Retina-derived signals control pace of neurogenesis in visual brain areas but not circuit assembly

Shachar Sherman, Irene Arnold-Ammer, Martin W. Schneider, Koichi Kawakami and Herwig Baier ()
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Shachar Sherman: Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Department Genes – Circuits – Behavior
Irene Arnold-Ammer: Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Department Genes – Circuits – Behavior
Martin W. Schneider: Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Department Genes – Circuits – Behavior
Koichi Kawakami: SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies)
Herwig Baier: Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Department Genes – Circuits – Behavior

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-17

Abstract: Abstract Brain development is orchestrated by both innate and experience-dependent mechanisms, but their relative contributions are difficult to disentangle. Here we asked if and how central visual areas are altered in a vertebrate brain depleted of any and all signals from retinal ganglion cells throughout development. We transcriptionally profiled neurons in pretectum, thalamus and other retinorecipient areas of larval zebrafish and searched for changes in lakritz mutants that lack all retinal connections. Although individual genes are dysregulated, the complete set of 77 neuronal types develops in apparently normal proportions, at normal locations, and along normal differentiation trajectories. Strikingly, the cell-cycle exits of proliferating progenitors in these areas are delayed, and a greater fraction of early postmitotic precursors remain uncommitted or are diverted to a pre-glial fate. Optogenetic stimulation targeting groups of neurons normally involved in processing visual information evokes behaviors indistinguishable from wildtype. In conclusion, we show that signals emitted by retinal axons influence the pace of neurogenesis in visual brain areas, but do not detectably affect the specification or wiring of downstream neurons.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40749-1

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