Cellular Mechanisms Regulating Patterns of Converging Inputs onto Retinal Neurons

Neurons receive and integrate input from many functionally distinct presynaptic cell types. Taking advantage of the compact circuitry of the vertebrate retina, we are applying in vitro and in vivo optical imaging methods to reconstruct the wiring patterns of inner and outer retinal neurons in mice and zebrafish. By perturbing neurotransmission, or by altering the composition of presynaptic partner types during development, we hope to gain insights into the cellular mechanisms that regulate the patterns of synaptic convergence onto an individual neuron.