title: Optogenetic activation of excitatory premotor interneurons is sufficient to generate coordinated locomotor activity in larval zebrafish.
abstract: Neural networks in the spinal cord can generate locomotion in the absence of rhythmic input from higher brain structures or sensory feedback because they contain an intrinsic source of excitation. However, the molecular identity of the spinal interneurons underlying the excitatory drive within the locomotor circuit has remained unclear. Using optogenetics, we show that activation of a molecularly defined class of ipsilateral premotor interneurons elicits locomotion. These interneurons represent the excitatory module of the locomotor networks and are sufficient to produce a coordinated swimming pattern in zebrafish. They correspond to the V2a interneuron class and express the transcription factor Chx10. They produce sufficient excitatory drive within the spinal networks to generate coordinated locomotor activity. Therefore, our results define the V2a interneurons as the excitatory module within the spinal locomotor networks that is sufficient to initiate and maintain locomotor activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Emma Eklöf
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Ljunggren
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Haupt
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ausborn
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ampatzis
authors.forename: Abdeljabbar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: El Manira
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D007395:Interneurons / Q000502:physiology*; D007814:Larva / Q000502:physiology; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D062308:Optogenetics / Q000379:methods*; D015027:Zebrafish