Orientation-selective ganglion cells (OS GCs) had been found in fish retina decades ago, however the underlying
mechanisms behind their orientation selectivity remain unclear. OS GCs in fish can be divided into two physiological
types that differer in preferred orientations close to vertical and horizontal. In other properties, the two types of
the OS GCs do not differ from each other. They are not selective to the sign of stimulus contrast, i.e., have ON-OFF
nature. We recorded extracellular activity from the axon terminals of retinal GCs in the tectum opticum of living
restrained goldfish. The properties of stimuli and the experimental series were adjusted with software developed
specifically for our research. For current study we used random checkerboard mapping method with single spot and two-
spot flashing stimuli presented on CRT monitor.Orientation-selective ganglion cells – detectors of horizontal and
vertical lines – are able to respond to single flashing spot stimuli, allowing to estimate their excitatory receptive
fields’ sizes and shape. However the response to this kind of stimulation is significantly weaker when compared to
response to preferred stimuli – properly oriented stripes and edges. But when presented with stimulus of simultaneous
flash of two spots that stand for end points of a line segment of preferred orientation the OS GCs respond with
sustained spike discharge. We also observed inhibition when two spots were oriented orthogonally. The resulting images
of local excitations and inhibitions in the RFs of OS GCs depicted in pseudo colors of geographic palette resemble two
intersected hourglasses, with narrow excitatory and wide inhibitory zones. Two spots appear to be sufficient
approximation of segments of preferred or orthogonal orientation and allow examining local properties of their receptive
fields. Hence two-spot stimulation may become an effective instrument to reveal retinal synaptic map of OS GCs on the
IPL level.
Key words:
retina, ganglion cells, receptive fields
DOI: 10.31857/S0235009220010035
Cite:
Aliper A. T., Damjanovic I., Zaichikova A. A., Maximova E. M., Maximov P. V.
Tonkaya struktura retseptivnykh polei orientatsionno izbiratelnykh ganglioznykh kletok setchatki ryb
[Fine structure of receptive fields of orientation-selective ganglion cells in goldfish retina].
Sensornye sistemy [Sensory systems].
2020.
V. 34(1).
P. 19-24 (in Russian). doi: 10.31857/S0235009220010035
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