Daniel Kerschensteiner
@kerschensteiner.bsky.social
Prof @ Washington University in St. Louis. To understand, preserve, and restore vision. https://kerschensteinerlab.wustl.edu/
The latest result from a fun ongoing collaboration! @mbeyeler.bsky.social @michaelgoard.bsky.social @spencerlaveresmith.bsky.social
Spencer LaVere Smith@spencerlaveresmith.bsky.social · 3w agoEcological Visual Processing in the Mouse - with @michaelgoard.bsky.social @crisniell.bsky.social @mbeyeler.bsky.social Visual computations that are engaged in ecological contexts: active sensing, motion processing, scene analysis, distance estimation, and spatial perception. doi.org/10.1146/annu...
I am happy to share our latest manuscript, led by newly-minted PhD Justin Wang, identifying a neural population that selectively controls hedonic, but not homeostatic, feeding. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Ventral pallidal GABAergic neurons control hedonic feeding and obesity
Food intake is governed by two interacting drives. The homeostatic hunger drive regulates food intake to fulfill caloric needs while the hedonic drive promotes intake of palatable foods outside of cal...
biorxiv.org
New preprint from the lab! Most mammals have a secondary olfactory system (accessory olfactory system, a.k.a. vomeronasal system) that provides extra information about social cues that aren't airborne. This system is especially sensitive to "messy things" (saliva🤤, tears😿, urine🚾, feces💩) (1/n)
Bile acid chemosensation in mammals supports species and gut microbiome evaluation
The rodent accessory olfactory system (AOS) detects chemosignals emitted by conspecifics and other species to support beneficial behaviors. Peripheral vomeronasal sensory neurons (VSNs), the AOS' chemical sensors, detect fecal bile acids in patterns that have unknown significance to the animal. We used a combination of mass spectrometry and VSN calcium imaging to investigate the AOS' capacity to use bile acid information to discriminate between fecal samples from captive reptiles and mice with varying gut microbiome states. Mass spectrometry analysis revealed bile acid patterns that distinguished biologically relevant samples from one another, representing theoretical discrimination axes. We measured VSN response patterns to bile acid stimuli aligned with theoretical discrimination axes. We found that VSNs perform stimulus "whitening" via an inverse relationship between natural bile acid abundance and population response magnitude. VSNs showed maximum sensitivity to taurine-conjugated bile acids, which have high theoretical discriminatory value, but were found at low natural abundance levels. Individual taurine-conjugated bile acids drove threat assessment behavior when added to familiar mouse fecal extracts, suggesting high behavioral significance. Finally, we analyzed the degree to which the AOS utilizes the theoretical information about species, diet, and gut microbiome status from bile acids. We found that VSN tuning patterns align with theoretical axes for discriminating reptilian predators from vegetarians, and between mice with different gut microbiome states. VSN tuning was especially well-aligned with the information available about conspecific gut microbiome status. These results show that AOS bile acid chemosensation supports discrimination of multiple biologically relevant states. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. National Institutes of Health, R01DC017985, R56DC015784, R01DC021213
biorxiv.org
We received the sad news that my emeritus colleague Peter Detwiler passed away at his home in Prague last week. nbio.uw.edu/people/entry... Peter was an amazing scientist, builder, and artist, who was always very modest about his accomplishments. And he was very kind. A quick example...
The Vlasits Lab is hiring a technician because our current technician was accepted into a PhD program! This position combines lab management and experiments. If you are interested in gaining experience with #retina research in Chicago, please apply. vlasitslab.org uic.csod.com/ux/ats/caree...
Vlasits Lab
vlasitslab.org
New study led by Ning Shen w/ @phruzycki.bsky.social: a genome-wide in vivo CRISPR screen in a retinitis pigmentosa mouse model identifies genes whose loss accelerates photoreceptor death. Overexpressing two, UFD1 and UXT, preserves photoreceptors, retinal function, and vision. 🧵
New paper out in @cp-neuron.bsky.social 🎉 What determines contextual modulation in V1? Why does the visual surround sometimes facilitate and sometimes suppress a neuron's response to its preferred stimulus?
