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Wenguang S, Gang W, Feiyang Y, Siqi W, Qiao Z, Kuang W, Pan F, Yu J, Li W. A biomimetic fish finlet with a liquid metal soft sensor for proprioception and underwater sensing. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2021; 16:065007. [PMID: 34450601 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/ac220f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Finlets have a unique overhanging structure at the back, similar to a flag. They are located between the dorsal/anal fin and the caudal fin on the sides of the body. Until now, the sensing ability of finlets has not been well understood. In this paper, we design and manufacture a biomimetic soft robotic finlet (48.5 mm long, 30 mm high) with mechanosensation based on printed stretchable liquid metal sensors. The robotic finlet's posterior fin ray can achieve side-to-side movement orthogonal to the anterior fin ray. A flow sensor encapsulating a liquid metal sensor network enables the biomimetic finlets to sense the direction and flow intensity. The stretchable liquid metal sensors mounted on micro-actuators are utilized to perceive the swing motion of the fin ray. We found that the finlet prototype can sense the flapping amplitudes and frequency of the fin ray. The membrane between the two orthogonal fin rays can amplify the sensor output. Our results indicate that the overhanging structure endows the biomimetic finlet with the ability to sense external stimuli from stream-wise, lateral and vertical directions. We further demonstrate, through digital particle image velocimetry experiments, that the finlet can detect a Kármán vortex street. This study lays the foundations for exploring the environmental perception of biological fish fins and provides a new approach for the perception of complex flow environments by future underwater robots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sun Wenguang
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, People's Republic of China
| | - Wang Gang
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuan Feiyang
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, People's Republic of China
| | - Wang Siqi
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, People's Republic of China
| | - Zheng Qiao
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, People's Republic of China
| | - Wang Kuang
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, People's Republic of China
| | - Fei Pan
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, People's Republic of China
| | - Junzhi Yu
- The State Key Laboratory for Turbulence and Complex Systems, Department of Advanced Manufacturing and Robotics, BIC-ESAT, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
| | - Wen Li
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, People's Republic of China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, People's Republic of China
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2
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Henderson KW, Roche A, Menelaou E, Hale ME. Hindbrain and Spinal Cord Contributions to the Cutaneous Sensory Innervation of the Larval Zebrafish Pectoral Fin. Front Neuroanat 2020; 14:581821. [PMID: 33192344 PMCID: PMC7607007 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2020.581821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Vertebrate forelimbs contain arrays of sensory neuron fibers that transmit signals from the skin to the nervous system. We used the genetic toolkit and optical clarity of the larval zebrafish to conduct a live imaging study of the sensory neurons innervating the pectoral fin skin. Sensory neurons in both the hindbrain and the spinal cord innervate the fin, with most cells located in the hindbrain. The hindbrain somas are located in rhombomere seven/eight, laterally and dorsally displaced from the pectoral fin motor pool. The spinal cord somas are located in the most anterior part of the cord, aligned with myomere four. Single cell reconstructions were used to map afferent processes and compare the distributions of processes to soma locations. Reconstructions indicate that this sensory system breaks from the canonical somatotopic organization of sensory systems by lacking a clear organization with reference to fin region. Arborizations from a single cell branch widely over the skin, innervating the axial skin, lateral fin surface, and medial fin surface. The extensive branching over the fin and the surrounding axial surface suggests that these fin sensory neurons report on general conditions of the fin area rather than providing fine location specificity, as has been demonstrated in other vertebrate limbs. With neuron reconstructions that span the full primary afferent arborization from the soma to the peripheral cutaneous innervation, this neuroanatomical study describes a system of primary sensory neurons and lays the groundwork for future functional studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharine W Henderson
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, College of the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Alexander Roche
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, College of the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Evdokia Menelaou
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, College of the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Melina E Hale
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, College of the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
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Aiello BR, Olsen AM, Mathis CE, Westneat MW, Hale ME. Pectoral fin kinematics and motor patterns are shaped by fin ray mechanosensation during steady swimming in Scarus quoyi. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 223:jeb.211466. [PMID: 31862848 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.211466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
