Two related areas of investigation of visual function are proposed. The first concerns the functional characterization of single cells of the retino-geniculate pathway of Old-World monkeys with regard to the receptive-field organization and interactions of the different cone signals. These investigations will make use of a color stimulator, designed for these studies, that can generate patterned stimuli able to be chromatically altered in any direction in color space.
The aim of these studies is to understand the neural basis of color discrimination, in terms of the spatial and temporal characteristics of the contributions of the different cone types to the receptive fields of single units in the lateral geniculate nucleus and retina. The second area of investigation focuses on the morphologic features of this pathway. Two related studies are proposed, which will attempt to determine the different types of ganglion cells in the human retina, correlate them with those in Old-World monkey retinas, and determine the central projections of the monkey ganglion cells. The Golgi method will be used to determine the morphologic features of human and monkey ganglion cells, based upon material we now have and continue to acquire. This material also shows a number of different forms of amacrine cells, and we propose to investigate the morphologic features of this class of retinal cell as well. The central projections of cat and monkey ganglion cells will be investigated by a new method in which a localized central injection of a retrogradely-transported fluorescent dye will be used to identify those ganglion cells that project to a given terminal zone. The retina will be lightly fixed in a manner that does not disturb the integrity of the neuronal membrane. The labeled cells will then be iontophoretically injected with another fluorescent dye, so as to fill the entire dendritic tree. This will be done under direct visual control, using an extra-long working distance objective in an epifluorescent microscope.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01EY002923-08
Application #
3257222
Study Section
Visual Sciences B Study Section (VISB)
Project Start
1979-08-01
Project End
1989-09-29
Budget Start
1986-09-30
Budget End
1987-09-29
Support Year
8
Fiscal Year
1986
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Washington
Department
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
135646524
City
Seattle
State
WA
Country
United States
Zip Code
98195
Rodieck, R W; Watanabe, M (1993) Survey of the morphology of macaque retinal ganglion cells that project to the pretectum, superior colliculus, and parvicellular laminae of the lateral geniculate nucleus. J Comp Neurol 338:289-303
Rodieck, R W; Marshak, D W (1992) Spatial density and distribution of choline acetyltransferase immunoreactive cells in human, macaque, and baboon retinas. J Comp Neurol 321:46-64
Rodieck, R W (1991) The density recovery profile: a method for the analysis of points in the plane applicable to retinal studies. Vis Neurosci 6:95-111
Rodieck, R W (1989) Starburst amacrine cells of the primate retina. J Comp Neurol 285:18-37
Watanabe, M; Rodieck, R W (1989) Parasol and midget ganglion cells of the primate retina. J Comp Neurol 289:434-54
Rodieck, R W; Binmoeller, K F; Dineen, J (1985) Parasol and midget ganglion cells of the human retina. J Comp Neurol 233:115-32
Trejo, L J (1985) Retinal ganglion cell loss produced by intraocular kainic acid in cats: variation with somal size and eccentricity. Brain Res 335:221-30
Koontz, M A; Rodieck, R W; Farmer, S G (1985) The retinal projection to the cat pretectum. J Comp Neurol 236:42-59
Leventhal, A G; Rodieck, R W; Dreher, B (1985) Central projections of cat retinal ganglion cells. J Comp Neurol 237:216-26