An early midbrain sensorimotor pathway is involved in the timely initiation and direction of swimming in the hatchling Xenopus laevis tadpole
Vertebrate locomotion is heavily dependent on descending control originating in the midbrain and subsequently influencing central pattern generators in the spinal cord. However, the midbrain neuronal circuitry and its connections with other brainstem and spinal motor circuits has not been fully eluc...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Neural Circuits |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fncir.2022.1027831/full |
| _version_ | 1798003960431247360 |
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| author | Michelle Christine Larbi Giulia Messa Helin Jalal Stella Koutsikou |
| author_facet | Michelle Christine Larbi Giulia Messa Helin Jalal Stella Koutsikou |
| author_sort | Michelle Christine Larbi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Vertebrate locomotion is heavily dependent on descending control originating in the midbrain and subsequently influencing central pattern generators in the spinal cord. However, the midbrain neuronal circuitry and its connections with other brainstem and spinal motor circuits has not been fully elucidated. Vertebrates with very simple nervous system, like the hatchling Xenopus laevis tadpole, have been instrumental in unravelling fundamental principles of locomotion and its suspraspinal control. Here, we use behavioral and electrophysiological approaches in combination with lesions of the midbrain to investigate its contribution to the initiation and control of the tadpole swimming in response to trunk skin stimulation. None of the midbrain lesions studied here blocked the tadpole’s sustained swim behavior following trunk skin stimulation. However, we identified that distinct midbrain lesions led to significant changes in the latency and trajectory of swimming. These changes could partly be explained by the increase in synchronous muscle contractions on the opposite sides of the tadpole’s body and permanent deflection of the tail from its normal position, respectively. We conclude that the tadpole’s embryonic trunk skin sensorimotor pathway involves the midbrain, which harbors essential neuronal circuitry to significantly contribute to the appropriate, timely and coordinated selection and execution of locomotion, imperative to the animal’s survival. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T12:15:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-383e6287625d4f31ad0454c12d112424 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1662-5110 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T12:15:55Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Neural Circuits |
| spelling | doaj.art-383e6287625d4f31ad0454c12d1124242022-12-22T04:24:19ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Neural Circuits1662-51102022-12-011610.3389/fncir.2022.10278311027831An early midbrain sensorimotor pathway is involved in the timely initiation and direction of swimming in the hatchling Xenopus laevis tadpoleMichelle Christine LarbiGiulia MessaHelin JalalStella KoutsikouVertebrate locomotion is heavily dependent on descending control originating in the midbrain and subsequently influencing central pattern generators in the spinal cord. However, the midbrain neuronal circuitry and its connections with other brainstem and spinal motor circuits has not been fully elucidated. Vertebrates with very simple nervous system, like the hatchling Xenopus laevis tadpole, have been instrumental in unravelling fundamental principles of locomotion and its suspraspinal control. Here, we use behavioral and electrophysiological approaches in combination with lesions of the midbrain to investigate its contribution to the initiation and control of the tadpole swimming in response to trunk skin stimulation. None of the midbrain lesions studied here blocked the tadpole’s sustained swim behavior following trunk skin stimulation. However, we identified that distinct midbrain lesions led to significant changes in the latency and trajectory of swimming. These changes could partly be explained by the increase in synchronous muscle contractions on the opposite sides of the tadpole’s body and permanent deflection of the tail from its normal position, respectively. We conclude that the tadpole’s embryonic trunk skin sensorimotor pathway involves the midbrain, which harbors essential neuronal circuitry to significantly contribute to the appropriate, timely and coordinated selection and execution of locomotion, imperative to the animal’s survival.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fncir.2022.1027831/fullmidbrainlocomotionswimmingXenopusdescending controlbrainstem |
| spellingShingle | Michelle Christine Larbi Giulia Messa Helin Jalal Stella Koutsikou An early midbrain sensorimotor pathway is involved in the timely initiation and direction of swimming in the hatchling Xenopus laevis tadpole Frontiers in Neural Circuits midbrain locomotion swimming Xenopus descending control brainstem |
| title | An early midbrain sensorimotor pathway is involved in the timely initiation and direction of swimming in the hatchling Xenopus laevis tadpole |
| title_full | An early midbrain sensorimotor pathway is involved in the timely initiation and direction of swimming in the hatchling Xenopus laevis tadpole |
| title_fullStr | An early midbrain sensorimotor pathway is involved in the timely initiation and direction of swimming in the hatchling Xenopus laevis tadpole |
| title_full_unstemmed | An early midbrain sensorimotor pathway is involved in the timely initiation and direction of swimming in the hatchling Xenopus laevis tadpole |
| title_short | An early midbrain sensorimotor pathway is involved in the timely initiation and direction of swimming in the hatchling Xenopus laevis tadpole |
| title_sort | early midbrain sensorimotor pathway is involved in the timely initiation and direction of swimming in the hatchling xenopus laevis tadpole |
| topic | midbrain locomotion swimming Xenopus descending control brainstem |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fncir.2022.1027831/full |
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