Angelaki DE, Ng J, Abrego AM, Cham HX, Asprodini EK, Dickman JD, Laurens J. A gravity-based three-dimensional compass in the mouse brain.
Nat Commun 2020;
11:1855. [PMID:
32296057 PMCID:
PMC7160108 DOI:
10.1038/s41467-020-15566-5]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Gravity sensing provides a robust verticality signal for three-dimensional navigation. Head direction cells in the mammalian limbic system implement an allocentric neuronal compass. Here we show that head-direction cells in the rodent thalamus, retrosplenial cortex and cingulum fiber bundle are tuned to conjunctive combinations of azimuth and tilt, i.e. pitch or roll. Pitch and roll orientation tuning is anchored to gravity and independent of visual landmarks. When the head tilts, azimuth tuning is affixed to the head-horizontal plane, but also uses gravity to remain anchored to the allocentric bearings in the earth-horizontal plane. Collectively, these results demonstrate that a three-dimensional, gravity-based, neural compass is likely a ubiquitous property of mammalian species, including ground-dwelling animals.
Head direction neurons constitute the brain’s compass, and are classically known to indicate head orientation in the horizontal plane. Here, the authors show that head direction neurons form a three-dimensional compass that can also indicate head tilt, and anchors to gravity.
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