Summary
-
1.
The receptive field properties and responses to electrical stimulation of 126 P-cells recorded from the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (LGNd) were studied in the hooded rat.
-
2.
Eighty-five cells had a concentric (Kuffler, 1953) receptive field organisation (46 off-centre on-surround; 39 on-centre off-surround). Of the remaining cells 29 had co-extensive on/off excitatory discharge regions, nine had on-centres with suppressive surrounds and two cells gave on-responses but had no suppressive surround. One cell was identified as suppressed-by-contrast.
-
3.
On the basis of the battery of tests developed for the identification of cell types in the cat's retina and LGNd, 35 of the cells with a Kuffler-type receptive field organisation were identified as Y-like. The majority of the remaining cells, both concentric and others, reminded us of the different subclasses of W-cells of the cat. Nine concentric cells in most of the tests exhibited X-like properties.
-
4.
All of the Y-like cells were driven by relatively fast conducting retinal ganglion cell axons, comprising the t1 conduction velocity group. The majority of the remaining cells were driven by slower axons comprising t2 or t3 conduction velocity groups.
-
5.
Thus, in the rat, as in other mammalian species studied so far, there is a correlation between the conduction velocity groups in the retino-geniculo-cortical pathway and the functional groups based on the cells’ receptive field properties. There seem to be functional equivalents of the cat's Y- and W-cell classes but evidence for a distinct X-like class of cells is lacking.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barlow, H.B., Hill, R.M., Levick, W.R.: Retinal ganglion cells responding selectively to direction and speed of image motion in the rabbit. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 173, 377–407 (1964)
Barlow, H.B., Levick, W.R.: Changes in maintained discharge with adaptation level in the cat retina. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 202, 699–718 (1969)
Block, M.T.: A note on the refraction and image formation of the rat's eye. Vision Res. 9, 705–711 (1969)
Boycott, B.B., Wässle, H.: The morphological types of ganglion cells of the domestic cat's retina. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 240, 397–419 (1974)
Brown, J.E.: Dendritic fields of retinal ganglion cells of the rat. J. Neurophysiol. 28, 1091–1100 (1965)
Brown, J.E., Major, D.: Cat retinal ganglion cell dendritic fields. Exp. Neurol. 15, 70–78 (1966)
Brown, J.E., Rojas, J.A.: Rat retinal ganglion cells: receptive field organisation and maintained activity. J. Neurophysiol. 28, 1073–1090 (1965)
Burke, W., Sefton, A.J.: Discharge patterns of principal cells and interneurons in lateral geniculate nucleus of the rat. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 187, 201–212 (1966)
Cicerone, C.M., Green, D.G.: Control of eye movements while recording from single units in the pigmented rat. Vision Res. 17, 985–987 (1977)
Cleland, B.G., Dubin, M.W., Levick, W.R.: Sustained and transient neurones in the cat's retina and lateral geniculate nucleus. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 217, 473–496 (1971)
Cleland, B.G., Levick, W.R.: Brisk and sluggish concentrically organized ganglion cells in the cat's retina. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 240, 421–456 (1974a)
Cleland, B.G., Levick, W.R.: Properties of rarely encountered types of ganglion cells in the cat's retina and an overall classification. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 240, 457–492 (1974b)
Cleland, B.G., Levick, W.R., Sanderson, K.J.: Properties of sustained and transient ganglion cells in the cat retina. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 228, 649–680 (1973)
Cleland, B.G., Levick, W.R., Wässle, H.: Physiological identification of a morphological class of cat retinal ganglion cells. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 248, 151–171 (1975)
Cleland, B.G., Levick, W.R., Morstyn, R., Wagner, H.G.: Lateral geniculate relay of slowly conducting retinal afferents to cat visual cortex. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 255, 299–320 (1976)
Creutzfeldt, O.D., Sakmann, B., Scheich, H., Korn, A.: Sensitivity distribution and spatial summation within receptive field center of retinal on-center ganglion cells and transfer function of the retina. J. Neurophysiol. 33, 654–671 (1970)
De Groot, J.: The rat forebrain in stereotaxic co-ordinates. Tweede Reeks deel L11, No. 4 (1959)
Dreher, B., Fukuda, Y., Rodieck, R.W.: Identification, classification and anatomical segregation of cells with X-like and Y-like properties in the lateral geniculate nucleus of old-world primates. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 258, 433–452 (1976)
Enroth-Cugell, C., Robson, J.G.: The contrast sensitivity of retinal ganglion cells of the cat. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 187, 517–552 (1966)
Fukuda, Y.: Receptive field organisation of cat optic nerve fibres with special reference to conduction velocity. Vision Res. 11, 209–226 (1971)
Fukuda, Y.: Differentiation of principal cells of the rat lateral geniculate body into two groups; fast and slow cells. Exp. Brain Res. 17, 242–260 (1973)
Fukuda, Y.: A three-group classification of rat retinal ganglion cells; histological and physiological studies. Brain Res. 119, 327–344 (1977)
Fukuda, Y., Stone, J.: Retinal distribution and central projections of Y-, X-, and W-cells of the cat's retina. J. Neurophysiol. 37, 749–772 (1974)
