So many pieces, one puzzle: cell type specification and visual circuitry in flies and mice
- 1Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA;
- 2New York University Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi 129188, United Arab Emirates;
- 3Department of Biology, New York University, New York, New York 10003, USA;
- 4Department of Neurosciences,
- 5Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
- Corresponding author: cd38{at}nyu.edu
Abstract
The visual system is a powerful model for probing the development, connectivity, and function of neural circuits. Two genetically tractable species, mice and flies, are together providing a great deal of understanding of these processes. Current efforts focus on integrating knowledge gained from three cross-fostering fields of research: (1) understanding how the fates of different cell types are specified during development, (2) revealing the synaptic connections between identified cell types (“connectomics”) by high-resolution three-dimensional circuit anatomy, and (3) causal testing of how identified circuit elements contribute to visual perception and behavior. Here we discuss representative examples from fly and mouse models to illustrate the ongoing success of this tripartite strategy, focusing on the ways it is enhancing our understanding of visual processing and other sensory systems.
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Article is online at http://www.genesdev.org/cgi/doi/10.1101/gad.248245.114.
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