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Cited by 30Zebrafish Biomedical Research ApplicationsNeuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchAxon Guidance and Neuronal Signaling

Spinal V1 neurons inhibit motor targets locally and sensory targets distally

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Sengupta, Mohini, Daliparthi, Vamsi, Roussel, Yann, Bui, Tuan V., Bagnall, Martha W.·2021·Current Biology
DOI 10.1016/j.cub.2021.06.053PMC PMC8440420

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Abstract

Rostro-caudal coordination of spinal motor output is essential for locomotion. Most spinal interneurons project axons longitudinally to govern locomotor output, yet their connectivity along this axis remains unclear. In this study, we use larval zebrafish to map synaptic outputs of a major inhibitory population, V1 (Eng1+) neurons, which are implicated in dual sensory and motor functions. We find that V1 neurons exhibit long axons extending rostrally and exclusively ipsilaterally for an average of 6 spinal segments; however, they do not connect uniformly with their post-synaptic targets along the entire length of their axon. Locally, V1 neurons inhibit motor neurons (both fast and slow) and other premotor targets, including V2a, V2b, and commissural premotor neurons. In contrast, V1 neurons make robust long-range inhibitory contacts onto a dorsal horn sensory population, the commissural primary ascending neurons (CoPAs). In a computational model of the ipsilateral spinal network, we show that this pattern of short-range V1 inhibition to motor and premotor neurons underlies burst termination, which is critical for coordinated rostro-caudal propagation of the locomotor wave. We conclude that spinal network architecture in the longitudinal axis can vary dramatically, with differentially targeted local and distal connections, yielding important consequences for function.

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  • V1 projections to motor circuits are constrained to segmental and immediately neighboring somites.

    “The V1 projections were short based upon recent evidence that their projections to motor circuits are constrained to segmental and immediately neighboring somites (Sengupta et al., 2021).”

    From Modeling spinal locomotor circuits for movements in developing zebrafish (2021) · cites this paper as Sengupta et al., 2021

    The Results section (‘V1 neurons inhibit motor neurons locally’; page unavailable) supports local inhibition of motor neurons, but reports significant responses at segments 0, 1, and 2—not just the same and immediately neighboring segments. The Results section on V2a and V2b premotor neurons also reports inhibition several segments away. Thus the claimed spatial limit is too narrow, and the paper distinguishes short-range motor connectivity from V1 axons that extend farther. (LLM, conf=0.88)

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Sengupta, M., Daliparthi, V., Roussel, Y., Bui, T. V., & Bagnall, M. W.
Affiliations
  • Washington University in St. Louis (US)
  • University of Ottawa (CA)
Corresponding author
Bagnall, Martha W.
ORCID
Venue
Current Biology
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2021-09
Volume
31
Issue
17
Pages
3820-3833.e4
ISSN
0960-9822 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.cub.2021.06.053
PMC
PMC8440420
OpenAlex
W3184306342
Cited by
30
References
14
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 3
FWCI
1.70
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Current Biology (publishedVersion)
  • bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • Infoscience (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
Funders
  • McKnight Foundation
  • National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (R01DC016413)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Zebrafish Biomedical Research Applications
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Axon Guidance and Neuronal Signaling
Keywords
motor neuron inhibition, premotor neurons, zebrafish larvae
MeSH terms
Animals, Interneurons, Locomotion, Motor Neurons, Spinal Cord, Zebrafish

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