Fukuda, Y., Sugitani, M.: Cortical projections of two types of principal cells of the rat lateral geniculate body. Brain Res. 67, 157–161 (1974)
Gouras, P.: Antidromic responses of orthodromically identified ganglion cells in monkey retina. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 204, 407–419 (1969)
Hale, P.T., Sefton, A.J.: A comparison of the visual and electrical response properties of cells in the dorsal and ventral lateral geniculate nuclei. Brain Res. 153, 591–595 (1978)
Hale, P.T., Sefton, A.J., Dreher, B.: Functional properties of relay cells of the rat dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus. Proc. Aust. Physiol. Pharmacol. Soc. 7, 48 (1976)
Hoffmann, K.-P., Stone, J., Sherman, S.M.: Relay of receptive field properties in dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus of the cat. J. Neurophysiol. 35, 518–531 (1972)
Holländer, H., Vanegas, H.: The projection from the lateral geniculate nucleus onto the visual cortex in the cat. A quantitative study with horseradish-peroxidase. J. Comp. Neurol. 173, 519–536 (1977)
Hughes, A.: The refractive state of the rat eye. Vision Res. 17, 927–939 (1977)
Ikeda, H., Wright, M.J.: Receptive field organisation of ‘sustained’ and ‘transient’ retinal ganglion cells which subserve different functional roles. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 227, 769–800 (1972)
Kuffler, S.W.: Discharge patterns and functional organisation of mammalian retina. J. Neurophysiol. 16, 37–68 (1953)
Levick, W.R.: Receptive fields and trigger features of ganglion cells in the visual streak of the rabbit's retina. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 188, 285–307 (1967)
Levick, W.R., Cleland, B.G.: Selectivity of microelectrodes in recordings from cat retinal ganglion cells. J. Neurophysiol. 37, 1387–1393 (1974)
Levick, W.R., Cleland, B.G., Dubin, M.W.: Lateral geniculate neurons of cat: retinal inputs and physiology. Invest. Opthalmol. 11, 302–311 (1972)
Levick, W.R., Oyster, C.W., Takahashi, E.: Rabbit lateral geniculate nucleus: sharpener of directional information. Science 165, 712–714 (1969)
Maciewicz, R.J.: Thalamic afferents to areas 17, 18 and 19 of cat cortex traced with horseradish peroxidase. Brain Res. 84, 308–312 (1975)
Montero, V.M., Brugge, J.F.: Direction of movement as the significant stimulus parameter for some lateral geniculate cells in the rat. Vision Res. 9, 71–88 (1969)
Montero, V.M., Brugge, J.F., Beitel, R.E.: Relation of the visual field to the lateral geniculate body of the albino rat. J. Neurophysiol. 31, 221–236 (1968)
Muntz, W.R.A.: A behavioral study on photopic and scotopic vision in the hooded rat. Vision Res. 7, 371–376 (1967)
Noda, H., Iwama, K.: Unitary analysis of retino-geniculate response time in rats. Vision Res. 7, 205–213 (1967)
Oyster, C.W.: The analysis of image motion by the rabbit retina. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 199, 613–635 (1968)
Rodieck, R.W.: Receptive fields in the cat retina: a new type. Science 157, 90–92 (1967)
Rowe, M.H., Stone, J.: Conduction velocity groupings among axons of cat retinal ganglion cells, and their relationship to retinal topography. Exp. Brain Res. 25, 339–357 (1976)
Sefton, A.J., Bruce, I.S.C.: Properties of cells in the lateral geniculate nucleus. Vision Res. Suppl. 3, 239–252 (1971)
Sefton, A.J., Swinburn, M.: Electrical activity of lateral geniculate nucleus and optic tract of the rat. Vision Res. 4, 315–328 (1964)
Sherman, S.M., Norton, T.T., Casagrande, V.A.: X- and Y-cells in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus of the tree shrew (Tupaia glis). Brain Res. 93, 152–157 (1975)
Sherman, S.M., Wilson, J.R., Kaas, J.H., Webb, S.V.: X-and Y-cells in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus of the owl monkey (Aotus trivirgatus). Science 192, 475–477 (1976)
Spear, P.D., Smith, D.C., Williams, L.L.: Visual receptive-field properties of single neurons in cat's ventral lateral geniculate nucleus. J. Neurophysiol. 40, 390–409 (1977)
Stewart, D.L., Chow, K.L., Masland, R.H.: Receptive field characteristics of lateral geniculate neurons in the rabbit. J. Neurophysiol. 34, 139–147 (1971)
Stone, J.: Sampling properties of microelectrodes assessed in the cat's retina. J. Neurophysiol. 36, 1071–1080 (1973)
Stone, J.: The number and distribution of ganglion cells in the cats retina. J. Comp. Neurol. 180, 753–772 (1978)
Stone, J., Fukuda, Y.: Properties of cat retinal ganglion cells: a comparison of W-cells with X- and Y-cells. J. Neurophysiol. 37, 722–748 (1974)
Sumitomo, J., Ide, K., Iwama, K., Arikuni, T.: Conduction velocity of optic nerve fibres innervating lateral geniculate body and superior colliculus in the rat. Exp. Neurol. 25, 378–392 (1969)
Vakkur, G.J., Bishop, P.O., Kozak, W.M.: Visual optics in the cat, including posterior nodal distance and retinal landmarks. Vision Res. 3, 289–314 (1963)
Wilson, P.D., Rowe, M.H., Stone, J.: Properties of relay cells in cat's lateral geniculate nucleus: a comparison of W-cells with X- and Y-cells. J. Neurophysiol. 39, 1193–1209 (1976)
Zernicki, B.: Pretrigeminal cat. Brain Res. 9, 1–14 (1968)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hale, P.T., Sefton, A.J. & Dreher, B. A correlation of receptive field properties with conduction velocity of cells in the rat's retino-geniculo-cortical pathway. Exp Brain Res 35, 425–442 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00236762
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00236762