Spontaneous network activity constitutes a central theme during the development of neuronal circuitry [1, 2]. Before the onset of vision, retinal neurons generate waves of spontaneous activity that are relayed along the ascending visual pathway [3, 4] and shape activity patterns in these regions [5, 6]. The spatiotemporal nature of retinal waves is required to establish precise functional maps in higher visual areas, and their disruption results in enlarged axonal projection areas (e.g., [7-10]). However, how retinal inputs shape network dynamics in the visual cortex on the cellular level is unknown. Using in vivo two-photon calcium imaging, we identified two independently occurring patterns of network activity in the mouse primary visual cortex (V1) before and at the onset of vision. Acute manipulations of spontaneous retinal activity revealed that one type of network activity largely originated in the retina and was characterized by low synchronicity (L-) events. In addition, we identified a type of high synchronicity (H-) events that required gap junction signaling but were independent of retinal input. Moreover, the patterns differed in wave progression and developmental profile. Our data suggest that different activity patterns have complementary functions during the formation of synaptic circuits in the developing visual cortex.
Reduced food availability during chick raising is a major driver of farmland bird declines. For the Eurasian Skylark (Alauda arvensis), food availability is determined by various factors (i.e., arthropod abundance/diversity, accessibility of the vegetation, distance to foraging sites). In modern farmland, it is supposed to decrease over the breeding season due to less penetrable vegetation. We explored foraging habitat selection by chick-raising Skylarks with a focus on the seasonal dynamics of habitat use and food availability. We investigated (i) habitat selection concerning prey biomass/
During nervous system development, the formation of synapses between pre- and postsynaptic neurons is a remarkably specific process. Both structural and functional plasticity are critical for the selection of synaptic partners and for the establishment and maturation of synapses. To unravel the respective contributions of structural and functional mechanisms as well as their interactions during synaptogenesis, it is important to directly observe structural changes and functional signaling simultaneously. Here, we present an imaging approach to simultaneously follow changes in structure and function. Differential labeling of individual cells and the neuronal network with distinct dyes allows the study of structural plasticity and changes in calcium signaling associated with neural activity at the same time and with high resolution. This is achieved by bulk loading of neuronal populations with a calcium-sensitive indicator in combination with electroporation of individual cells with a calcium indicator and an additional noncalcium-sensitive dye with a different excitation spectrum. Recordings of the two differently labeled structures can be acquired simultaneously using confocal microscopy. Thus, structural plasticity and calcium dynamics of the individually labeled neuron and the surrounding network can be related to each other. This combined imaging approach can be applied to virtually all systems of neuronal networks to study structure and function. We provide a comprehensive description of the labeling procedure, the imaging parameters, and the important aspects of analysis for simultaneous recordings of structure and function in individual neurons.
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