Vision in dim light: highlights and challenges

O’Carroll, David C.; Warrant, Eric J.

doi:10.1098/rstb.2016.0062

Cited by 31 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 50 publications

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“…As an important determinant of fitness, animals evolved a wide range of visual adaptation to see in the dark (Nilsson, 2009;O'Carroll & Warrant, 2017;Thomas, Robison, & Johnsen, 2017;Warrant, 2017;Warrant & Nilsson, 2006). Nocturnal vision is known to rely on highly efficient light capture, both at the level of the lens and photoreceptor outer segments, and often 255 compromises spatio-temporal resolution by summation strategies of neuronal readout (Warrant, 1999;2017).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rod nuclear architecture determines contrast transmission of the retina and behavioral sensitivity in mice

Subramanian

Weigert

Borsch

et al. 2019

Preprint

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20Rod photoreceptors of nocturnal mammals display a striking inversion of nuclear architecture, which has been proposed as an evolutionary adaptation to dark environments. However, the nature of visual benefits and underlying mechanisms remains unclear. It is widely assumed that improvements in nocturnal vision would depend on maximization of photon capture, at the expense of image detail. Here we show that retinal optical quality improves 2-fold during 25 terminal development, which, confirmed by a mouse model, happens due to nuclear inversion.We further reveal that improved retinal contrast-transmission, rather than photon-budget or resolution, leads to enhanced contrast sensitivity under low light condition. Our findings therefore add functional significance to a prominent exception of nuclear organization and establish retinal contrast-transmission as a decisive determinant of mammalian visual 30 perception.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rod nuclear architecture determines contrast transmission of the retina and behavioral sensitivity in mice

Subramanian

Weigert

Borsch

et al. 2019

Preprint

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“…Comparing canonical LMC responses and fly turning showed that pure contrast sensitivity underestimated behavioral responses to moving stimuli ( Figure 1C). Mechanisms such as spatial pooling or sensorimotor processing might account for this discrepancy [16,31,32]. Alternatively, the newly identified luminance information might provide a corrective signal to ensure contrast constancy.…”

Section: L3 Neurons Are Required For Motion Responses When Light Levementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Physiologically different LMC subtypes have been described in different species. For example, LMCs in bumblebees and butterflies exhibit sustained components [50,51], and motionsensitive neurons perform better than photoreceptor responses predict in the nocturnal hawkmoth [32,52]. Interestingly, presynaptic L2 and L3 calcium signals are highly reminiscent of sustained and transient calcium signals in bipolar cells of the vertebrate retina [53][54][55].…”

Section: A Role For Luminance In Image Processing Might Be a Common Fmentioning

confidence: 99%

Luminance Information Is Required for the Accurate Estimation of Contrast in Rapidly Changing Visual Contexts

et al. 2020

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Graphical Abstract Highlights d Lamina neurons underestimate contrast when light levels suddenly decline d Distinct visual pathways postsynaptic to photoreceptors encode contrast and luminance d The luminance-sensitive pathway via L3 is necessary for behavior in sudden dim light d L3 scales behavioral responses in contextual dim light across adaptation states SUMMARY Visual perception scales with changes in the visual stimulus, or contrast, irrespective of background illumination. However, visual perception is challenged when adaptation is not fast enough to deal with sudden declines in overall illumination, for example, when gaze follows a moving object from bright sunlight into a shaded area. Here, we show that the visual system of the fly employs a solution by propagating a corrective luminance-sensitive signal. We use in vivo 2-photon imaging and behavioral analyses to demonstrate that distinct OFF-pathway inputs encode contrast and luminance. Predictions of contrast-sensitive neuronal responses show that contrast information alone cannot explain behavioral responses in sudden dim light. The luminance-sensitive pathway via the L3 neuron is required for visual processing in such rapidly changing light conditions, ensuring contrast constancy when pure contrast sensitivity underestimates a stimulus. Thus, retaining a peripheral feature, luminance, in visual processing is required for robust behavioral responses.

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“…In dim‐light conditions the visual signal‐to‐noise ratio is low, which dramatically affects the availability and the salience of visual cues (Narendra, Kamhi, & Ogawa, ; Warrant, ). Indeed, on moonless nights, light levels can decrease by up to 11 orders of magnitude compared to a cloudless day (O'Carroll & Warrant, ), making it a challenge to access reliable visual information. Nevertheless, animals active in low light environments use visual information for navigation (Narendra et al, ; Warrant & Dacke, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differential investment in brain regions for a diurnal and nocturnal lifestyle in Australian Myrmecia ants

Sheehan

Kamhi

Seid

et al. 2019

J of Comparative Neurology

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Animals are active at different times of the day. Each temporal niche offers a unique light environment, which affects the quality of the available visual information. To access reliable visual signals in dim‐light environments, insects have evolved several visual adaptations to enhance their optical sensitivity. The extent to which these adaptations reflect on the sensory processing and integration capabilities within the brain of a nocturnal insect is unknown. To address this, we analyzed brain organization in congeneric species of the Australian bull ant, Myrmecia, that rely predominantly on visual information and range from being strictly diurnal to strictly nocturnal. Weighing brains and optic lobes of seven Myrmecia species, showed that after controlling for body mass, the brain mass was not significantly different between diurnal and nocturnal ants. However, the optic lobe mass, after controlling for central brain mass, differed between day‐ and night‐active ants. Detailed volumetric analyses showed that the nocturnal ants invested relatively less in the primary visual processing regions but relatively more in both the primary olfactory processing regions and in the integration centers of visual and olfactory sensory information. We discuss how the temporal niche occupied by each species may affect cognitive demands, thus shaping brain organization among insects active in dim‐light conditions.

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Vision in dim light: highlights and challenges

Abstract: One contribution of 17 to a theme issue 'Vision in dim light'.

Cited by 31 publications

References 50 publications

Rod nuclear architecture determines contrast transmission of the retina and behavioral sensitivity in mice

Rod nuclear architecture determines contrast transmission of the retina and behavioral sensitivity in mice

Luminance Information Is Required for the Accurate Estimation of Contrast in Rapidly Changing Visual Contexts

Differential investment in brain regions for a diurnal and nocturnal lifestyle in Australian Myrmecia ants

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