A developmental critical period for ocular dominance plasticity of binocular neurons in mouse superior colliculus

• Published in: Cell reports (Cambridge) Vol. 43; no. 1; p. 113667
• Main Authors: Hu, Guanglei, Chen, Ailin, Ye, Jingjing, Liu, Qiong, Wang, Jiafeng, Fan, Cunxiu, Wang, Xiaoqing, Huang, Mengqi, Dai, Menghan, Shi, Xuefeng, Gu, Yu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 23.01.2024; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animals; CP: Neuroscience; critical period; Dominance, Ocular; Mice; Neuronal Plasticity - physiology; Neurons; NMDA receptors; ocular dominance plasticity; predatory hunting; Superior Colliculi; superior colliculus; Visual Cortex - physiology; critical period; NMDA receptors; predatory hunting; CP: Neuroscience; ocular dominance plasticity; superior colliculus
• ISSN: 2211-1247; 2211-1247
• DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113667

Detecting visual features in the environment is crucial for animals’ survival. The superior colliculus (SC) is implicated in motion detection and processing, whereas how the SC integrates visual inputs from the two eyes remains unclear. Using in vivo electrophysiology, we show that mouse SC contains many binocular neurons that display robust ocular dominance (OD) plasticity in a critical period during early development, which is similar to, but not dependent on, the primary visual cortex. NR2A- and NR2B-containing N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors play an essential role in the regulation of SC plasticity. Blocking NMDA receptors can largely prevent the impairment of predatory hunting caused by monocular deprivation, indicating that maintaining the binocularity of SC neurons is required for efficient hunting behavior. Together, our studies reveal the existence and function of OD plasticity in SC, which broadens our understanding of the development of subcortical visual circuitry relating to motion detection and predatory hunting. [Display omitted] •A developmental critical period for OD plasticity exists in mouse SC binocular neurons•SC OD plasticity is independent of V1 inputs•SC OD plasticity requires NMDA receptors•The predatory impairments caused by MD can be prevented by NMDA receptor blockade Hu et al. uncover the critical period for OD plasticity in mouse SC, which is similar to, but independent of, V1 and requires SC NMDA receptors. Predatory impairments caused by MD can be prevented by NMDA receptor blockade, suggesting the pivotal role of subcortical visual circuitry in amblyopia.