For many fish species, rhythmic movement of the pectoral fins, or forelimbs, drives locomotion. In terrestrial vertebrates, normal limb-based rhythmic gaits require ongoing modulation with limb mechanosensors. Given the complexity of the fluid environment and dexterity of fish swimming through it, we hypothesize that mechanosensory modulation is also critical to normal fin-based swimming. Here, we examined the role of sensory feedback from the pectoral fin rays and membrane on the neuromuscular control and kinematics of pectoral fin-based locomotion. Pectoral fin kinematics and electromyograms of the six major fin muscles of the parrotfish, Scarus quoyi, a high-performance pectoral fin swimmer, were recorded during steady swimming before and after bilateral transection of the sensory nerves extending into the rays and surrounding membrane. Alternating activity of antagonistic muscles was observed and drove the fin in a figure-of-eight fin stroke trajectory before and after nerve transection. After bilateral transections, pectoral fin rhythmicity remained the same or increased. Differences in fin kinematics with the loss of sensory feedback also included fin kinematics with a significantly more inclined stroke plane angle, an increased angular velocity and fin beat frequency, and a transition to the body-caudal fin gait at lower speeds. After transection, muscles were active over a larger proportion of the fin stroke, with overlapping activation of antagonistic muscles rarely observed in the trials of intact fish. The increased overlap of antagonistic muscle activity might stiffen the fin system in order to enhance control and stability in the absence of sensory feedback from the fin rays. These results indicate that fin ray sensation is not necessary to generate the underlying rhythm of fin movement, but contributes to the specification of pectoral fin motor pattern and movement during rhythmic swimming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett R Aiello
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Aaron M Olsen
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Chris E Mathis
- The College, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Mark W Westneat
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.,The College, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Melina E Hale
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA .,The College, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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König D, Dagenais P, Senk A, Djonov V, Aegerter CM, Jaźwińska A. Distribution and Restoration of Serotonin-Immunoreactive Paraneuronal Cells During Caudal Fin Regeneration in Zebrafish. Front Mol Neurosci 2019; 12:227. [PMID: 31616250 PMCID: PMC6763699 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2019.00227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2018] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Aquatic vertebrates possess diverse types of sensory cells in their skin to detect stimuli in the water. In the adult zebrafish, a common model organism, the presence of such cells in fins has only rarely been studied. Here, we identified scattered serotonin (5-HT)-positive cells in the epidermis of the caudal fin. These cells were distinct from keratinocytes as revealed by their low immunoreactivity for cytokeratin and desmosome markers. Instead, they were detected by Calretinin (Calbindin-2) and Synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2 (SV2) antibodies, indicating a calcium-regulated neurosecretory activity. Consistently, electron microscopy revealed abundant secretory organelles in desmosome-negative cells in the fin epidermis. Based on the markers, 5-HT, Calretinin and SV2, we referred to these cells as HCS-cells. We found that HCS-cells were spread throughout the entire caudal fin at an average density of 140 cells per mm2 on each fin surface. These cells were strongly enriched at ray bifurcations in wild type fins, as well as in elongated fins of another longfin mutant fish. To determine whether hydrodynamics play a role in the distribution of HCS-cells, we used an interdisciplinary approach and performed kinematic analysis. Measurements of particle velocity with a fin model revealed differences in fluid velocities between bifurcated rods and adjacent non-bifurcated regions. Therefore the accumulation of HCS-cells near bone bifurcations may be a biological adaptation for sensing of water parameters. The significance of this HCS-cell pattern is reinforced by the fact, that it is reestablished in the regenerated fin after amputation. Regeneration of HCS-cells was not impaired by the chemical inhibition of serotonin synthesis, suggesting that this neurotransmitter is not essential for the restorative process. In conclusion, our study identified a specific population of solitary paraneurons in the zebrafish fin, whose distribution correlates with fluid dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Désirée König
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Paule Dagenais
- Physik-Institut, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anita Senk
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Anna Jaźwińska
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
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Aiello BR, Hardy AR, Westneat MW, Hale ME. Fins as Mechanosensors for Movement and Touch-Related Behaviors. Integr Comp Biol 2019; 58:844-859. [PMID: 29917043 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icy065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Mechanosensation is a universal feature of animals that is essential for behavior, allowing detection of animals' own body movement and position as well as physical characteristics of the environment. The extraordinary morphological and behavioral diversity that exists across fish species provide rich opportunities for comparative mechanosensory studies in fins. The fins of fishes have been found to function as proprioceptors, by providing feedback on fin ray position and movement, and as tactile sensors, by encoding pressures applied to the fin surface. Across fish species, and among fins, the afferent response is remarkably consistent, suggesting that the ability of fin rays and membrane to sense deformation is a fundamental feature of fish fins. While fin mechanosensation has been known in select, often highly specialized, species for decades, only in the last decade have we explored mechanosensation in typical propulsive fins and considered its role in behavior, particularly locomotion. In this paper, we synthesize the current understanding of the anatomy and physiology of fin mechanosensation, looking toward key directions for research. We argue that a mechanosensory perspective informs studies of fin-based propulsion and other fin-driven behaviors and should be considered in the interpretation of fin morphology and behavior. In addition, we compare the mechanosensory system innervating the fins of fishes to the systems innervating the limbs of mammals and wings of insects in order to identify shared mechanosensory strategies and how different organisms have evolved to meet similar functional challenges. Finally, we discuss how understanding the biological organization and function of fin sensors can inform the design of control systems for engineered fins and fin-driven robotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett R Aiello