Posting on behalf of (soon-to-be) Dr. Samira Monshietehadi (not on Bluesky) -- "I’m very excited to announce that my PhD thesis project is now a preprint! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6.... We show how Müller glia engage with growing retina vasculature in an activity-independent manner."(1/11)
I’m very excited to announce that a part of my PhD thesis project is now a preprint! In this paper, we show how spontaneous activity prior to visual experience shapes neural circuits in the retina. (1/11)
bioRxiv Neuroscience@biorxiv-neursci.bsky.social · 6mo agoRetinal waves shape starburst amacrine cell dendrite development through a direction-selective dendritic computation https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.02.701812v1
Studying vision across light levels? Interested in rod photoreceptors and related (patho)physiology? Matteo Rizzi, Kate Powell and I wrote a review on rod photoreceptor activity at daylight doi.org/10.1016/j.vi... . Free access link here kwnsfk27.r.eu-west-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:%2F...
Happy to share my first work with a connection to myopia, a collaboration with EssilorLuxottica www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Nonlinear spatial integration allows the retina to detect the sign of defocus in natural scenes
The retina can easily detect whether the eye is too small or too big thanks to the imperfections of the eye optics.
science.org
Excited to share our paper now published in Cell! 'Zebrafish use spectral information to suppress the visual background' Huge thanks to @neurofishh.bsky.social & @teuler.bsky.social @cellpress.bsky.social @cp-cell.bsky.social 👇🏻 www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
Zebrafish use spectral information to suppress the visual background
Vertebrate eyes first evolved in water, where spectral content rapidly fades with distance. Zebrafish exploit this loss by antagonizing cone signals to suppress the background, pointing to distance es...
cell.com
We’re hiring! Join the Sivyer Lab at The University of Sydney as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Neurodegeneration within the Snow Vision Accelerator, a $50M initiative tackling glaucoma and optic nerve disease. iPSCs, electrophysiology, drug discovery, and gene therapy.
Our work on the TET enzymes in retinal development is out. We identified that rod fate is inhibited when DNA demethylation is prevented by removal of the TET enzymes. Interestingly, photoreceptor numbers are normal. We utilized WGBS and bACE-seq to profile the precise localization of 5mC and 5hmC,…
PLOS Biology@plosbiology.org · last yr.TET enzymes remove #DNAmethylation markers; @ismaelhdeznunez.bsky.social @clark-lab-retina.bsky.social &co show that these enzymes are required for #photoreceptor cells to initiate the genetic program to become rods instead of cones, & for maturation of the #retina @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/3UaVBfl
Excited to see this out! 🎉 Congratulations to the fantastic @nkkuhn.bsky.social for leading the way, with key contributions from Chen Li and @boninlab.bsky.social. Thanks also to: @nerflabs.bsky.social, @fwovlaanderen.bsky.social, @viblifesciences.bsky.social, and KU Leuven. tinyurl.com/3rfe6f2k
ScienceDirect.com | Science, health and medical journals, full text articles and books.
tinyurl.com
NERF@nerflabs.bsky.social · last yr.New research from the @farrowlab.bsky.social and @boninlab.bsky.social at NERF out in @currentbiology.bsky.social reveals how the intricate dendritic architecture of midbrain neurons helps detect and compute critical motion cues. https://authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S0960-9822(25)00820-6
New paper on bioRxiv: "Ambient Light Impacts Innate Behaviors of New-World and Old-World Mice" - together with @farrowlab.bsky.social, with data from NERF master students and two of my lab members! A study across 3 species: Mus musculus, Peromyscus maniculatus & P. polionotus doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Ambient Light Impacts Innate Behaviors of New-World and Old-World Mice
Animals encounter predators and prey under diverse lighting conditions that signal different risks and opportunities, yet how ambient illumination shapes innate approach and avoidance behaviors remain...
