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Locomotor speed control circuits in the caudal brainstem

Capelli, Paolo and Pivetta, Chiara and Soledad Esposito, Maria and Arber, Silvia. (2017) Locomotor speed control circuits in the caudal brainstem. Nature, 551 (7680). pp. 373-377.

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Official URL: http://edoc.unibas.ch/57102/

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Abstract

Locomotion is a universal behaviour that provides animals with the ability to move between places. Classical experiments have used electrical microstimulation to identify brain regions that promote locomotion, but the identity of neurons that act as key intermediaries between higher motor planning centres and executive circuits in the spinal cord has remained controversial. Here we show that the mouse caudal brainstem encompasses functionally heterogeneous neuronal subpopulations that have differential effects on locomotion. These subpopulations are distinguishable by location, neurotransmitter identity and connectivity. Notably, glutamatergic neurons within the lateral paragigantocellular nucleus (LPGi), a small subregion in the caudal brainstem, are essential to support high-speed locomotion, and can positively tune locomotor speed through inputs from glutamatergic neurons of the upstream midbrain locomotor region. By contrast, glycinergic inhibitory neurons can induce different forms of behavioural arrest mapping onto distinct caudal brainstem regions. Anatomically, descending pathways of glutamatergic and glycinergic LPGi subpopulations communicate with distinct effector circuits in the spinal cord. Our results reveal that behaviourally opposing locomotor functions in the caudal brainstem were historically masked by the unexposed diversity of intermingled neuronal subpopulations. We demonstrate how specific brainstem neuron populations represent essential substrates to implement key parameters in the execution of motor programs.
Faculties and Departments:05 Faculty of Science > Departement Biozentrum > Neurobiology > Cell Biology (Arber)
09 Associated Institutions > Friedrich Miescher Institut FMI
UniBasel Contributors:Arber, Silvia and Capelli, Paolo and Pivetta, Chiara and Esposito, Maria Soledad
Item Type:Article, refereed
Article Subtype:Research Article
Publisher:Macmillan
ISSN:0028-0836
e-ISSN:1476-4687
Note:Publication type according to Uni Basel Research Database: Journal article
Language:English
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edoc DOI:
Last Modified:13 Jun 2019 15:40
Deposited On:17 Nov 2017 09:10

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