From neuron to behavior: Sensory ‐motor coordination of zebrafish turning behavior

Recent development of optogenetics brought non‐invasive neural activation in living organisms. Transparent zebrafish larva is one of the suitable animal models for this technique, which enables us to investigate neural circuits for behaviors based on a whole individual nervous system. In this article we review our recent finding that suggests sensory‐motor coordination in larval zebrafish escape behavior. When water vibration stimulates mechanosensory Rohon‐Beard (RB) neurons, intra‐spinal reflex circuit launches contralateral trunk muscle contraction that makes rapid body curvature for turning. In addition, positional information of the stimulus is conveyed to supra‐spinal circuits, and then regulates the curvature strength for appropriate escape pathway from the threat. Sensory‐motor coordination is a fundamental feature to adapt behaviors to environment, and zebrafish larvae would be an excellent model for elucidating its neural backbones. In zebrafish escape turning behavior, supra‐spinal and intra‐spinal circuits are differently activated depending on input quantity from mechanosensory neurons. The sensory neurons also recognize position information of stimulus, to control the escape pathway by regulating the strength of body curvature in the first turning movement.
Source: Development, Growth and Differentiation - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Review Article Source Type: research