The superior colliculus directs goal-oriented forelimb movements

Summary: Skilled forelimb control is essential for daily living, yet our understanding of its neural mechanisms, although extensive, remains incomplete. Here, we present evidence that the superior colliculus (SC), a major midbrain structure, is necessary for accurate forelimb reaching in mice. We fo...

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Main Authors: Shrivas Chaterji, Punarva H. Belliappa, Anupama Sathyamurthy
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-01-01
Series:Cell Reports
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211124724014487
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author Shrivas Chaterji
Punarva H. Belliappa
Anupama Sathyamurthy
author_facet Shrivas Chaterji
Punarva H. Belliappa
Anupama Sathyamurthy
author_sort Shrivas Chaterji
collection DOAJ
description Summary: Skilled forelimb control is essential for daily living, yet our understanding of its neural mechanisms, although extensive, remains incomplete. Here, we present evidence that the superior colliculus (SC), a major midbrain structure, is necessary for accurate forelimb reaching in mice. We found that neurons in the lateral SC are active during goal-directed reaching, and by employing chemogenetic and phase-specific optogenetic silencing of these neurons, we show that the SC causally facilitates reach accuracy. Anatomical studies identified the deep cerebellar nuclei and substantia nigra pars reticulata as sources of inputs to the SC, while functional studies revealed a role for nigrotectal, but not cerebellotectal, neurons in controlling reach endpoints. Silencing the nigrotectal pathway caused paw deviations opposite to those seen with SC silencing, emphasizing the coordinated role of the substantia nigra and SC in regulating optimal reaching. Together, these findings establish the SC as a crucial regulator of skilled forelimb control.
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spelling doaj-art-33ef4be8be894bd88e3f79a072ead0202025-08-20T02:35:25ZengElsevierCell Reports2211-12472025-01-0144111509710.1016/j.celrep.2024.115097The superior colliculus directs goal-oriented forelimb movementsShrivas Chaterji0Punarva H. Belliappa1Anupama Sathyamurthy2Centre for Neuroscience, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560012, IndiaCentre for Neuroscience, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560012, IndiaCentre for Neuroscience, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560012, India; Corresponding authorSummary: Skilled forelimb control is essential for daily living, yet our understanding of its neural mechanisms, although extensive, remains incomplete. Here, we present evidence that the superior colliculus (SC), a major midbrain structure, is necessary for accurate forelimb reaching in mice. We found that neurons in the lateral SC are active during goal-directed reaching, and by employing chemogenetic and phase-specific optogenetic silencing of these neurons, we show that the SC causally facilitates reach accuracy. Anatomical studies identified the deep cerebellar nuclei and substantia nigra pars reticulata as sources of inputs to the SC, while functional studies revealed a role for nigrotectal, but not cerebellotectal, neurons in controlling reach endpoints. Silencing the nigrotectal pathway caused paw deviations opposite to those seen with SC silencing, emphasizing the coordinated role of the substantia nigra and SC in regulating optimal reaching. Together, these findings establish the SC as a crucial regulator of skilled forelimb control.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211124724014487CP: Neuroscience
spellingShingle Shrivas Chaterji
Punarva H. Belliappa
Anupama Sathyamurthy
The superior colliculus directs goal-oriented forelimb movements
Cell Reports
CP: Neuroscience
title The superior colliculus directs goal-oriented forelimb movements
title_full The superior colliculus directs goal-oriented forelimb movements
title_fullStr The superior colliculus directs goal-oriented forelimb movements
title_full_unstemmed The superior colliculus directs goal-oriented forelimb movements
title_short The superior colliculus directs goal-oriented forelimb movements
title_sort superior colliculus directs goal oriented forelimb movements
topic CP: Neuroscience
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211124724014487
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