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Updated: Jun 22, 2026

4-Dimensional Imaging of Zebrafish Optic Cup Morphogenesis
Published on: May 26, 2021
Intrinsic patterning and experience-dependent mechanisms that generate eye-specific projections and binocular
Catherine A Leamey1, Audra Van Wart, Mriganka Sur
1Discipline of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. cathy@physiol.usyd.edu.au
Abstract:
A defining feature of the mammalian nervous system is its complex yet precise circuitry. The mechanisms which underlie the generation of neural connectivity are the topic of intense study in developmental neuroscience. The mammalian visual pathway demonstrates precise retinotopic organization in subcortical and cortical pathways, together with the alignment and matching of eye-specific projections, and sophisticated cortical circuitry that enables the extraction of features underlying vision. New approaches employing molecular-genetic analyses, transgenic mice, novel recombinant probes, and high-resolution imaging are contributing to rapid progress and a new synthesis in the field. These approaches are revealing the ways in which intrinsic patterning mechanisms act in concert with experience-dependent mechanisms to shape visual projections and circuits.
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