Neural extracellular matrix regulates visual sensory motor integration

Visual processing depends on sensitive and balanced synaptic neurotransmission. Extracellular matrix proteins in the environment of cells are key modulators in synaptogenesis and synaptic plasticity. In the present study, we provide evidence that the combined loss of the four extracellular matrix components, brevican, neurocan, tenascin-C, and tenascin-R, in quadruple knockout mice leads to severe retinal dysfunction and diminished visual motion processing in vivo. Remarkably, impaired visual motion processing was accompanied by a developmental loss of cholinergic direction-selective starburst amacrine cells. Additionally, we noted imbalance of inhibitory and excitatory synaptic signaling in the quadruple knockout retina. Collectively, the study offers insights into the functional importance of four key extracellular matrix proteins for retinal function, visual motion processing, and synaptic signaling. [Display omitted] •Loss of brevican, neurocan, tenascin-C, and tenascin-R leads to retinal dysfunction•Visual motion impairment in quadruple, tenascin-C, and tenascin-R knockout mice•Loss of direction-selective starburst amacrine cells in quadruple knockout mice•The matrisome influences inhibitory and excitatory synaptic balance Neuroscience; Sensory neuroscience; Omics; Transcriptomics