Unexpected plasticity in retinal circuits

Direction selective retinal ganglion cells encode motion in the visual field. They respond strongly to an object moving in one direction, called the preferred direction, and weakly to an object moving in the opposite direction. This response is thought to arise by asymmetric wiring of inhibitory neurons onto the direction selective cells. I will demonstrate that adaptation with short visual stimulation of a direction selective ganglion cell using drifting gratings can reverse this cell’s directional preference by 180 degrees. This reversal is robust, long-lasting, and independent of the animal’s age. My findings indicate that, even within circuits that are hardwired, the computation of direction can be altered by dynamic circuit mechanisms that are guided by visual stimulation.