Long ascending propriospinal neurons provide flexible, context-specific control of interlimb coordination

Within the cervical and lumbar spinal enlargements, central pattern generator (CPG) circuitry produces the rhythmic output necessary for limb coordination during locomotion. Long propriospinal neurons that inter-connect these CPGs are thought to secure hindlimb-forelimb coordination, ensuring that d...

Ausführliche Beschreibung

Gespeichert in:
Bibliographische Detailangaben
Veröffentlicht in:eLife 2020-09, Vol.9, Article 53565
Hauptverfasser: Pocratsky, Amanda M., Shepard, Courtney T., Morehouse, Johnny R., Burke, Darlene A., Riegler, Amberley S., Hardin, Josiah T., Beare, Jason E., Hainline, Casey, States, Gregory J. R., Brown, Brandon L., Whittemore, Scott R., Magnuson, David S. K.
Format: Artikel
Sprache:eng
Schlagworte:
Online-Zugang:Volltext
Tags: Tag hinzufügen
Keine Tags, Fügen Sie den ersten Tag hinzu!
Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:Within the cervical and lumbar spinal enlargements, central pattern generator (CPG) circuitry produces the rhythmic output necessary for limb coordination during locomotion. Long propriospinal neurons that inter-connect these CPGs are thought to secure hindlimb-forelimb coordination, ensuring that diagonal limb pairs move synchronously while the ipsilateral limb pairs move out-of-phase during stepping. Here, we show that silencing long ascending propriospinal neurons (LAPNs) that inter-connect the lumbar and cervical CPGs disrupts left-right limb coupling of each limb pair in the adult rat during overground locomotion on a high-friction surface. These perturbations occurred independent of the locomotor rhythm, intralimb coordination, and speed-dependent (or any other) principal features of locomotion. Strikingly, the functional consequences of silencing LAPNs are highly context-dependent; the phenotype was not expressed during swimming, treadmill stepping, exploratory locomotion, or walking on an uncoated, slick surface. These data reveal surprising flexibility and context-dependence in the control of interlimb coordination during locomotion.
ISSN:2050-084X
2050-084X
DOI:10.7554/eLife.53565