Visual Experience Is Required for the Development of Eye Movement Maps in the Mouse Superior Colliculus.

The superior colliculus (SC) is a midbrain structure important for multisensory integration and sensorimotor transformation. Here we have studied eye movement representations in the SC of mice, a species that has become a popular model in vision research because of available genetic tools. Our studies show mice make saccadic eye movements spontaneously and in response to SC stimulation. The mouse SC contains an eye movement map that has the same global polarity as the overlaying visual map, just like in cats and primates. Furthermore, we show that visual experience is required for establishing the normal eye movement map. Our study provides a necessary basis for future mechanistic studies of how SC motor maps develop and become aligned with sensory maps.