Summary
-
1.
Responses of single neurones in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) were recorded in the anaesthetized rat and cat. Visual SCN units in both species were predominantly present in the caudal half of the nucleus. The large majority could be classified as either tonically suppressed or tonically activated according to whether an increase in diffuse adaptation luminance respectively decreased or increased their mean discharge rate.
-
2.
For both the cell types the maintained discharge at different luminance levels was a monotonically decreasing or increasing function over a large range of light intensities. In both species the threshold for luminance-dependent maintained discharge was high (>−1 log cd·m−2). The observation of either cell type was independent of the phase of the circadian cycle but it was not established whether the same held true for the intensity-response relations.
-
3.
A small proportion of suppressed cells in the rat SCN reflected the state of retinal adaptation in their firing rate. After light adaptation these cells attained their steady state dark discharge only very slowly.
-
4.
The receptive fields of cat SCN cells tended to be large (> 20°) without a clear antagonistic centre-surround organization. It is proposed that the receptive fields of SCN are the result of the convergence of retinal input from tonic W-cells.
-
5.
It is concluded that their characterization as detectors of diffuse temporal luminance gradients makes visual SCN neurones particularly suitable for their function in the photic entrainment of circadian rhythms. This functional specialization is probably common to both the direct retinofugal projection and the indirect visual projection via the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus to the SCN.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
Abbreviations
- LGN v :
-
ventral lateral geniculate nucleus
- PSTH :
-
peri-stimulus time histogram
- RF :
-
receptive field
- SCN :
-
suprachiasmatic nuclei
References
Aschoff, J.: Circadian rhythms: influences of internal and external factors on the period measured in constant conditions. Z. Tier-psychol.49, 225–249 (1979)
Barlow, H.B., Levick, W.R.: Changes in the maintained discharge with adaptation level in the cat retina. J. Physiol.202, 699–718 (1969)
Bishop, P.O., Burke, W., Davis, R.: Single unit recording from antidromically activated optic radiation neurones. J. Physiol.162, 432–450 (1962)
Bobbert, A.C., Brandenburg, J., Wiechen, R.J. van: Diurnal sympathetic control of photic responses in the rabbit's visual pathway. Chronobiologia6, 80–82 (1979)
Bremer, F.: Photic responses of the basal preoptic area in the cat. Brain Res.115, 145–149 (1976)
Cleland, B.G., Levick, W.R.: Brisk and sluggish concentrically organized ganglion cells in the cat's retina. J. Physiol.240, 421–456 (1974)
Daan, S.: Tonic and phasic effects of light in the entrainment of circadian rhythms. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci.290, 51–59 (1977)
Daan, S., Pittendrigh, C.S.: A functional analysis of circadian pacemakers in nocturnal rodents. III. Heavy water and constant light: homeostasis of frequency? J. Comp. Physiol.106, 267–290 (1976)
DeCoursey, P.J.: Daily activity rhythms in the flying squirrel,Glaucomys valons. Ph. D. Thesis, University of Wisconsin, 162 pp. (1959)
Foote, W.E., Taber-Pierce, E., Edwards, L.: Evidence for a retinal projection to the midbrain of the cat. Brain Res.156, 135–140 (1978)
Fukuda, Y.: A three-group classification of rat retinal ganglion cells: histological and physiological studies. Brain Res.119, 327–344 (1977)
Fuortes, M.G.F., Franck, K., Becker, M.C.: Steps in the production of motoneurones spikes. J. Gen. Physiol.45, 1163–1179 (1957)
Groos, G.A.: An electrophysiological study of the suprachiasmatic nuclei. Chronobiologia (in press) (1980)
Groos, G., Mason, R.: Maintained discharge of rat suprachiasmatic neurons at different adaptation levels. Neurosci. Lett.8, 59–64 (1978)
Hale, P.T., Sefton, A.J.: A comparison of the visual and electrical response properties of cells in the dorsal and ventral lateral geniculate nuclei. Brain Res.153, 591–595 (1978)
Hickey, T.L., Spear, P.D.: Retinogeniculate projections in hooded and albino rats: an autoradiographic study. Exp. Brain Res.24, 523–529 (1976)
Kreisel, B., Conforti, N., Gutnick, M., Feldman, S.: Suprachiasmatic nucleus responsiveness to photic and basal hypothalamic stimulation. Brain Res. Bull.3, 707–714 (1978)
Lincoln, D.W., Church, J., Mason, C.A.: Electrophysiological activation of suprachiasmatic neurones by changes in retinal illumination. Acta Endocrinol. (Kbh.), Suppl.199, 184 (1975)
Mai, J.K.: The accessory optic system and the retino-hypothalamic system. A review. J. Hirnforsch.19, 213–288 (1978)
Mason, C.A., Sparrow, N., Lincoln, D.W.: Structural features of the retinohypothalamic projection in the rat during normal development. Brain Res.132, 141–148 (1977)
Moore, R.Y.: Central neural control of circadian rhythms. In: Frontiers in neuroendocrinology. Ganong, W.F., Martini, L. (eds.), Vol. 5, pp. 185–206. New York: Raven Press 1978
Mosko, S.S., Jacobs, B.L.: Midbrain raphe neurons: spontaneous activity and response to light. Physiol. Behav.13, 589–593 (1974)
Nishino, H., Koizumi, K., Brooks, C.Mc.C.: The role of suprachiasmatic nuclei of the hypothalamus in the production of circadian rhythm. Brain Res.112, 45–59 (1976)
Ribak, C.E., Peters, A.: An autoradiographic study of the projections from the lateral geniculate body of the rat. Brain Res.92, 341–368 (1975)
Rusak, B., Zucker, I.: Neural regulation of circadian rhythms. Physiol. Rev.59, 449–526 (1979)
Sawaki, Y.: Suprachiasmatic nucleus neurones: excitation and inhibition mediated by the direct retino-hypothalamic projection in female rats. Exp. Brain Res.37, 127–138 (1979)
Spear, P.D., Smith, D.C., Williams, L.L.: Visual receptive-field properties of single neurons in cat's ventral lateral geniculate nucleus. J. Neurophysiol.40, 390–409 (1977)
Stone, L, Fukuda, Y.: Properties of cat retinal ganglion cells: a comparison of W-cells with X- and Y-cells. J. Neurophysiol.37, 722–748 (1974)
Zucker, I., Rusak, B., King, R.G.: Neural bases for circadian rhythms in rodent behavior. Adv. Psychobiol.3, 35–74 (1976)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
The collaboration of the authors was possible thanks to the financial support of the European Science Foundation (ETPBBR twinning grant ETP/TW/380). The authors are grateful to Mr. J. den Hoed and Mr. D. Scott for their skilled technical assistance and to both Miss J. Dow and Miss M. de Rooy for secretarial assistance. Significant contributions to the work reported here have been made by our students D. van der Kooy and L. Veenman.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Groos, G.A., Mason, R. The visual properties of rat and cat suprachiasmatic neurones. J. Comp. Physiol. 135, 349–356 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00657651
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00657651