An understanding of the normal structure and function of the retina is important to appreciate changes that occur during disease, development and aging. To this end, a longstanding goal for the field has been to obtain a unified functional, molecular and morphological classification of the neural cell types in the primate retina. To address this need, we will use a state-of-the-art approach to interrogate neuronal function in molecularly-defined ganglion and amacrine cell types in primate retina. Our method combines two-photon calcium imaging of light-evoked responses with a novel, high-throughput method to molecularly classify cell types in situ and at unprecedented scale. We will use this integrated approach to determine the functional properties of molecularly-defined wide-field ganglion cells and GABAergic amacrine cell types that have hitherto been difficult to target using conventional electrophysiological approaches. In Aim 1, we will determine the spatiotemporal response properties, mosaics and morphologies of ganglion cell types that are disproportionately represented in peripheral retina. In Aim 2, we will examine how regional differences in inhibitory neurons and their connections shape the functional response properties of the foveal and peripheral retina. We expect that completion of these aims will reveal novel insights into the distinct cellular and circuit mechanisms that shape visual processing in the foveal and peripheral retina.

The objective of this proposal is to use a novel, high-throughput approach to study the function and distribution of previously uncharacterized ganglion cells that send visual information from the retina to the brain. We expect the study outcomes to ultimately aid understanding of changes that occur during disease, development and aging and to lead to improved methods for retinal disease diagnosis and treatment.