A genetically defined tecto-thalamic pathway drives a system of superior-colliculus-dependent visual cortices.

ABSTRACT: Cortical responses to visual stimuli are believed to rely on the geniculo-striate pathway. However, recent work has challenged this notion by showing that responses in the postrhinal cortex (POR), a visual cortical area, instead depend on the tecto-thalamic pathway, which conveys visual information to the cortex via the superior colliculus (SC). Does POR's SC-dependence point to a wider system of tecto-thalamic cortical visual areas? What information might this system extract from the visual world? We discovered multiple mouse cortical areas whose visual responses rely on SC, with the most lateral showing the strongest SC-dependence. This system is driven by a genetically defined cell type that connects the SC to the pulvinar thalamic nucleus. Finally, we show that SC-dependent cortices di

SUBMITTER: Brenner JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10524301 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature