scholarly journals Periaqueductal gray neurons encode the sequential motor program in hunting behavior of mice

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hong Yu ◽  
Xinkuan Xiang ◽  
Zongming Chen ◽  
Xu Wang ◽  
Jiaqi Dai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neuronal Activity ◽  
Motor Program ◽  
Periaqueductal Gray ◽  
Zona Incerta ◽  
Prey Detection ◽  
Hunting Behavior ◽  
Motor Programs ◽  
Neuronal Ensembles ◽  
Activity Sequence ◽  
Instinctive Behavior

AbstractSequential encoding of motor programs is essential for behavior generation. However, whether it is critical for instinctive behavior is still largely unknown. Mouse hunting behavior typically contains a sequential motor program, including the prey search, chase, attack, and consumption. Here, we reveal that the neuronal activity in the lateral periaqueductal gray (LPAG) follows a sequential pattern and is time-locked to different hunting actions. Optrode recordings and photoinhibition demonstrate that LPAGVgat neurons are required for the prey detection, chase and attack, while LPAGVglut2 neurons are selectively required for the attack. Ablation of inputs that could trigger hunting, including the central amygdala, the lateral hypothalamus, and the zona incerta, interrupts the activity sequence pattern and substantially impairs hunting actions. Therefore, our findings reveal that periaqueductal gray neuronal ensembles encode the sequential hunting motor program, which might provide a framework for decoding complex instinctive behaviors.

scholarly journals Release of a single neurotransmitter from an identified interneuron coherently affects motor output on multiple time scales

2013 ◽  
Vol 109 (9) ◽  
pp. 2327-2334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew M. Dacks ◽  
Klaudiusz R. Weiss
Keyword(s):  
Time Scales ◽  
Motor Program ◽  
Gaba Release ◽  
Motor Output ◽  
Multiple Time Scales ◽  
Multiple Time ◽  
Intrinsic Properties ◽  
Buccal Ganglion ◽  
Motor Programs ◽  
Pattern Characteristic

Neurotransmitters can have diverse effects that occur over multiple time scales often making the consequences of neurotransmission difficult to predict. To explore the consequences of this diversity, we used the buccal ganglion of Aplysia to examine the effects of GABA release by a single interneuron, B40, on the intrinsic properties and motor output of the radula closure neuron B8. B40 induces a picrotoxin-sensitive fast IPSP lasting milliseconds in B8 and a slow EPSP lasting seconds. We found that the excitatory effects of this slow EPSP are also mediated by GABA. Together, these two GABAergic actions structure B8 firing in a pattern characteristic of ingestive programs. Furthermore, we found that repeated B40 stimulation induces a persistent increase in B8 excitability that was occluded in the presence of the GABA B receptor agonist baclofen, suggesting that GABA affects B8 excitability over multiple time scales. The phasing of B8 activity during the feeding motor programs determines the nature of the behavior elicited during that motor program. The persistent increase in B8 excitability induced by B40 biased the activity of B8 during feeding motor programs causing the motor programs to become more ingestive in nature. Thus, a single transmitter released from a single interneuron can have consequences for motor output that are expressed over multiple time scales. Importantly, despite the differences in their signs and temporal characteristics, the three actions of B40 are coherent in that they promote B8 firing patterns that are characteristic of ingestive motor outputs.

scholarly journals Functional Genetic Screen to Identify Interneurons Governing Behaviorally Distinct Aspects of Drosophila Larval Motor Programs

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matt Q. Clark ◽  
Stephanie J. McCumsey ◽  
Sereno Lopez-Darwin ◽  
Ellie S. Heckscher ◽  
Chris Q. Doe
Keyword(s):  
Motor Neurons ◽  
Animal Behavior ◽  
Motor Program ◽  
Genetic Screen ◽  
Muscle Contractions ◽  
Specific Expression ◽  
Motor Programs ◽  
Secondary Screen ◽  
Forward Locomotion ◽  
Sparse Pattern