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Adam R Hardy
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Mark W Westneat
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Melina E Hale
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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Aiello BR, Gillis GB, Fox JL. Sensory Feedback and Animal Locomotion: Perspectives from Biology and Biorobotics: An Introduction to the Symposium. Integr Comp Biol 2018; 58:827-831. [PMID: 30376105 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icy100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The successful completion of many behaviors relies on sensory feedback. This symposium brought together researchers using novel techniques to study how different stimuli are encoded, how and where multimodal feedback is integrated, and how feedback modulates motor output in diverse modes of locomotion (aerial, aquatic, and terrestrial) in a diverse range of taxa (insects, fish, tetrapods), and in robots. Similar to biological organisms, robots can be equipped with integrated sensors and can rely on sensory feedback to adjust the output signal of a controller. Engineers often look to biology for inspiration on how animals have evolved solutions to problems similar to those experienced in robotic movement. Similarly, biologists too must proactively engage with engineers to apply computer and robotic models to test hypotheses and answer questions on the capacity and roles of sensory feedback in generating effective movement. Through a diverse group of researchers, including both biologists and engineers, the symposium attempted to catalyze new interdisciplinary collaborations and identify future research directions for the development of bioinspired sensory control systems, as well as the use of robots to test hypotheses in neuromechanics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett R Aiello
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, 1027 E. 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Gary B Gillis
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA 01075, USA
| | - Jessica L Fox
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
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Hale ME. Making sense of sparse data with neural encoding strategies. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:10545-10547. [PMID: 30279175 PMCID: PMC6196484 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1814761115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Melina E Hale
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637
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Berg EM, Björnfors ER, Pallucchi I, Picton LD, El Manira A. Principles Governing Locomotion in Vertebrates: Lessons From Zebrafish. Front Neural Circuits 2018; 12:73. [PMID: 30271327 PMCID: PMC6146226 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2018.00073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Locomotor behaviors are critical for survival and enable animals to navigate their environment, find food and evade predators. The circuits in the brain and spinal cord that initiate and maintain such different modes of locomotion in vertebrates have been studied in numerous species for over a century. In recent decades, the zebrafish has emerged as one of the main model systems for the study of locomotion, owing to its experimental amenability, and work in zebrafish has revealed numerous new insights into locomotor circuit function. Here, we review the literature that has led to our current understanding of the neural circuits controlling swimming and escape in zebrafish. We highlight recent studies that have enriched our comprehension of key topics, such as the interactions between premotor excitatory interneurons (INs) and motoneurons (MNs), supraspinal and spinal circuits that coordinate escape maneuvers, and developmental changes in overall circuit composition. We also discuss roles for neuromodulators and sensory inputs in modifying the relative strengths of constituent circuit components to provide flexibility in zebrafish behavior, allowing the animal to accommodate changes in the environment. We aim to provide a coherent framework for understanding the circuitry in the brain and spinal cord of zebrafish that allows the animal to flexibly transition between different speeds, and modes, of locomotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva M Berg
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute (KI), Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Irene Pallucchi
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute (KI), Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Laurence D Picton
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute (KI), Stockholm, Sweden
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9
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Massarelli N, Yau AL, Hoffman KA, Kiemel T, Tytell ED. Characterization of the encoding properties of intraspinal mechanosensory neurons in the lamprey. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2017; 203:831-841. [DOI: 10.1007/s00359-017-1196-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2017] [Revised: 06/27/2017] [Accepted: 06/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Aiello BR, Westneat MW, Hale ME. Mechanosensation is evolutionarily tuned to locomotor mechanics. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:4459-4464. [PMID: 28396411 PMCID: PMC5410822 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1616839114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The biomechanics of animal limbs has evolved to meet the functional demands for movement associated with different behaviors and environments. Effective movement relies not only on limb mechanics but also on appropriate mechanosensory feedback. By comparing sensory ability and mechanics within a phylogenetic framework, we show that peripheral mechanosensation has evolved with limb biomechanics, evolutionarily tuning the neuromechanical system to its functional demands. We examined sensory physiology and mechanics of the pectoral fins, forelimb homologs, in the fish family Labridae. Labrid fishes exhibit extraordinary morphological and behavioral diversity and use pectoral fin-based propulsion with fins ranging in shape from high aspect ratio (AR) wing-like fins to low AR paddle-like fins. Phylogenetic character analysis demonstrates that high AR fins evolved independently multiple times in this group. Four pairs of species were examined; each included a plesiomorphic low AR and a high AR species. Within each species pair, the high AR species demonstrated significantly stiffer fin rays in comparison with the low AR species. Afferent sensory nerve activity was recorded during fin ray bending. In all cases, afferents of stiffer fins were more sensitive at lower displacement amplitudes, demonstrating mechanosensory tuning to fin mechanics and a consistent pattern of correlated evolution. We suggest that these data provide a clear example of parallel evolution in a complex neuromechanical system, with a strong link between multiple phenotypic characters: pectoral fin shape, swimming behavior, fin ray stiffness, and mechanosensory sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett R Aiello
