title: Identification of a spinal circuit for light touch and fine motor control.
abstract: Sensory circuits in the dorsal spinal cord integrate and transmit multiple cutaneous sensory modalities including the sense of light touch. Here, we identify a population of excitatory interneurons (INs) in the dorsal horn that are important for transmitting innocuous light touch sensation. These neurons express the ROR alpha (RORα) nuclear orphan receptor and are selectively innervated by cutaneous low threshold mechanoreceptors (LTMs). Targeted removal of RORα INs in the dorsal spinal cord leads to a marked reduction in behavioral responsiveness to light touch without affecting responses to noxious and itch stimuli. RORα IN-deficient mice also display a selective deficit in corrective foot movements. This phenotype, together with our demonstration that the RORα INs are innervated by corticospinal and vestibulospinal projection neurons, argues that the RORα INs direct corrective reflex movements by integrating touch information with descending motor commands from the cortex and cerebellum.
authors: Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
authors: Steeve
authors: S
authors: Bourane
authors: Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
authors: Katja S
authors: KS
authors: Grossmann
authors: Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
authors: Olivier
authors: O
authors: Britz
authors: Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
authors: Antoine
authors: A
authors: Dalet
authors: Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
authors: Marta Garcia
authors: MG
authors: Del Barrio
authors: Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
authors: Floor J
authors: FJ
authors: Stam
authors: Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
authors: Lidia
authors: L
authors: Garcia-Campmany
authors: Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
authors: Stephanie
authors: S
authors: Koch
authors: Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA. Electronic address: goulding@salk.edu.
authors: Martyn
authors: M
authors: Goulding
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D007395:Interneurons / Q000378:metabolism; D040542:Mechanotransduction, Cellular; D051379:Mice; D009043:Motor Activity; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D009434:Neural Pathways; D057094:Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 1, Group F, Member 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D066148:Spinal Cord Dorsal Horn / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D013569:Synapses; D014110:Touch
chemical_list: D057094:Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 1, Group F, Member 1; C539739:Rora protein, mouse
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