title: Visual input modulates audiomotor function via hypothalamic dopaminergic neurons through a cooperative mechanism.
abstract: Visual cues often modulate auditory signal processing, leading to improved sound detection. However, the synaptic and circuit mechanism underlying this cross-modal modulation remains poorly understood. Using larval zebrafish, we first established a cross-modal behavioral paradigm in which a preceding flash enhances sound-evoked escape behavior, which is known to be executed through auditory afferents (VIII(th) nerves) and command-like neurons (Mauthner cells). In vivo recording revealed that the visual enhancement of auditory escape is achieved by increasing sound-evoked Mauthner cell responses. This increase in Mauthner cell responses is accounted for by the increase in the signal-to-noise ratio of sound-evoked VIII(th) nerve spiking and efficacy of VIII(th) nerve-Mauthner cell synapses. Furthermore, the visual enhancement of Mauthner cell response and escape behavior requires light-responsive dopaminergic neurons in the caudal hypothalamus and D1 dopamine receptor activation. Our findings illustrate a cooperative neural mechanism for visual modulation of audiomotor processing that involves dopaminergic neuromodulation.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuroscience and State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mu
authors.forename: Xiao-quan
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jiu-lin
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Du
mesh_terms: D018750:6-Cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione / Q000494:pharmacology; D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000009:adverse effects; D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001058:Apomorphine / Q000494:pharmacology; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D001552:Benzazepines / Q000494:pharmacology; D001710:Biotin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D018492:Dopamine Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D059290:Dopaminergic Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D004924:Escape Reaction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D005439:Flufenamic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006034:Glycyrrhetinic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000166:cytology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007814:Larva; D008027:Light; D008124:Locomotion / Q000502:physiology*; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D060172:Morpholinos / Q000494:pharmacology; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D011571:Psychoacoustics; D017447:Receptors, Dopamine D1 / Q000502:physiology; D059629:Signal-To-Noise Ratio; D013997:Time Factors; D014633:Valine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D015027:Zebrafish
chemical_list: D001552:Benzazepines; D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D018492:Dopamine Antagonists; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; D060172:Morpholinos; D017447:Receptors, Dopamine D1; C534628:SCH 23390; C070614:neurobiotin; D005439:Flufenamic Acid; D018750:6-Cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione; D001710:Biotin; C056639:2-amino-5-phosphopentanoic acid; D014633:Valine; D001058:Apomorphine; D006034:Glycyrrhetinic Acid