doi.org
Our proposal for a ‘universal’ nomenclature for rod and cone types based on their evolutionary lineages that will equally apply to all vertebrate species is now out! Have a look and please consider adopting the system :)
PLOS Biology@plosbiology.org · last yr.In this #PLOSBiology Consensus View, @neurofishh.bsky.social @corbolab.bsky.social &co propose a new, consolidated, pan-vertebrate naming system for the rod and cone photoreceptors of the eye. 🧪 plos.io/4m4QcTC
The ON/OFF dichotomy is fundamental to visual processing. In a new study led by Flori Soto, we identify a conserved molecular mechanism establishing the OFF pathway. rdcu.be/eikoa
Molecular mechanism establishing the OFF pathway in vision
Nature Communications - LRFN2 in cone photoreceptors is vital for building the OFF pathway. Here authors report this cell-adhesion molecule stabilizes contacts with OFF bipolar cells, clusters...
rdcu.be
I know there's a 𝒍𝒐𝒕 going on right now, but I couldn’t be prouder to share this long-incubated labor of love: the complete connectome of the male 𝐷𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑜𝑝ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑎 optic lobe 🧠🪰 🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Connectome-driven neural inventory of a complete visual system - Nature
A connectome of the right optic lobe from a male fruitfly is presented together with an extensive collection of genetic drivers matched to a comprehensive neuron-type catalogue.
nature.com
The unbearable slowness of being: Humans still clock in at just 10 bits/s. Even after peer review :) Share link: authors.elsevier.com/a/1kHVa3BtfH.... ArXiv: arxiv.org/abs/2408.10234
authors.elsevier.com
Our paper on MouseGoggles - an open-source mini VR headset for mice - just came out! Really excited about finally integrating eye-tracking into the headset. Nice working with you @hongyuchang.bsky.social! www.nature.com/articles/s41... github.com/sn-lab/Mouse... #neuroskyence
Excited to share our latest article! We find that the brain tumor Glioblastoma has a circadian clock that syncs with its host’s environment. These tumors also hijack the circadian clock and use daily signals, like glucocorticoids, to grow 🧠⏱️ @erikherzog.bsky.social More: www.cell.com/cancer-cell/...
Daily glucocorticoids promote glioblastoma growth and circadian synchrony to the host
Gonzalez-Aponte et al. identify daily glucocorticoid receptor signaling as an intrinsic driver of glioblastoma (GBM) progression and a synchronizer of tumor clock gene expression to the host. This work provides an intrinsic circadian driver, and therapeutic target, to slow GBM growth, and offers considerations for glucocorticoid use in the clinic.
cell.com
Happy for this paper to be out on direct circadian-independent effects of light on glucose and lipid metabolism. Spearheaded by student, Xiangning Chen, and in collaboration with Haiqing Zhao and @samerhattar.bsky.social www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Light modulates glucose and lipid homeostasis via the sympathetic nervous system
Light exerts circadian-independent effects on glucose and lipid metabolism.
science.org
How natural stimuli lead to highly correlated ganglion cell activity in primate (marmoset) and mouse retina. Now out in @natureportfolio.bsky.social. And, I guess, great opportunity for a first post on this site. #FirstSkeet Very brief summary in this thread. 1/ www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Nonlinear receptive fields evoke redundant retinal coding of natural scenes - Nature
Species-specific gaze shifts with natural stimuli drive correlated spiking in retinal ganglion cells.
nature.com
Our latest work is out!! Short thread below. www.cell.com/developmenta...
Identification of a non-canonical planar cell polarity pathway triggered by light in the developing mouse retina
Housset et al. show that basal bodies of cone photoreceptors in the mouse retina are planar polarized in a light-dependent manner by the action of transducin and G-protein-signaling modulator protein ...
cell.com
Wireless recordings from dragonfly target detecting neurons during prey interception flight. Interestingly, the classic target detector neurons (TSDNs) appear to control foveating head movements during flight, not prey capture. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
