Retinal Ganglion Cell Interactions Shape the Developing Mammalian Visual System

Overview

Journal Development

Specialty Biology

Date 2020 Dec 8

PMID 33288502

Citations 19

Authors

Shane DSouza

Richard A Lang

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) serve as a crucial communication channel from the retina to the brain. In the adult, these cells receive input from defined sets of presynaptic partners and communicate with postsynaptic brain regions to convey features of the visual scene. However, in the developing visual system, RGC interactions extend beyond their synaptic partners such that they guide development before the onset of vision. In this Review, we summarize our current understanding of how interactions between RGCs and their environment influence cellular targeting, migration and circuit maturation during visual system development. We describe the roles of RGC subclasses in shaping unique developmental responses within the retina and at central targets. Finally, we highlight the utility of RNA sequencing and genetic tools in uncovering RGC type-specific roles during the development of the visual system.

Citing Articles

Spatiotemporally resolved transcriptomics reveals the cellular dynamics of human retinal development.

Zhang J, Wang J, Zhou Q, Chen Z, Zhuang J, Zhao X Nat Commun. 2025; 16(1):2307.

PMID: 40055379 PMC: 11889126. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-57625-9.

Retinal ganglion cell circuits and glial interactions in humans and mice.

Huang K, Tawfik M, Samuel M Trends Neurosci. 2024; 47(12):994-1013.

PMID: 39455342 PMC: 11631666. DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2024.09.010.

Retinal waves in adaptive rewiring networks orchestrate convergence and divergence in the visual system.

Luna R, Li J, Bauer R, van Leeuwen C Netw Neurosci. 2024; 8(3):653-672.

PMID: 39355440 PMC: 11340993. DOI: 10.1162/netn_a_00370.

NLRP3 and autophagy in retinal ganglion cell inflammation in age-related macular degeneration: potential therapeutic implications.

Wang X, Gao Y, Yuan Q, Zhang M Int J Ophthalmol. 2024; 17(8):1531-1544.

PMID: 39156786 PMC: 11286452. DOI: 10.18240/ijo.2024.08.20.

Developmental control of rod number via a light-dependent retrograde pathway from intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells.

DSouza S, Upton B, Eldred K, Glass I, Nayak G, Grover K Dev Cell. 2024; 59(21):2897-2911.e6.

PMID: 39142280 PMC: 11537824. DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2024.07.018.

References

Maxeiner S, Kruger O, Schilling K, Traub O, Urschel S, Willecke K . Spatiotemporal transcription of connexin45 during brain development results in neuronal expression in adult mice. Neuroscience. 2003; 119(3):689-700. DOI: 10.1016/s0306-4522(03)00077-0. View

Usui Y, Westenskow P, Kurihara T, Aguilar E, Sakimoto S, Paris L . Neurovascular crosstalk between interneurons and capillaries is required for vision. J Clin Invest. 2015; 125(6):2335-46. PMC: 4497761. DOI: 10.1172/JCI80297. View

McNeill D, Sheely C, Ecker J, Badea T, Morhardt D, Guido W . Development of melanopsin-based irradiance detecting circuitry. Neural Dev. 2011; 6:8. PMC: 3070623. DOI: 10.1186/1749-8104-6-8. View

Burne J, Raff M . Retinal ganglion cell axons drive the proliferation of astrocytes in the developing rodent optic nerve. Neuron. 1997; 18(2):223-30. DOI: 10.1016/s0896-6273(00)80263-9. View

Atkinson C, Feng J, Zhang D . Functional integrity and modification of retinal dopaminergic neurons in the rd1 mutant mouse: roles of melanopsin and GABA. J Neurophysiol. 2012; 109(6):1589-99. DOI: 10.1152/jn.00786.2012. View

Sanes J, Zipursky S . Synaptic Specificity, Recognition Molecules, and Assembly of Neural Circuits. Cell. 2020; 181(3):536-556. DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.04.008. View

Huang Z, Zeng H . Genetic approaches to neural circuits in the mouse. Annu Rev Neurosci. 2013; 36:183-215. DOI: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-062012-170307. View

Nguyen M, Vemaraju S, Nayak G, Odaka Y, Buhr E, Alonzo N . An opsin 5-dopamine pathway mediates light-dependent vascular development in the eye. Nat Cell Biol. 2019; 21(4):420-429. PMC: 6573021. DOI: 10.1038/s41556-019-0301-x. View

Masland R . The neuronal organization of the retina. Neuron. 2012; 76(2):266-80. PMC: 3714606. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2012.10.002. View

10.

Li J, Schmidt T . Divergent projection patterns of M1 ipRGC subtypes. J Comp Neurol. 2018; 526(13):2010-2018. PMC: 6158116. DOI: 10.1002/cne.24469. View

11.

Sondereker K, Stabio M, Renna J . Crosstalk: The diversity of melanopsin ganglion cell types has begun to challenge the canonical divide between image-forming and non-image-forming vision. J Comp Neurol. 2020; 528(12):2044-2067. PMC: 9413065. DOI: 10.1002/cne.24873. View

12.

Hattar S, Kumar M, Park A, Tong P, Tung J, Yau K . Central projections of melanopsin-expressing retinal ganglion cells in the mouse. J Comp Neurol. 2006; 497(3):326-49. PMC: 2885916. DOI: 10.1002/cne.20970. View

13.

Tang X, Tzekov R, Passaglia C . Retinal cross talk in the mammalian visual system. J Neurophysiol. 2016; 115(6):3018-29. PMC: 4946590. DOI: 10.1152/jn.01137.2015. View

14.

Jadhav A, Cho S, Cepko C . Notch activity permits retinal cells to progress through multiple progenitor states and acquire a stem cell property. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006; 103(50):18998-9003. PMC: 1682012. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0608155103. View

15.

Martersteck E, Hirokawa K, Evarts M, Bernard A, Duan X, Li Y . Diverse Central Projection Patterns of Retinal Ganglion Cells. Cell Rep. 2017; 18(8):2058-2072. PMC: 5357325. DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.01.075. View

16.

McLoon S, Lund R . Transient retinofugal pathways in the developing chick. Exp Brain Res. 1982; 45(1-2):277-84. DOI: 10.1007/BF00235788. View

17.

Braekevelt C, Beazley L, Dunlop S, Darby J . Numbers of axons in the optic nerve and of retinal ganglion cells during development in the marsupial Setonix brachyurus. Brain Res. 1986; 390(1):117-25. DOI: 10.1016/0165-3806(86)90158-6. View

18.

Huang L, Xi Y, Peng Y, Yang Y, Huang X, Fu Y . A Visual Circuit Related to Habenula Underlies the Antidepressive Effects of Light Therapy. Neuron. 2019; 102(1):128-142.e8. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.01.037. View

19.

Hastings M, Maywood E, Brancaccio M . Generation of circadian rhythms in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2018; 19(8):453-469. DOI: 10.1038/s41583-018-0026-z. View

20.

Chew K, Renna J, McNeill D, Fernandez D, Keenan W, Thomsen M . A subset of ipRGCs regulates both maturation of the circadian clock and segregation of retinogeniculate projections in mice. Elife. 2017; 6. PMC: 5513697. DOI: 10.7554/eLife.22861. View