subset of cells in all K layers project directly to motion sensitive and direction selective cortical area MT (Sincich, Park, Wohlgemuth, & Horton, 2004). These K layer cells most likely include the ON–OFF cells recorded in marmoset (Eiber et al, 2018), in turn probably recipients of input from “broad thorny” ganglion cells (Rodieck & Watanabe, 1993) that project to K layers (Szmajda et al, 2008), and have receptive field properties resembling those of LEDs (Puller, Manookin, Neitz, Rieke, & Neitz, 2015; G. Schwartz, personal communication). This is a pathway to MT with fewer synapses than the more traditional polysynaptic, cortical–cortical M and even P pathways to MT (Nassi & Callaway, 2006).…”

Deep Learning-Supported Cytoarchitectonic Mapping of the Human Lateral Geniculate Body in the BigBrain

“…I.e., each layer receives information from one eye only. Later on, the information will be merged to be processed and interpreted as a binocular image in the visual cortex [4]. Approximately 80% of the retinal information derive from midget ganglion cells and are transferred to the parvocellular neurons in the LGB in layers 3 to 6.…”

“…Approximately 80% of the retinal information derive from midget ganglion cells and are transferred to the parvocellular neurons in the LGB in layers 3 to 6. These small neurons are specialized in object and detail recognition due to their ability of generating a high spatial resolution and red-green color vision [4]. Midget cells are characterized as small, color-sensitive slow adapting cells from the retina, contrary to parasol cells.…”

“…Since the LGB transfers retinal information directly to the primary visual cortex via the optic radiation, it is also defined as first-order relay [1]. The koniocellular neurons most probably play a role in color perception [4]. The middle part of the LGB in coronal sections is called the hilum, and the taperings at the medial and lateral ends of the LGB are called the medial and lateral horn of the LGB, respectively [6].…”