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Hamling KR, Harmon K, Kimura Y, Higashijima SI, Schoppik D. The Vestibulospinal Nucleus Is a Locus of Balance Development. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e2315232024. [PMID: 38777599 PMCID: PMC11270517 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2315-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Mature vertebrates maintain posture using vestibulospinal neurons that transform sensed instability into reflexive commands to spinal motor circuits. Postural stability improves across development. However, due to the complexity of terrestrial locomotion, vestibulospinal contributions to postural refinement in early life remain unexplored. Here we leveraged the relative simplicity of underwater locomotion to quantify the postural consequences of losing vestibulospinal neurons during development in larval zebrafish of undifferentiated sex. By comparing posture at two timepoints, we discovered that later lesions of vestibulospinal neurons led to greater instability. Analysis of thousands of individual swim bouts revealed that lesions disrupted movement timing and corrective reflexes without impacting swim kinematics, and that this effect was particularly strong in older larvae. Using a generative model of swimming, we showed how these disruptions could account for the increased postural variability at both timepoints. Finally, late lesions disrupted the fin/trunk coordination observed in older larvae, linking vestibulospinal neurons to postural control schemes used to navigate in depth. Since later lesions were considerably more disruptive to postural stability, we conclude that vestibulospinal contributions to balance increase as larvae mature. Vestibulospinal neurons are highly conserved across vertebrates; we therefore propose that they are a substrate for developmental improvements to postural control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyla R Hamling
- Departments of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and the Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York 10016
| | - Katherine Harmon
- Departments of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and the Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York 10016
| | - Yukiko Kimura
- National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan
| | - Shin-Ichi Higashijima
- National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan
| | - David Schoppik
- Departments of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and the Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York 10016
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Hamling KR, Harmon K, Kimura Y, Higashijima SI, Schoppik D. The vestibulospinal nucleus is a locus of balance development. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.12.06.570482. [PMID: 38105966 PMCID: PMC10723429 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.06.570482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Mature vertebrates maintain posture using vestibulospinal neurons that transform sensed instability into reflexive commands to spinal motor circuits. Postural stability improves across development. However, due to the complexity of terrestrial locomotion, vestibulospinal contributions to postural refinement in early life remain unexplored. Here we leveraged the relative simplicity of underwater locomotion to quantify the postural consequences of losing vestibulospinal neurons during development in larval zebrafish of undifferentiated sex. By comparing posture at two timepoints, we discovered that later lesions of vestibulospinal neurons led to greater instability. Analysis of thousands of individual swim bouts revealed that lesions disrupted movement timing and corrective reflexes without impacting swim kinematics, and that this effect was particularly strong in older larvae. Using a generative model of swimming, we showed how these disruptions could account for the increased postural variability at both timepoints. Finally, late lesions disrupted the fin/trunk coordination observed in older larvae, linking vestibulospinal neurons to postural control schemes used to navigate in depth. Since later lesions were considerably more disruptive to postural stability, we conclude that vestibulospinal contributions to balance increase as larvae mature. Vestibulospinal neurons are highly conserved across vertebrates; we therefore propose that they are a substrate for developmental improvements to postural control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyla R Hamling
- Departments of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and the Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
| | - Katherine Harmon
- Departments of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and the Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
| | - Yukiko Kimura
- National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8787, Aichi, Japan
| | - Shin-Ichi Higashijima
- National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8787, Aichi, Japan
| | - David Schoppik
- Departments of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and the Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
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Takahashi M, Shinoda Y. Neural Circuits of Inputs and Outputs of the Cerebellar Cortex and Nuclei. Neuroscience 2020; 462:70-88. [PMID: 32768619 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.07.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Revised: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
This article is dedicated to the memory of Masao Ito. Masao Ito made numerous important contributions revealing the function of the cerebellum in motor control. His pioneering contributions to cerebellar physiology began with his discovery of inhibition and disinhibition of target neurons by cerebellar Purkinje cells, and his discovery of the presence of long-term depression in parallel fiber-Purkinje cell synapses. Purkinje cells formed the nodal point of Masao Ito's landmark model of motor control by the cerebellum. These discoveries became the basis for his ideas regarding the flocculus hypothesis, the adaptive motor control system, and motor learning by the cerebellum, inspiring many new experiments to test his hypotheses. This article will trace the achievements of Ito and colleagues in analyzing the neural circuits of the input-output organization of the cerebellar cortex and nuclei, particularly with respect to motor control. The article will discuss some of the important issues that have been solved and also those that remain to be solved for our understanding of motor control by the cerebellum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayu Takahashi
- Department of Systems Neurophysiology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo Japan.
