Orientation and direction tuning align with dendritic morphology and spatial connectivity in mouse visual cortex. 2022

Simon Weiler, and Drago Guggiana Nilo, and Tobias Bonhoeffer, and Mark Hübener, and Tobias Rose, and Volker Scheuss
Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany; Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg, Germany.

The functional properties of neocortical pyramidal cells (PCs), such as direction and orientation selectivity in visual cortex, predominantly derive from their excitatory and inhibitory inputs. For layer 2/3 (L2/3) PCs, the detailed relationship between their functional properties and how they sample and integrate information across cortical space is not fully understood. Here, we study this relationship by combining functional in vivo two-photon calcium imaging, in vitro functional circuit mapping, and dendritic reconstruction of the same L2/3 PCs in mouse visual cortex. Our work reveals direct correlations between dendritic morphology and functional input connectivity and the orientation as well as direction tuning of L2/3 PCs. First, the apical dendritic tree is elongated along the postsynaptic preferred orientation, considering the representation of visual space in the cortex as determined by its retinotopic organization. Additionally, sharply orientation-tuned cells show a less complex apical tree compared with broadly tuned cells. Second, in direction-selective L2/3 PCs, the spatial distribution of presynaptic partners is offset from the soma opposite to the preferred direction. Importantly, although the presynaptic excitatory and inhibitory input distributions spatially overlap on average, the excitatory input distribution is spatially skewed along the preferred direction, in contrast to the inhibitory distribution. Finally, the degree of asymmetry is positively correlated with the direction selectivity of the postsynaptic L2/3 PC. These results show that the dendritic architecture and the spatial arrangement of excitatory and inhibitory presynaptic cells of L2/3 PCs play important roles in shaping their orientation and direction tuning.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D009433 Neural Inhibition The function of opposing or restraining the excitation of neurons or their target excitable cells. Inhibition, Neural
D009474 Neurons The basic cellular units of nervous tissue. Each neuron consists of a body, an axon, and dendrites. Their purpose is to receive, conduct, and transmit impulses in the NERVOUS SYSTEM. Nerve Cells,Cell, Nerve,Cells, Nerve,Nerve Cell,Neuron
D003712 Dendrites Extensions of the nerve cell body. They are short and branched and receive stimuli from other NEURONS. Dendrite
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D014793 Visual Cortex Area of the OCCIPITAL LOBE concerned with the processing of visual information relayed via VISUAL PATHWAYS. Area V2,Area V3,Area V4,Area V5,Associative Visual Cortex,Brodmann Area 18,Brodmann Area 19,Brodmann's Area 18,Brodmann's Area 19,Cortical Area V2,Cortical Area V3,Cortical Area V4,Cortical Area V5,Secondary Visual Cortex,Visual Cortex Secondary,Visual Cortex V2,Visual Cortex V3,Visual Cortex V3, V4, V5,Visual Cortex V4,Visual Cortex V5,Visual Cortex, Associative,Visual Motion Area,Extrastriate Cortex,Area 18, Brodmann,Area 18, Brodmann's,Area 19, Brodmann,Area 19, Brodmann's,Area V2, Cortical,Area V3, Cortical,Area V4, Cortical,Area V5, Cortical,Area, Visual Motion,Associative Visual Cortices,Brodmanns Area 18,Brodmanns Area 19,Cortex Secondary, Visual,Cortex V2, Visual,Cortex V3, Visual,Cortex, Associative Visual,Cortex, Extrastriate,Cortex, Secondary Visual,Cortex, Visual,Cortical Area V3s,Extrastriate Cortices,Secondary Visual Cortices,V3, Cortical Area,V3, Visual Cortex,V4, Area,V4, Cortical Area,V5, Area,V5, Cortical Area,V5, Visual Cortex,Visual Cortex Secondaries,Visual Cortex, Secondary,Visual Motion Areas
D051379 Mice The common name for the genus Mus. Mice, House,Mus,Mus musculus,Mice, Laboratory,Mouse,Mouse, House,Mouse, Laboratory,Mouse, Swiss,Mus domesticus,Mus musculus domesticus,Swiss Mice,House Mice,House Mouse,Laboratory Mice,Laboratory Mouse,Mice, Swiss,Swiss Mouse,domesticus, Mus musculus
D017966 Pyramidal Cells Projection neurons in the CEREBRAL CORTEX and the HIPPOCAMPUS. Pyramidal cells have a pyramid-shaped soma with the apex and an apical dendrite pointed toward the pial surface and other dendrites and an axon emerging from the base. The axons may have local collaterals but also project outside their cortical region. Pyramidal Neurons,Cell, Pyramidal,Cells, Pyramidal,Neuron, Pyramidal,Neurons, Pyramidal,Pyramidal Cell,Pyramidal Neuron

Related Publications

Simon Weiler, and Drago Guggiana Nilo, and Tobias Bonhoeffer, and Mark Hübener, and Tobias Rose, and Volker Scheuss
January 2016, eNeuro,
Simon Weiler, and Drago Guggiana Nilo, and Tobias Bonhoeffer, and Mark Hübener, and Tobias Rose, and Volker Scheuss
December 2020, Nature,
Simon Weiler, and Drago Guggiana Nilo, and Tobias Bonhoeffer, and Mark Hübener, and Tobias Rose, and Volker Scheuss
October 2017, The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience,
Simon Weiler, and Drago Guggiana Nilo, and Tobias Bonhoeffer, and Mark Hübener, and Tobias Rose, and Volker Scheuss
August 2016, Nature communications,
Simon Weiler, and Drago Guggiana Nilo, and Tobias Bonhoeffer, and Mark Hübener, and Tobias Rose, and Volker Scheuss
June 2012, Journal of neurophysiology,
Simon Weiler, and Drago Guggiana Nilo, and Tobias Bonhoeffer, and Mark Hübener, and Tobias Rose, and Volker Scheuss
August 1998, The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience,
Simon Weiler, and Drago Guggiana Nilo, and Tobias Bonhoeffer, and Mark Hübener, and Tobias Rose, and Volker Scheuss
January 2009, The European journal of neuroscience,
Simon Weiler, and Drago Guggiana Nilo, and Tobias Bonhoeffer, and Mark Hübener, and Tobias Rose, and Volker Scheuss
April 1995, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America,
Simon Weiler, and Drago Guggiana Nilo, and Tobias Bonhoeffer, and Mark Hübener, and Tobias Rose, and Volker Scheuss
January 2013, PloS one,
Simon Weiler, and Drago Guggiana Nilo, and Tobias Bonhoeffer, and Mark Hübener, and Tobias Rose, and Volker Scheuss
February 2024, Neuroreport,
Copied contents to your clipboard!