AbstractDrosophila larval crawling is an attractive system to study patterned motor output at the level of animal behavior. Larval crawling consists of waves of muscle contractions generating forward or reverse locomotion. In addition, larvae undergo additional behaviors including head casts, turning, and feeding. It is likely that some neurons are used in all these behaviors (e.g. motor neurons), but the identity (or even existence) of neurons dedicated to specific aspects of behavior is unclear. To identify neurons that regulate specific aspects of larval locomotion, we performed a genetic screen to identify neurons that, when activated, could elicit distinct motor programs. We used 165 Janelia CRM-Gal4 lines – chosen for sparse neuronal expression – to express the warmth-inducible neuronal activator TrpA1 and screened for locomotor defects. The primary screen measured forward locomotion velocity, and we identified 63 lines that had locomotion velocities significantly slower than controls following TrpA1 activation (28°C). A secondary screen was performed on these lines, revealing multiple discrete behavioral phenotypes including slow forward locomotion, excessive reverse locomotion, excessive turning, excessive feeding, immobile, rigid paralysis, and delayed paralysis. While many of the Gal4 lines had motor, sensory, or muscle expression that may account for some or all of the phenotype, some lines showed specific expression in a sparse pattern of interneurons. Our results show that distinct motor programs utilize distinct subsets of interneurons, and provide an entry point for characterizing interneurons governing different elements of the larval motor program.

scholarly journals The Distribution and Possible Roles of Small Cardioactive Peptide in the Nudibranch Melibe leonina

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
W H Watson ◽  
A Nash ◽  
C Lee ◽  
M D Patz ◽  
J M Newcomb
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Motor Program ◽  
Gastropod Species ◽  
Motor Programs ◽  
Large Neuron ◽  
Buccal Ganglia ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Program Application ◽  
Peristaltic Contractions ◽  
The Impact

Synopsis The neuropeptide small cardioactive peptide (SCP) plays an integrative role in exciting various motor programs involved in feeding and locomotion in a number of gastropod species. In this study, immunohistochemistry, using monoclonal antibodies against SCPB, was used to localize SCPB-like-immunoreactive neurons in the central nervous system, and map their connections to various tissues, in the nudibranch, Melibe leonina. Approximately 28–36 SCPB-like-immunoreactive neurons were identified in the M. leonina brain, as well as one large neuron in each of the buccal ganglia. The neuropil of the pedal ganglia contained the most SCPB-like-immunoreactive varicosities, although only a small portion of these were due to SCPB-like-immunoreactive neurons in the same ganglion. This suggests that much of the SCPB-like immunoreactivity in the neuropil of the pedal ganglia was from neurons in other ganglia that projected through the pedal–pedal connectives or the connectives from the cerebral and pleural ganglia. We also observed extensive SCPB innervation along the length of the esophagus. Therefore, we investigated the impact of SCPB on locomotion in intact animals, as well as peristaltic contractions of the isolated esophagus. Injection of intact animals with SCPB at night led to a significant increase in crawling and swimming, compared to control animals injected with saline. Furthermore, perfusion of isolated brains with SCPB initiated expression of the swim motor program. Application of SCPB to the isolated quiescent esophagus initiated rhythmic peristaltic contractions, and this occurred in preparations both with and without the buccal ganglia being attached. All these data, taken together, suggest that SCPB could be released at night to arouse animals and enhance the expression of both feeding and swimming motor programs in M. leonina.

scholarly journals Amygdalar neuronal activity mediates the cardiovascular responses evoked from the dorsolateral periaqueductal gray in conscious rats

Neuroscience ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 284 ◽  
pp. 737-750 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.R. de Abreu ◽  
A.R. Abreu ◽  
L.T. Santos ◽  
A.A. de Souza ◽  
L.G. da Silva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neuronal Activity ◽  
Cardiovascular Responses ◽  
Periaqueductal Gray ◽  
Conscious Rats

Intrinsic and Extrinsic Modulation of a Single Central Pattern Generating Circuit

2000 ◽  
Vol 84 (3) ◽  
pp. 1186-1193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter T. Morgan ◽  
Ray Perrins ◽  
Philip E. Lloyd ◽  
Klaudiusz R. Weiss
Keyword(s):  
Neural Circuits ◽  
Central Pattern Generators ◽  
Motor Program ◽  
Pattern Generator ◽  
Motor Programs ◽  
Appetitive Behavior ◽  
Protraction Phase ◽  
Pattern Generators ◽  
Rhythmic Behaviors ◽  
Appetitive Behaviors

Intrinsic and extrinsic neuromodulation are both thought to be responsible for the flexibility of the neural circuits (central pattern generators) that control rhythmic behaviors. Because the two forms of modulation have been studied in different circuits, it has been difficult to compare them directly. We find that the central pattern generator for biting in Aplysia is modulated both extrinsically and intrinsically. Both forms of modulation increase the frequency of motor programs and shorten the duration of the protraction phase. Extrinsic modulation is mediated by the serotonergic metacerebral cell (MCC) neurons and is mimicked by application of serotonin. Intrinsic modulation is mediated by the cerebral peptide-2 (CP-2) containing CBI-2 interneurons and is mimicked by application of CP-2. Since the effects of CBI-2 and CP-2 occlude each other, the modulatory actions of CBI-2 may be mediated by CP-2 release. Although the effects of intrinsic and extrinsic modulation are similar, the neurons that mediate them are active predominantly at different times, suggesting a specialized role for each system. Metacerebral cell (MCC) activity predominates in the preparatory (appetitive) phase and thus precedes the activation of CBI-2 and biting motor programs. Once the CBI-2s are activated and the biting motor program is initiated, MCC activity declines precipitously. Hence extrinsic modulation prefacilitates biting, whereas intrinsic modulation occurs during biting. Since biting inhibits appetitive behavior, intrinsic modulation cannot be used to prefacilitate biting in the appetitive phase. Thus the sequential use of extrinsic and intrinsic modulation may provide a means for premodulation of biting without the concomitant disruption of appetitive behaviors.

Afferent-Induced Changes in Rhythmic Motor Programs in the Feeding Circuitry of Aplysia

2004 ◽  
Vol 92 (4) ◽  
pp. 2312-2322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Avniel N. Shetreat-Klein ◽  
Elizabeth C. Cropper
Keyword(s):  
Sensory Neurons ◽  
Motor Neurons ◽  
Rhythmic Activity ◽  
Motor Program ◽  
Firing Frequency ◽  
Afferent Activity ◽  
Motor Programs ◽  
Rhythmic Motor ◽  
Induced Changes ◽  
The Impact

A manipulation often used to determine whether a neuron plays a role in the generation of a motor program involves injecting current into the cell during rhythmic activity to determine whether activity is modified. We perform this type of manipulation to study the impact of afferent activity on feeding-like motor programs in Aplysia. We trigger biting-like programs and manipulate sensory neurons that have been implicated in producing the changes in activity that occur when food is ingested, i.e., when bites are converted to bite-swallows. Sensory neurons that are manipulated are the radula mechanoafferent B21 and the retraction proprioceptor B51. Data suggest that both cells are peripherally activated during radula closing/retraction when food is ingested. We found that phasic subthreshold depolarization of a single sensory neuron can significantly prolong radula closing/retraction, as determined by recording both from interneurons (e.g., B64), and motor neurons (e.g., B15 and B8). Additionally, afferent activity produces a delay in the onset of the subsequent radula opening/protraction, and increases the firing frequency of motor neurons. These are the changes in activity that are seen when food is ingested. These results add to the growing data that implicate B21 and B51 in bite to bite-swallow conversions and indicate that afferent activity is important during feeding in Aplysia.

Best Practice? Advice Provided to Teachers about the Use of Brain Gym® in Australian Schools

2009 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Stephenson
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Motor Program ◽  
State Department ◽  
Department Of Education ◽  
Academic Learning ◽  
Theoretical Underpinning ◽  
Motor Programs ◽  
Brain Gym ◽  
State Department Of Education

Perceptual motor programs continue to be used in Australian schools despite evidence showing they do not influence academic learning. Brain Gym® is one perceptual motor program that is used in schools in Australia and overseas. There is little evidence to support the claims made about the benefits of Brain Gym® its theoretical underpinning has been subject to criticism by neuroscientists. A search was made of Internet sites, including state department of education sites to locate information provided to teachers about Brain Gym®. Although education departments and others responsible for providing advice and professional development to teachers espouse research-based practice, they continue to endorse and support the use of Brain Gym®.

