The tangential nucleus controls a gravito-inertial vestibulo-ocular reflex.
BACKGROUND
Although adult vertebrates sense changes in head position by using two classes of accelerometer, at larval stages zebrafish lack functional semicircular canals and rely exclusively on their otolithic organs to transduce vestibular information.


RESULTS
Despite this limitation, we find that larval zebrafish perform an effective vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) that serves to stabilize gaze in response to pitch and roll tilts. By using single-cell electroporations and targeted laser ablations, we identified a specific class of central vestibular neurons, located in the tangential nucleus, that are essential for the utricle-dependent VOR. Tangential nucleus neurons project contralaterally to extraocular motoneurons and in addition to multiple sites within the reticulospinal complex.


CONCLUSIONS
We propose that tangential neurons function as a broadband inertial accelerometer, processing utricular acceleration signals to control the activity of extraocular and postural neurons, thus completing a fundamental three-neuron circuit responsible for gaze stabilization.
Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. ibianco@mcb.harvard.edu
Isaac H
IH
Bianco
Leung-Hang
LH
Ma
David
D
Schoppik
Drew N
DN
Robson
Michael B
MB
Orger
James C
JC
Beck
Jennifer M
JM
Li
Alexander F
AF
Schier
Florian
F
Engert
Robert
R
Baker
D000818:Animals; D005133:Eye Movements; D006112:Gravitation; D007814:Larva / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D053685:Laser Therapy; D010037:Otolithic Membrane / Q000503:physiopathology; D012027:Reflex, Vestibulo-Ocular; D012444:Saccule and Utricle / Q000502:physiology / Q000601:surgery; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014726:Vestibular Nuclei / Q000502:physiology* / Q000601:surgery; D014796:Visual Perception; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*