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Signals and noise in an inhibitory interneuron diverge to control activity in nearby retinal ganglion cells

Nature Neuroscience volume 11, pages 318–326 (2008)Cite this article

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Abstract

Information about sensory stimuli is represented by spatiotemporal patterns of neural activity. The complexity of the central nervous system, however, frequently obscures the origin and properties of signals and noise that underlie these activity patterns. We minimized this constraint by examining mechanisms governing correlated activity in mouse retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) under conditions in which light-evoked responses traverse a specific circuit, the rod bipolar pathway. Signals and noise in this circuit produced correlated synaptic input to neighboring On and Off RGCs. Temporal modulation of light intensity did not alter the degree to which noise in the input to nearby RGCs was correlated, and action potential generation in individual RGCs was largely insensitive to differences in network noise generated by dynamic and static light stimuli. Together, these features enable noise in shared circuitry to diminish simultaneous action potential generation in neighboring On and Off RGCs under a variety of conditions.

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Figure 1: Synaptic input to AII amacrine cells and Off-transient RGCs shows similar sensitivity to light stimuli and AMPA- and kainate-receptor antagonists.
Figure 2: Fluctuating light stimuli generate correlations in excitatory and inhibitory synaptic input to neighboring On and Off RGCs.
Figure 3: Correlated noise in network input to nearby RGCs.
Figure 4: Network noise shows similar properties in the presence and absence of fluctuations in light intensity.
Figure 5: Network noise measured in the presence and absence of fluctuations in light intensity affects the temporal precision of action potential generation similarly.
Figure 6: Correlated network noise accentuates differences in action potential generation between neighboring On and Off-transient RGCs.
Figure 7: Schematic representation of input and output properties of AII amacrine cells.

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Change history

  • 17 February 2008

    In the version of this article initially published online, the equation in the Methods section was incorrect. The correct equation is shown. The error has been corrected for all versions of the article.

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Acknowledgements

We thank D. Perkel, K. Briggman, L. Glickfeld and B. Wark for comments on the manuscript and E. Martinson and P. Newman for technical assistance. Support for this research was provided by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and US National Institutes of Health (EY-11850).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of Washington, 1705 NE Pacific Street, HSB J187, Box 357290, Seattle, 98195-7290, Washington, USA

    Gabe J Murphy & Fred Rieke

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  1. Gabe J Murphy
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  2. Fred Rieke
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Contributions

G.J.M. performed the experiments; G.J.M. and F.R. contributed equally to all other aspects of this work.

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Correspondence to Gabe J Murphy.

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Murphy, G., Rieke, F. Signals and noise in an inhibitory interneuron diverge to control activity in nearby retinal ganglion cells. Nat Neurosci 11, 318–326 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/nn2045

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