Dual Sensory-Motor Function for a Molluskan Statocyst Network

2004 ◽  
Vol 91 (1) ◽  
pp. 336-345 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Levi ◽  
P. Varona ◽  
Y. I. Arshavsky ◽  
M. I. Rabinovich ◽  
A. I. Selverston
Keyword(s):  
Search Behavior ◽  
Motor Program ◽  
Hunting Behavior ◽  
Marine Mollusk ◽  
Receptor Cells ◽  
Motor Nerves ◽  
Clione Limacina ◽  
Biologically Based Model

In mollusks, statocyst receptor cells (SRCs) interact with each other forming a neural network; their activity is determined by both the animal's orientation in the gravitational field and multimodal inputs. These two facts suggest that the function of the statocysts is not limited to sensing the animal's orientation. We studied the role of the statocysts in the organization of search motion during hunting behavior in the marine mollusk, Clione limacina. When hunting, Clione swims along a complex trajectory including numerous twists and turns confined within a definite space. Search-like behavior could be evoked pharmacologically by physostigmine; application of physostigmine to the isolated CNS produced “fictive search behavior” monitored by recordings from wing and tail nerves. Both in behavioral and in vitro experiments, we found that the statocysts are necessary for search behavior. The motor program typical of searching could not be produced after removing the statocysts. Simultaneous recordings from single SRCs and motor nerves showed that there was a correlation between the SRCs activity and search episodes. This correlation occurred even though the preparation was fixed and, therefore the sensory stimulus was constant. The excitation of individual SRCs could in some cases precede the beginning of search episodes. A biologically based model showed that, theoretically, the hunting search motor program could be generated by the statocyst receptor network due to its intrinsic dynamics. The results presented support for the idea that the statocysts are actively involved in the production of the motor program underlying search movements during hunting behavior.

scholarly journals Neuronal activity in the premotor cortex of monkeys reflects both cue salience and motivation for action generation and inhibition

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margherita Giamundo ◽  
Franco Giarrocco ◽  
Emiliano Brunamonti ◽  
Francesco Fabbrini ◽  
Pierpaolo Pani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neuronal Activity ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Motor Program ◽  
Behavioural Response ◽  
Stop Signal Task ◽  
Related Activity ◽  
Reward Circuitry ◽  
Behavioural Performance ◽  
Cue Salience

ABSTRACTAnimals adopt different strategies, promoting certain actions and withholding inconvenient ones, to achieve their goals. The motivation to obtain them is the main drive that determines the behavioural performance. While much work has focused on understanding how motor cortices control actions, their role on motivated behaviours remains unclear. We recorded from dorsal premotor cortex (PMd) of monkeys performing a modified version of the stop-signal task, in which the motivation to perform/withhold an action was manipulated by presenting cues that informed on the probability to obtain different amounts of reward in relation to the motor outcome. According to the motivational context, animals performance adapted to maximize reward. Neuronal activity displayed a cue salience related modulation at trial start and, while the behavioural response approached, reflected more the motivation to start/cancel the action. These findings reveal multiple representations of motivation-related signals in PMd, highlighting its involvement in the control of finalized actions.SIGNIFICATIVE STATEMENTThe motivation to obtain rewards drives how animals act over their environment. To explore the involvement of motor cortices in motivated behaviours, we recorded high-resolution neuronal activity in the premotor cortex of monkeys performing a task that manipulated the motivation to generate/withhold a movement through different cued reward probabilities. Our results show the presence of neuronal signals dynamically reflecting a cue related activity, in the time immediately following its presentation, and a motivation related activity in performing (or cancelling) a motor program, while the behavioural response approached. The encoding of multiple reward-related signals in motor regions, leads to consider an important role of premotor areas in the reward circuitry.

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