TEACHING

Visual Neuroscience I

A team-taught course in the Neuroscience of Vision, emphasizing the neurons and circuits that participate in the first steps of vision. We will consider the anatomy, physiology and pharmacology of the retina from phototransduction to the ensemble firing patterns of retinal ganglion cells that convey the visual picture via the optic nerve.

Coordinator: Stephen Mills, Ph.D. 713-500-5998, MSB 7.228B
Date/Time:  Tuesday and Thursday, 9:00 - 10:30 a.m.
Location: Ophthalmology Conference Room, MSB 7.238

SCHEDULE

January 9
1. LIGHT AND VISION: Properties of light, optics, the evolution of eyes.
Dr. Mills
PowerPoint Presentation

January 11
2. ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY: Recording methods, passive and active membrane properties of neurons, chemical and electrical transmission.
Dr. Han

January 16
3. SYNAPTIC TRANSMISSION: Neurotransmitter release, ribbon synapses, vesicles, calcium, synaptic proteins.
Dr. Heidelberger

January 18
4. PHOTORECEPTORS ANATOMY: Introduction: eye & retina, pigments, visual cycle cell biology and ultrastructure of rods and cones.
Dr. Carter-Dawson
Lecture Notes
PowerPoint Presentation

January 23
5. PROCESSING AT THE CONE PEDICLE: glutamate receptors, rod-cone coupling.
Dr. Massey
PowerPoint Presentation

January 25
6. PHOTORECEPTOR PHYSIOLOGY: Membrane potential, dark current, regulation of cGMP gated channels.
Dr. O'Brien
PowerPoint Presentation

January 30
7. PHOTOTRANSDUCTION I: PHOTOTRANSDUCTION I: Visual transduction cascade: amplification, activation/inactivation, regulation.
Dr. O'Brien
PowerPoint Presentation

February 1
8. PHOTOTRANSDUCTION II: Adaptation, differences between rods and cones.
Dr. O'Brien
PowerPoint Presentation

February 6
9. COLOR VISION I: Molecular biology of visual pigments, spectral tuning, accessory tuning mechanisms.
Dr. O'Brien
PowerPoint Presentation

February 8
EXAM I ON LECTURES 1-9

February 13
10. RETINAL DEGENERATION: Genetic Analysis.
Dr. Zhao

February 15
11. ZEBRAFISH MODELS OF RETINAL PROCESSING
Dr. Zhao

February 20
12. DEVELOPMENT OF THE RETINA I: Morphogenesis and molecular regulation.
Dr. Wang
PowerPoint Presentation

February 22
13. DEVELOPMENT OF THE RETINA II: Cell fate specification and molecular regulation.
Dr. Wang
PowerPoint Presentation

February 27
14. GLIAL CELLS: Structure and function, glutamate transport, glutamate metabolism.
Dr. Carter-Dawson
Lecture Notes
PowerPoint Presentation

March 1
15. ELECTRORETINOGRAM: Component analysis, origins, origin of b-wave, PERG, clinical diagnosis.
Dr. Frishman
PowerPoint Presentation

March 5-9
UT SPRING BREAK

March 13
16. HORIZONTAL CELLS: Morphology, connectivity, feedback.
Dr. Mills
PowerPoint Presentation

March 15 - **CANCELLED**
17. BIPOLAR CELLS I: Morphology, physiology, ON/OFF pathways, APB receptors, rod/cone pathways.
Dr. Mills

March 20
18. BIPOLAR CELLS II: connectivity, mammalian bipolar cell types, blue cone bipolar cells.
Dr. Mills
PowerPoint Presentation

March 22
19. AMACRINE CELLS I: Classification: anatomy and transmitter, feedback, circuits, rod pathways.
Dr. Massey
PowerPoint Presentation

March 27
20. AMACRINE CELLS II: Dopamine, modulation, NO.
DR. MARSHAK

March 29 - EXAM II

April 3
21. GANGLION CELLS: Classification, anatomy, connections.
Dr. Wang
PowerPoint Presentation

Apr 5
22. DIRECTIONAL SELECTIVITY: cholinergic amacrine cells, ON/OFF DS &ON DS ganglion cells, role of GABA, potential mechanisms.
DR. MASSEY

Apr 10
23. COLOR VISION: primate retina, midget ganglion cells, parasol ganglion cells, color circuitry, blue/yellow ganglion cells.
DR. MARSHAK

Apr 12
24. GANGLION CELL CIRCUITRY Receptive fields, physiology, inhibitory circuitry.
DR. MILLS
PowerPoint Presentation

Apr 17
25. GANGLION CELL DEATH: Glaucoma, excitotoxicity, role of glutamate, apoptosis.
DR. CARTER-DAWSON
PowerPoint Presentation

Apr 19
26. BEYOND THE RETINA: Central projections, LGN, superior colliculus, foveation, pupil control, eye movements.
DR. FELLEMAN

Apr 24
27. CORTICAL MECHANISMS OF SEEING
DR. FELLEMAN

Apr 26 or TBA FINAL EXAM

(May 1-5 Exam week, end of semester; ARVO May 6-10)