Abstract
Studying the mouse offers unique opportunities for using genetic techniques to unravel nervous system function. But how much can we learn about the human/primate visual system by studying the mouse? Unlike human and other primates, mouse is nocturnal and its retina lacks a cone-rich fovea. Nevertheless, the structure of primate and mouse retina (and indeed all mammalian retinas) is similar. Furthermore, both the peripheral primate retina and the mouse retina are rod-dominated (>95% of photoreceptors). Primate and mouse retinas contain many of the same cell types, including specific interneuron types (e.g., rod bipolar cell, AII amacrine cell, starburst amacrine cell). In this talk, I will summarize some recent findings in the mouse retina that illustrate fast and robust cone-mediated inputs to ganglion cells, suggesting that mouse and primate cone systems share functional properties. I will also describe genetic methods that reveal the structure and function of novel neural circuits in mouse retina. Studies of mouse retina will be useful for understanding general principles of neural circuit function common to all mammals and may be especially relevant for understanding the temporal properties of primate vision.