A lateral hypothalamic region supporting diverse visual processing and modulation of visually-guided behaviour

Hypothalamic retinal input is traditionally considered distinct from the subcortical pathways supporting vision, specialised to adjust physiology and behaviour alongside variations in ambient illumination. Investigations of retinohypothalamic function have overwhelming focussed on the suprachiasmatic nucleus circadian clock, however. Here we employ multielectrode recording, viral tracing and chemogenetic manipulation in mice to show that another retinohypothalamic target, the anterior lateral hypothalamic area (LHA), displays diverse visual processing capabilities, supporting regulation of more complex visually-guided behaviours. Hence, while some visually responsive LHA cells track irradiance, a majority are highly selective for spatiotemporal contrast or motion signals. We further provide evidence for a retinotopic order to LHA visual responses, show that retinorecipient LHA neurons provide excitatory projections to behavioural control centres including the septal complex and habenula, and that LHA retinal inputs modulate behavioural responses to light flashes and ‘looming’ stimuli. Collectively, these data establish the LHA as a locus for regulation of visually-guided behaviours and environmental threat responses.