Abstract
We have investigated the ontogeny of light-driven responses in mouse retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Using a large-scale, high-density multielectrode array, we recorded from hundredsto thousands of RGCs simultaneously at pan-retinal level, including dorsal and ventral locations. Responses to different contrasts not only revealed a complex developmental profile forON, OFF and ON-OFF RGC types, but also unveiled differences between dorsal and ventral RGCs. At eye-opening, dorsal RGCs of all types were more responsive to light, perhaps indicating an environmental priority to nest viewing for pre-weaning pups. The developmental profile of ON and OFF RGCs exhibited antagonistic behavior, with the strongest ON responses shortly after eye-opening, followed by an increase in the strength of OFF responses later on. Further,we found that receptive field (RF) centers decrease, STA signal strength increases and the shape of RF centers get closer to a circle with maturation but differently between the RGC types. These findings suggest that retinal functionality is not spatially uniform and that there might be an ecological advantage to favoring the development of dorsal light responses before the ventral part reaches functional maturity.
