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Summary of replies: Centrifugal pathway *to* retina?

Michael Hucka hucka at engin.umich.edu
Tue Jul 20 04:19:57 EST 1993


Hi,

Recently I queried this newsgroup about whether centrifugal pathways running
from higher brain areas to the retina were known to exist in mammals and
humans.  Several people replied and I wanted to thank them for their time and
effort.  Below is a listing of the replies I have received.  

=============================================================================
From: James B. Hutchins <jbh at Anat.UMSMed.Edu>
To: hucka at engin.umich.edu
Subject: Re: Centrifugal pathway *to* retina?
Date: Fri, 16 Jul 93 20:38:17 CDT

Such pathways have been discussed for a long time, but the difficulty
in demonstrating such a thing have been enormous.

In the 'lower' orders you mention, generally FRMFamide-immunoreactive
fibers are considered to be identical to retinopedal (centrifugal) fibers.
As far as I know, in fish and amphibians, the cell bodies are in the
olfactory areas of the brain.

Last time I discussed this with my friends who work in the area, they
assured me that such pathways had been preliminarily demonstrated in
rat but it was an informal conversation over 5 years ago so I don't
have a reference...will try to dig one up.

Also, I will see if my friends who work in the area have an e-mail
address so you can contact them directly for an "expert opinion" instead
of mine!

Hope this helps

Jim

-- 
Jim Hutchins                    []     E-Mail: jbh at anat.umsmed.edu
Asst Prof of Anatomy            []     Asst Prof of Neurology
Univ Mississippi Med Ctr        []     Jackson, MS

=============================================================================
From: James B. Hutchins <jbh at Anat.UMSMed.Edu>
To: hucka at engin.umich.edu
Subject: Re: Centrifugal pathway *to* retina?
Date: Sun, 18 Jul 93 12:37:51 CDT

Please find attached a list of recent papers on retinopetal (centrifugal)
connections.  I've tried to select the 'best' ones, but some may fit your
interest more than others.

Our netfind server is down so I do not have addresses for Bill Stell or Anne
Russoff, but will try to get them for you later.


Hope these help!


Authors
  Miceli D.  Reperant J.  Marchand L.  Rio JP.  
Title
  Retrograde transneuronal transport of the fluorescent dye rhodamine beta
  -isothiocyanate from the primary and centrifugal visual systems in the
  pigeon.
Journal
  Brain Research.  [JC:b5l]  601(1-2):289-98, 1993 Jan 22.

Authors
  Wilm C.  Fritzsch B.  
Title
  Ipsilateral retinopetal projection of the nucleus olfactoretinalis (NOR)
  during development and regeneration: a DiI study in a cichlid fish.
Journal
  Journal of Neurobiology.  [JC:jam]  24(1):70-9, 1993 Jan.

Authors
  Hahmann U.  Gunturkun O.  
Title
  Visual-discrimination deficits after lesions of the centrifugal visual
  system in pigeons (Columba livia).
Journal
  Visual Neuroscience.  [JC:ays]  9(3-4):225-33, 1992 Sep-Oct.

Authors
  Owusu-Yaw V.  Kyle AL.  Stell WK.  
Title
  Effects of lesions of the optic nerve, optic tectum and nervus terminalis
  on rod precursor proliferation in the goldfish retina.
Journal
  Brain Research.  [JC:b5l]  576(2):220-30, 1992 Apr 3.

Author
  Mikkelsen JD.  
Title
  Visualization of efferent retinal projections by immunohistochemical
  identification of cholera toxin subunit B.
Journal
  Brain Research Bulletin.  [JC:b5m]  28(4):619-23, 1992 Apr.

Author
  Marshak DW.  
Title
  Peptidergic neurons of teleost retinas.
Journal
  Visual Neuroscience.  [JC:ays]  8(2):137-44, 1992 Feb.

Authors
  Northcutt RG.  Butler AB.  
Title
  Retinofugal and retinopetal projections in the green sunfish, Lepomis
  cyanellus.
Journal
  Brain, Behavior & Evolution.  [JC:b5g]  37(6):333-54, 1991.

Authors
  Schutte M.  Witkovsky P.  
Title
  Dopaminergic interplexiform cells and centrifugal fibres in the Xenopus
  retina.
Journal
  Journal of Neurocytology.  [JC:jb3]  20(3):195-207, 1991 Mar.

Author
  Holden AL.  
Title
  Centrifugal pathways to the retina: which way does the "searchlight"
  point? [comment].
Journal
  Visual Neuroscience.  [JC:ays]  4(5):493-5, 1990 May.

