title: Peeling back the layers of locomotor control in the spinal cord.
abstract: Vertebrate locomotion is executed by networks of neurons within the spinal cord. Here, we describe recent advances in our understanding of spinal locomotor control provided by work using optical and genetic approaches in mice and zebrafish. In particular, we highlight common observations that demonstrate simplification of limb and axial motor pool coordination by spinal network modularity, differences in the deployment of spinal modules at increasing speeds of locomotion, and functional hierarchies in the regulation of locomotor rhythm and pattern. We also discuss the promise of intersectional genetic strategies for better resolution of network components and connectivity, which should help us continue to close the gap between theory and function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA. Electronic address: david-mclean@northwestern.edu.
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: McLean
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA. Electronic address: kimberly.dougherty@drexelmed.edu.
authors.forename: Kimberly J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Dougherty
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005121:Extremities / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008124:Locomotion / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*
references.citation: Neuron. 2006 Dec 7;52(5):751-66
references.pmid: 17145498
references.citation: Curr Opin Neurobiol. 2015 Apr;31:244-9
references.pmid: 25599926
references.citation: Behav Brain Res. 2009 Jul 19;201(1):59-65
references.pmid: 19428617
references.citation: Neuron. 2007 Jan 4;53(1):91-102
references.pmid: 17196533
references.citation: J Neurosci. 2014 Oct 15;34(42):14046-54
references.pmid: 25319701
references.citation: Nature. 2006 Mar 9;440(7081):215-9
references.pmid: 16525473
references.citation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012 Dec 26;109(52):E3631-9
references.pmid: 23236181
references.citation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Jul 9;110(28):11589-94
references.pmid: 23798384
references.citation: Neuron. 2001 Feb;29(2):367-84
references.pmid: 11239429
references.citation: Front Behav Neurosci. 2010 Jun 24;4:16
references.pmid: 20631854
references.citation: Nat Commun. 2011;2:274
references.pmid: 21505430
references.citation: J Physiol. 2013 Nov 15;591(22):5491-508
references.pmid: 24081162
references.citation: J Exp Biol. 1985 Mar;115:105-12
references.pmid: 3161974
references.citation: J Neurosci. 2012 Jan 25;32(4):1156-70
references.pmid: 22279202
references.citation: J Neurosci. 2012 Feb 1;32(5):1771-83
references.pmid: 22302816
references.citation: PLoS One. 2013;8(8):e70325
references.pmid: 23967072
references.citation: J Neurophysiol. 1965 May;28:560-80
references.pmid: 14328454
references.citation: J Comp Neurol. 2012 Nov 1;520(16):3604-16
references.pmid: 22473852
references.citation: J Physiol. 2012 Oct 1;590(19):4735-59
references.pmid: 22869012
references.citation: Curr Biol. 2013 Oct 21;23(20):R936-8
references.pmid: 24156817
references.citation: J Neurophysiol. 2012 Dec;108(12):3393-402
references.pmid: 23034362
references.citation: Brain Res Rev. 2008 Jan;57(1):94-102
references.pmid: 17900702
references.citation: Neuron. 2013 Nov 20;80(4):920-33
references.pmid: 24267650
references.citation: Prog Brain Res. 2007;165:235-53
references.pmid: 17925250
references.citation: J Neurosci. 2014 Jul 9;34(28):9404-17
references.pmid: 25009272
references.citation: Nature. 2012 Aug 30;488(7413):642-6
references.pmid: 22932389
references.citation: Neuron. 2015 Jan 7;85(1):131-44
references.pmid: 25543457
references.citation: J Neurosci. 2014 Jan 1;34(1):134-9
references.pmid: 24381274
references.citation: Prog Brain Res. 1979;50:61-7
references.pmid: 551456
references.citation: Neuron. 2013 Oct 2;80(1):12-34
references.pmid: 24094100
references.citation: J Neurosci. 2009 May 27;29(21):7098-109
references.pmid: 19474336
references.citation: Nature. 2011 Nov 3;479(7371):61-6
references.pmid: 22012263
references.citation: Brain Res Rev. 2008 Jan;57(1):118-24
references.pmid: 17826841
references.citation: Neuron. 2013 Oct 30;80(3):827-34
references.pmid: 24183031
references.citation: Neuron. 2011 Nov 3;72(3):419-24
references.pmid: 22078502
references.citation: Integr Comp Biol. 2011 Dec;51(6):869-78
references.pmid: 21743089
references.citation: Nature. 2007 Mar 1;446(7131):71-5
references.pmid: 17330042
references.citation: Science. 2014 Jan 10;343(6167):197-200
references.pmid: 24408436
references.citation: Brain Res Rev. 2008 Jan;57(1):134-46
references.pmid: 17936363
references.citation: Annu Rev Neurosci. 2006;29:279-306
references.pmid: 16776587
references.citation: J Neurosci. 1985 Mar;5(3):654-61
references.pmid: 3973690
references.citation: Neuron. 2014 Apr 2;82(1):138-50
references.pmid: 24698273
references.citation: Neuron. 2014 Aug 20;83(4):934-43
references.pmid: 25123308
references.citation: Nature. 2013 Aug 1;500(7460):85-8
references.pmid: 23812590
references.citation: J Neurophysiol. 2012 Aug 1;108(3):925-34
references.pmid: 22572943
references.citation: J Comp Neurol. 2014 Apr 15;522(6):1232-48
references.pmid: 24114934
references.citation: Curr Opin Neurobiol. 2014 Jun;26:161-6
references.pmid: 24743058
references.citation: Nat Neurosci. 2008 Dec;11(12):1419-29
references.pmid: 18997790
references.citation: J Neurosci. 2014 Mar 12;34(11):3841-53
references.pmid: 24623763
references.citation: J Neurophysiol. 2012 Jun;107(12):3256-66
references.pmid: 22442567
references.citation: J Neurosci. 2006 May 24;26(21):5684-97
references.pmid: 16723525
references.citation: Development. 2012 Jan;139(1):179-90
references.pmid: 22115757
references.citation: Neuroscience. 2013 Oct 10;250:644-50
references.pmid: 23933310
references.citation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012 Apr 3;109(14):5511-6
references.pmid: 22431619
references.citation: J Neurosci. 2013 Nov 20;33(47):18553-65
references.pmid: 24259577
references.citation: Brain Res Rev. 2008 Jan;57(1):64-76
references.pmid: 17905441
references.citation: Neuron. 2013 Jan 9;77(1):129-40
references.pmid: 23312521
references.citation: J Neurophysiol. 2005 Aug;94(2):1120-32
references.pmid: 15872066
references.citation: Neuron. 2012 Jun 21;74(6):975-89
references.pmid: 22726829
references.citation: Compr Physiol. 2012 Oct;2(4):2629-82
references.pmid: 23720261
references.citation: Neuron. 2004 May 13;42(3):375-86
references.pmid: 15134635
references.citation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014 Nov 25;111(47):16877-82
references.pmid: 25389309