Evolutionarily conserved brainstem architecture enables gravity-guided vertical navigation.
The sensation of gravity anchors our perception of the environment and is important for navigation. However, the neural circuits that transform gravity into commands for navigation are undefined. We first determined that larval zebrafish (Danio rerio) navigate vertically by maintaining a consistent...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2024-11-01
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| Series: | PLoS Biology |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3002902 |
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| _version_ | 1850265798288867328 |
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| author | Yunlu Zhu Hannah Gelnaw Franziska Auer Kyla R Hamling David E Ehrlich David Schoppik |
| author_facet | Yunlu Zhu Hannah Gelnaw Franziska Auer Kyla R Hamling David E Ehrlich David Schoppik |
| author_sort | Yunlu Zhu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The sensation of gravity anchors our perception of the environment and is important for navigation. However, the neural circuits that transform gravity into commands for navigation are undefined. We first determined that larval zebrafish (Danio rerio) navigate vertically by maintaining a consistent heading across a series of upward climb or downward dive bouts. Gravity-blind mutant fish swim with more variable heading and excessive veering, leading to less effective vertical navigation. After targeted photoablation of ascending vestibular neurons and spinal projecting midbrain neurons, but not vestibulospinal neurons, vertical navigation was impaired. These data define a sensorimotor circuit that uses evolutionarily conserved brainstem architecture to transform gravitational signals into persistent heading for vertical navigation. The work lays a foundation to understand how vestibular inputs allow animals to move effectively through their environment. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a39980b63a084216a1e4c6cbff1d5dca |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1544-9173 1545-7885 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS Biology |
| spelling | doaj-art-a39980b63a084216a1e4c6cbff1d5dca2025-08-20T01:54:19ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Biology1544-91731545-78852024-11-012211e300290210.1371/journal.pbio.3002902Evolutionarily conserved brainstem architecture enables gravity-guided vertical navigation.Yunlu ZhuHannah GelnawFranziska AuerKyla R HamlingDavid E EhrlichDavid SchoppikThe sensation of gravity anchors our perception of the environment and is important for navigation. However, the neural circuits that transform gravity into commands for navigation are undefined. We first determined that larval zebrafish (Danio rerio) navigate vertically by maintaining a consistent heading across a series of upward climb or downward dive bouts. Gravity-blind mutant fish swim with more variable heading and excessive veering, leading to less effective vertical navigation. After targeted photoablation of ascending vestibular neurons and spinal projecting midbrain neurons, but not vestibulospinal neurons, vertical navigation was impaired. These data define a sensorimotor circuit that uses evolutionarily conserved brainstem architecture to transform gravitational signals into persistent heading for vertical navigation. The work lays a foundation to understand how vestibular inputs allow animals to move effectively through their environment.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3002902 |
| spellingShingle | Yunlu Zhu Hannah Gelnaw Franziska Auer Kyla R Hamling David E Ehrlich David Schoppik Evolutionarily conserved brainstem architecture enables gravity-guided vertical navigation. PLoS Biology |
| title | Evolutionarily conserved brainstem architecture enables gravity-guided vertical navigation. |
| title_full | Evolutionarily conserved brainstem architecture enables gravity-guided vertical navigation. |
| title_fullStr | Evolutionarily conserved brainstem architecture enables gravity-guided vertical navigation. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evolutionarily conserved brainstem architecture enables gravity-guided vertical navigation. |
| title_short | Evolutionarily conserved brainstem architecture enables gravity-guided vertical navigation. |
| title_sort | evolutionarily conserved brainstem architecture enables gravity guided vertical navigation |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3002902 |
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