Orthogonal micro-organization of orientation and spatial frequency in primate primary visual cortex

Orientation and spatial frequency tuning are highly salient properties of neurons in primary visual cortex (V1). The combined organization of these particular tuning properties in the cortical space will strongly shape the V1 population response to different visual inputs, yet it is poorly understood. In this study, we used two-photon imaging in macaque monkey V1 to provide the first data demonstrating the 3D cell-by-cell layout of both spatial frequency and orientation tuning in large mammals. We first show that spatial frequency tuning is organized into highly structured maps that remain consistent across the depth of layer II/III, similar to orientation. Next, we show that orientation and spatial frequency maps are intimately related at the fine spatial scale observed with two-photon imaging. We find that not only do the map gradients have a striking tendency toward orthogonality, but they also co-vary negatively from cell-to-cell at the spatial scale of cortical columns.