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637
| | - Mark W Westneat
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637
- Division of Fishes, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL 60605
| | - Melina E Hale
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637;
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Hardy AR, Steinworth BM, Hale ME. Touch sensation by pectoral fins of the catfish Pimelodus pictus. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 283:rspb.2015.2652. [PMID: 26865307 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.2652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Mechanosensation is fundamental to many tetrapod limb functions, yet it remains largely uninvestigated in the paired fins of fishes, limb homologues. Here we examine whether membranous fins may function as passive structures for touch sensation. We investigate the pectoral fins of the pictus catfish (Pimelodus pictus), a species that lives in close association with the benthic substrate and whose fins are positioned near its ventral margin. Kinematic analysis shows that the pectoral fins are held partially protracted during routine forward swimming and do not appear to generate propulsive force. Immunohistochemistry reveals that the fins are highly innervated, and we observe putative mechanoreceptors at nerve fibre endings. To test for the ability to sense mechanical perturbations, activity of fin ray nerve fibres was recorded in response to touch and bend stimulation. Both pressure and light surface brushing generated afferent nerve activity. Fin ray nerves also respond to bending of the rays. These data demonstrate for the first time that membranous fins can function as passive mechanosensors. We suggest that touch-sensitive fins may be widespread in fishes that maintain a close association with the bottom substrate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam R Hardy
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, The University of Chicago, 1027 E. 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Bailey M Steinworth
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, The University of Chicago, 1027 E. 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL, USA
| | - Melina E Hale
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, The University of Chicago, 1027 E. 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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12
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Abstract
Adipose fins are found on approximately 20% of ray-finned fish species. The apparently rudimentary anatomy of adipose fins inspired a longstanding hypothesis that these fins are vestigial and lack function. However, adipose fins have evolved repeatedly within Teleostei, suggesting adaptive function. Recently, adipose fins were proposed to function as mechanosensors, detecting fluid flow anterior to the caudal fin. Here we test the hypothesis that adipose fins are mechanosensitive in the catfish Corydoras aeneus. Neural activity, recorded from nerves that innervate the fin, was shown to encode information on both movement and position of the fin membrane, including the magnitude of fin membrane displacement. Thus, the adipose fin of C. aeneus is mechanosensitive and has the capacity to function as a 'precaudal flow sensor'. These data force re-evaluation of adipose fin clipping, a common strategy for tagging fishes, and inform hypotheses of how function evolves in novel vertebrate appendages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett R Aiello
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, The University of Chicago, 1027 E. 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Thomas A Stewart
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, The University of Chicago, 1027 E. 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Melina E Hale
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, The University of Chicago, 1027 E. 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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Böhm UL, Wyart C. Spinal sensory circuits in motion. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2016; 41:38-43. [PMID: 27573214 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2016.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2016] [Revised: 07/09/2016] [Accepted: 07/20/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The role of sensory feedback in shaping locomotion has been long debated. Recent advances in genetics and behavior analysis revealed the importance of proprioceptive pathways in spinal circuits. The mechanisms underlying peripheral mechanosensation enabled to unravel the networks that feedback to spinal circuits in order to modulate locomotion. Sensory inputs to the vertebrate spinal cord were long thought to originate from the periphery. Recent studies challenge this view: GABAergic sensory neurons located within the spinal cord have been shown to relay mechanical and chemical information from the cerebrospinal fluid to motor circuits. Innovative approaches combining genetics, quantitative analysis of behavior and optogenetics now allow probing the contribution of these sensory feedback pathways to locomotion and recovery following spinal cord injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Urs Lucas Böhm
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière, Campus Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, 47 bld de l'Hôpital, 75013 Paris, France; UPMC Univ., Paris 06, France; Inserm UMR S1127, France; CNRS UMR 7225, France
| | - Claire Wyart
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière, Campus Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, 47 bld de l'Hôpital, 75013 Paris, France; UPMC Univ., Paris 06, France; Inserm UMR S1127, France; CNRS UMR 7225, France.
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