Ganglion cells of a short-wavelength-sensitive cone pathway in New World monkeys: Morphology and physiology

Abstract

We have studied the morphology and physiology of retinal ganglion cells of a short-wavelength-sensitive cone (SWS-cone) pathway in dichromatic and trichromatic New World anthropoids, the capuchin monkey (Cebus apella) and tufted-ear marmoset (Callithrix jacchus). In Old World anthropoids, in which males and females are both trichromats, blue-ON/yellow-OFF retinal ganglion cells have excitatory SWS-cone and inhibitory middle- and long-wavelength-sensitive (MWS- and LWS-) cone inputs, and have been anatomically identified as small-field bistratified ganglion cells (SB-cells) (Dacey & Lee, 1994). Among retinal ganglion cells of New World monkeys, we find SB-cells which have very similar morphology to such cells in macaque and human; for example, the inner dendritic tree is larger and denser than the outer dendritic tree. We also find blue-on retinal ganglion cells of the capuchin to have physiological responses strongly resembling such cells of the macaque monkey retina; for example, responses were more sustained, with a gentler low frequency roll-off than MC-cells, and no evidence of contrast gain control. There was no difference between dichromatic and trichromatic individuals. The results support the view that SWS-cone pathways are similarly organized in New and Old World primates, consistent with the hypothesis that these pathways form a phylogenetically ancient color system.

Dendritic thickness: a morphometric parameter to classify mouse retinal ganglion cells

“…These cells resembled those previously described in the mouse retina (27,(30)(31)(32). By qualitative morphologic comparison, these cells might be identified as the Blue-ON, Yellow-Off ganglion cells described in the monkey (1,40). These cells appear to belong to a system that is connected to S-cones and therefore are sensitive to short wavelengths.…”

Functional Asymmetries in Visual Pathways Carrying S-Cone Signals in Macaque

“…One cell type (Sϩ) opposes excitatory input from S-cones to a combined inhibitory signal from L-and M-cones (Derrington et al, 1984;Dacey and Lee, 1994;White et al, 1998;Silveira et al, 1999;Reid and Shapley, 2002;Chatterjee and Callaway, 2003;Field et al, 2007). Another, seldom encountered, cell type (SϪ) draws inhibitory input from S-cones (Kruger, 1977;Malpeli and Schiller, 1978;de Monasterio, 1979;Zrenner and Gouras, 1981;Zrenner et al, 1983;Derrington et al, 1984;Valberg et al, 1986;Reid and Shapley, 2002;Chatterjee and Callaway, 2003;Dacey and Packer, 2003;Szmajda et al, 2006).…”

The genetics of New World monkey visual pigments.

“…and Old World monkeys have been described in several studies. Some of these likenesses can be observed in retinal morphology (Silveira, Picanço-Diniz, Sampaio, & Oswaldo-Cruz, 1989;de Lima, Silveira, & Perry, 1993Silveira, Yamada, Perry, & Picanço-Diniz, 1994;Silveira, Lee, Yamada, Kremers, & Hunt, 1998;Silveira et al, 1999;Yamada, Silveira, & Perry, 1996a;Yamada, Silveira, Gomes, & Lee, 1996b;Andrade-da-Costa & Hokoç, 2000;dos Reis, de Carvalho, Saito, & Silveira, 2002;Finlay et al, 2008), retinal physiology (Lee, Silveira, Yamada, & Kremers, 1996;Silveira et al, 1999;Lee et al, 2000), brain size, cleavage patterns, and the relative position of homologous visual areas (Gattass, Gross, & Sandell, 1981;Gattass, Sousa, & Rosa, 1987;Rosa, Sousa, & Gattass, 1988;Fiorani, Gattas, Sousa, & Rosa, 1989), and the visual cortex (Gattass et al, 1981(Gattass et al, , 1987Fiorani, Gattass, Rosa, & Sousa, 1989;Rosa, Soares, Fiorani, & Gattass, 1993).…”