Architecture of retinal projections to the central circadian pacemaker.

ABSTRACT: The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) receives direct retinal input from the intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) for circadian photoentrainment. Interestingly, the SCN is the only brain region that receives equal inputs from the left and right eyes. Despite morphological assessments showing that axonal fibers originating from ipRGCs cover the entire SCN, physiological evidence suggests that only vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP)/gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) cells located ventrally in the SCN receive retinal input. It is still unclear, therefore, which subpopulation of SCN neurons receives synaptic input from the retina and how the SCN receives equal inputs from both eyes. Here, using single ipRGC axonal tracing and a confocal microscopic analysis in mice, we s

SUBMITTER: Fernandez DC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4889372 | biostudies-literature | 2016 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature