Color information encoded by the spatiotemporal patterns of light response in ganglion cells of chick retina

In the present study, the light responses of ganglion cells to chromatic stimulus were recorded from isolated retina of neonatal chick. It was found that for some non-color-opponent ganglion cells, the spatiotemporal patterns of the cells' light responses were related to the chromatic information that they received. When stimulus with some chromatic component was applied, some ganglion cells would generate distinguishable temporal patterns of light responses although these cells can be classified as non-color-opponent according to their light responses. The results suggest that in chick retina, the color information might be encoded not only by the color opponent ganglion cells, but also the spatiotemporal patterns of some ganglion cells that are traditionally classified as non-color-opponent subtype.