2023/08/15 by Peter J. Murphy, Juliette E. McGregor, Zhengyang Xu +3 · 1 voice
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Neuroscience · #Neural dynamics and brain function #Photoreceptor and optogenetics research #Retinal Development and Disorders
paper · pdf · doi:10.7554/elife.90050
openalex publication_date 2023/08/15 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22
Though the responses of the rich variety of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) reflect the totality of visual processing in the retina and provide the sole conduit for those processed responses to the brain, we have much to learn about how the brain uses these signals to guide behavior. An impediment to developing a comprehensive understanding of the role of retinal circuits in behavior is the paucity of causal studies in the intact primate visual system. Here, we demonstrate the ability to optogenetically activate individual RGCs with flashes of light focused on single RGC somas in vivo, with no evidence for activation of neighboring cells. The ability to selectively activate specific cells is the first step toward causal experiments that directly link retinal circuits to visual experience and behavior.