| | - Yoshikazu Shinoda
- Department of Systems Neurophysiology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo Japan
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Abstract
Feedback pathways are a common circuit motif in vertebrate brains. Reciprocal interconnectivity is seen between the cerebral cortex and thalamus as well as between basal ganglia structures, for example. Here, we review the literature on the nucleocortical pathway, a feedback pathway from the cerebellar nuclei to the cerebellar cortex, which has been studied anatomically but has remained somewhat obscure. This review covers the work examining this pathway on a number of levels, ranging from its existence in numerous species, its organization within cerebellar circuits, its cellular composition, and a discussion of its potential roles in motor control. Recent interest in cerebellar modular organization raises the profile of this neglected cerebellar pathway, and it is hoped that this review will consolidate knowledge gained over several decades of research into a useful format, spurring new investigations into this evolutionarily conserved pathway.
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Manto MU, Haines DE, Ito M, Yoshida M, Obata K, Ito M. An introduction to the section. THE CEREBELLUM 2007; 6:102-5. [PMID: 17366272 DOI: 10.1080/14734220701217562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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HILLMAN H, HYDEN H. MEMBRANE POTENTIALS IN ISOLATED NEURONES IN VITRO FROM DEITERS' NUCLEUS OF RABBIT. J Physiol 1996; 177:398-410. [PMID: 14321487 PMCID: PMC1357254 DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.1965.sp007599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
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Chan YS, Hwang JC, Poon WF. Intracellular recordings from Deiters' neurons in response to saccular and oculomotor nucleus stimulations. EXPERIENTIA 1977; 33:475-6. [PMID: 862736 DOI: 10.1007/bf01922219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
2 populations of cells were found in the Deiters' nucleus responsive to direct electrical stimulation of the ipsilateral saccule. Only those Deiters' neurons activated monosynaptically from the saccule could be driven antidromically from the oculomotor nucleus. Such an intracellular study provides strong evidence for a tri-neuronal arc in the sacculo-ocular reflex for vertical eye movements.
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Abzug C, Peterson BW. Antidromic stimulation in the ponto-medullary reticular formation of local axon branches of contralateral vestibular neurons. Brain Res 1973; 64:407-13. [PMID: 4781350 DOI: 10.1016/0006-8993(73)90196-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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Ito M. Cerebellar control of the vestibular neurones: physiology and pharmacology. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 1972; 37:377-90. [PMID: 4345129 DOI: 10.1016/s0079-6123(08)63914-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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Wilson VJ. Physiological pathways through the vestibular nuclei. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 1972; 15:27-81. [PMID: 4347728 DOI: 10.1016/s0074-7742(08)60328-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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Pompeiano O. Vestibulospinal relations: vestibular influences on gamma motoneurons and primary afferents. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 1972; 37:197-232. [PMID: 4264584 DOI: 10.1016/s0079-6123(08)63904-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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Highstein SM, Ito M, Tsuchiya T. Synaptic linkage in the vestibulo-ocular reflex pathway of rabbit. Exp Brain Res 1971; 113:306-26. [PMID: 4329091 DOI: 10.1007/bf00234952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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Kawai N, Ito M, Nozue M. Postsynaptic influences on the vestibular non-deiters nuclei from primary vestibular nerve. Exp Brain Res 1969; 8:190-200. [PMID: 5808758 DOI: 10.1007/bf00234539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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Ito M, Hongo T, Okada Y. Vestibular-evoked postsynaptic potentials in Deiters neurones. Exp Brain Res 1969; 7:214-30. [PMID: 5795248 DOI: 10.1007/bf00239030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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Mugnaini E, Walberg F, Brodal A. Mode of termination of primary vestibular fibres in the lateral vestibular nucleus. An experimental electron microscopical study in the cat. Exp Brain Res 1967; 4:187-211. [PMID: 5598825 DOI: 10.1007/bf00248022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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Pompeiano O. Functional organization of the cerebellar projections to the spinal cord. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 1967; 25:282-321. [PMID: 4866556 DOI: 10.1016/s0079-6123(08)60969-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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Ito M, Yoshida M. The origin of cerebral-induced inhibition of Deiters neurones. I. Monosynaptic initiation of the inhibitory postsynaptic potentials. Exp Brain Res 1966; 2:330-49. [PMID: 5334534 DOI: 10.1007/bf00234779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 155] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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Affiliation(s)
- Masao ITO
- Department of Physiology and Department of Neuropsychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo
| | - Nobufumi KAWAI
- Department of Physiology and Department of Neuropsychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo
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