Authors
  Fritzsch B.  Crapon de Caprona MD.  Clarke PG.  
Title
  Development of two morphological types of retinopetal fibers in chick
  embryos, as shown by the diffusion along axons of a carbocyanine dye in
  the fixed retina.
Journal
  Journal of Comparative Neurology.  [JC:huv]  300(3):405-21, 1990 Oct 15.

Authors
  Labandeira-Garcia JL.  Guerra-Seijas MJ.  Gonzalez F.  Perez R.  
  Acuna C.  
Title
  Location of neurons projecting to the retina in mammals.
Journal
  Neuroscience Research.  [JC:oaq]  8(4):291-302, 1990 Aug.

Authors
  Rusoff AC.  Hapner SJ.  
Title
  Development of retinopetal projections in the cichlid fish, Herotilapia
  multispinosa.
Journal
  Journal of Comparative Neurology.  [JC:huv]  294(3):431-42, 1990 Apr 15.

Authors
  Rusoff AC.  Hapner SJ.  
Title
  Organization of retinopetal axons in the optic nerve of the cichlid fish,
  Herotilapia multispinosa.
Journal
  Journal of Comparative Neurology.  [JC:huv]  294(3):418-30, 1990 Apr 15.

Authors
  Reperant J.  Miceli D.  Vesselkin NP.  Molotchnikoff S.  
Title
  The centrifugal visual system of vertebrates: a century-old search
  reviewed.
Journal
  International Review of Cytology.  [JC:gu9]  118:115-71, 1989.

=============================================================================
From: vineland expatriate <bell-peter at YALE.EDU>
To: hucka at engin.umich.edu
Cc: 
Subject: Re: Centrifugal pathway *to* retina?
Date: Fri, 16 Jul 1993 08:44:14 -0400

Hiya--

In birds, the nucleus which is the source of those fibres is the isthmo-
optic nucleus.  Harvey Karten had or has a postdoc looking at the 
isthmooptic nucleus, so a literature search on the nucleus and Harvey 
should help you to find some primary literature.  I believe that in 
humans the pathway is clearly not present, and I don't think anyone has
ever reported evidence for it within mammals, but there are south american
monkeys which use color extensively in species recognition and conceivably
could have some sort of centrifugal pathway, so I won't say for sure that 
*no* mammals have one.  

If you are interested in a pathway like that which is more clearly 
understood, there are centrifugal fibres innervating the cochlea in 
terrestrial vertebrates which play some role in impedance matching
(in addition to the control over the ossicles).  Unless i am seriously 
mistaken, this pathway is well documented in all terrestrial vertebrates.

-Peter
bell at minerva.cis.yale.edu

=============================================================================
From: dario at cns.nyu.edu (Dario Ringach)
To: hucka at engin.umich.edu
Subject: Re: Centrifugal pathway *to* retina?
Date: Fri, 16 Jul 93 12:30:36 EDT

As far as I know no such pathways have been found in primates.  As far
as their function goes in other animals, it is even more obscure.  

Take for example the thalamic LGN nucleus to which the retina
projects.  Only 20% of the input to the LGN comes from the retina, the
rest is cortex->LGN and midbrain->LGN feedback, and their function is not
clear at all!!!!  In the textbooks they still refer to the LGN as a
relay to the cortex.

--
Dario

Dario Ringach                           office: (212) 998-3941
Center for Neural Science               home:   (212) 727-9346
New York University                     e-mail: dario at cns.nyu.edu

=============================================================================
From: vc2 at thurston.UCSD.EDU (Vince Clark)
To: hucka at engin.umich.edu
Cc: vc at thurston.UCSD.EDU
Subject: Re:  Centrifugal pathway *to* retina?
Date: Fri, 16 Jul 93 13:08:28 PDT

Try looking up the following papers.  They think that there may be
an influence of attentional processes (ie conciousness) on the activity
of the retina itself.  Other groups haven't been able to replicate it,
but you never know.


1. Oakley MT; Eason RG.
     Subcortical gating in the human visual system during spatial selective
     attention.
   International Journal of Psychophysiology, 1990 Sep, 9(2):105-20.
     ABSTRACT available.  (UI:  91034909)

2. Oakley MT; Eason RG.
     The conjoint influence of spatial selective attention and motor set on very
     short latency VERs.
   Neuropsychologia, 1990, 28(5):487-97.
     ABSTRACT available.  (UI:  90332137)


Have fun.

Vince Clark

=============================================================================
--
-- Mike
_____________________________________________________________________________
Mike Hucka                     | Internet: hucka at engin.umich.edu    
University of Michigan AI Lab  | 1101 Beal Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2110



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