RRC ID 78938
著者 Michael Jay, Malcolm A. MacIver, David L. McLean
タイトル Spinal Basis of Direction Control during Locomotion in Larval Zebrafish
ジャーナル The Journal of Neuroscience
Abstract Navigation requires steering and propulsion, but how spinal circuits contribute to direction control during ongoing locomotion is not well understood. Here, we use drifting vertical gratings to evoke directed “fictive” swimming in intact but immobilized larval zebrafish while performing electrophysiological recordings from spinal neurons. We find that directed swimming involves unilateral changes in the duration of motor output and increased recruitment of motor neurons, without impacting the timing of spiking across or along the body. Voltage-clamp recordings from motor neurons reveal increases in phasic excitation and inhibition on the side of the turn. Current-clamp recordings from premotor interneurons that provide phasic excitation or inhibition reveal two types of recruitment patterns. A direction-agnostic pattern with balanced recruitment on the turning and nonturning sides is primarily observed in excitatory V2a neurons with ipsilateral descending axons, while a direction-sensitive pattern with preferential recruitment on the turning side is dominated by V2a neurons with ipsilateral bifurcating axons. Inhibitory V1 neurons are also divided into direction-sensitive and direction-agnostic subsets, although there is no detectable morphologic distinction. Our findings support the modular control of steering and propulsion by spinal premotor circuits, where recruitment of distinct subsets of excitatory and inhibitory interneurons provide adjustments in direction while on the move.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTSpinal circuits play an essential role in coordinating movements during locomotion. However, it is unclear how they participate in adjustments in direction that do not interfere with coordination. Here we have developed a system using larval zebrafish that allows us to directly record electrical signals from spinal neurons during “fictive” swimming guided by visual cues. We find there are subsets of spinal interneurons for coordination and others that drive unilateral asymmetries in motor neuron recruitment for direction control. Our findings suggest a modular organization of spinal premotor circuits that enables uninterrupted adjustments in direction during ongoing locomotion.
巻・号 43
ページ 4062-4074
公開日 2023-5-31
DOI 10.1523/jneurosci.0703-22.2023
PMID 37127363
PMC PMC10255127
MeSH Animals Interneurons / physiology Larva / physiology Locomotion* / physiology Motor Neurons / physiology Spinal Cord / physiology Swimming / physiology Zebrafish* / physiology
リソース情報
ゼブラフィッシュ Tg(chx10:GFP)