Wiring up a circuit to perform computations: development of direction selectivity
Marla Feller
(Berkeley)
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Date: January 23, 2017
Description:
How are circuits wired up during development to perform specific computations? We address this question in the retina, which comprises multiple circuits that encode different features of the visual scene, culminating in over 20 different types of retinal ganglion cells. Direction-selective ganglion cells respond strongly to an image moving in the preferred direction and weakly to an image moving in the opposite, or null, direction. These directional responses are produced by an asymmetry in overall inhibitory conductance onto direction selective ganglion cells, such that object motion in the null direction elicits a greater amount of inhibition from GABAergic interneurons. I will present recent progress in the lab in determining the relative role of wiring and direction-selective dendritic integration as the basis of this circuit computation and how these properties emerge during development.
Created: Tuesday, January 24th, 2017