A binocular perception deficit characterizes prey pursuit in developing mice

Abstract

The mouse continues to be one of the most powerful models in which to address the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying mammalian visual system development. In particular, integration of binocular information at the cellular level has long been studied in specific regions of the mouse visual cortex to gain mechanistic insight into the development of vision. However, we lack an understanding of the development of the visual perceptions themselves in mice and other species that might rely on successful binocular integration. Further, the superior colliculus also processes binocular input and it remains unclear how early visual experience differentially impacts activity in this brain area during behavior. To address these major outstanding questions, we quantified the natural visually-guided behavior of postnatal day 21 (P21) and adult mice using a live prey capture assay and a computerized-spontaneous perception of visual objects tasks (C-SPOT). Analysis of both behavioral assays revealed robust and specific binocular visual field processing deficits in P21 mice as compared to adults. In addition, c-Fos expression in the anterior region of the superior colliculus (SC), the region that would process stimuli located in the binocular visual field, was highly different between P21 mice and adults after C-SPOT. We thus exploited a natural visual pursuit behavior and C-SPOT to provide the first demonstration of a specific visual perception deficit related to binocular integration in developing mice. HighlightsO_LIJuvenile (P21) mice robustly investigate live insects C_LIO_LIInsect pursuit behavior relying on binocular vision is immature in P21 mice C_LIO_LIVisually-induced arrest responses are similar between P21 and adult mice. C_LIO_LIEthologically-relevant visual experience differentially increases c-Fos expression in the superior colliculus of juveniles versus adults. C_LI