title: Multisensory Signaling Shapes Vestibulo-Motor Circuit Specificity.
abstract: The ability to continuously adjust posture and balance is necessary for reliable motor behavior. Vestibular and proprioceptive systems influence postural adjustments during movement by signaling functionally complementary sensory information. Using viral tracing and mouse genetics, we reveal two patterns of synaptic specificity between brainstem vestibular neurons and spinal motor neurons, established through distinct mechanisms. First, vestibular input targets preferentially extensor over flexor motor pools, a pattern established by developmental refinement in part controlled by vestibular signaling. Second, vestibular input targets slow-twitch over fast motor neuron subtypes within extensor pools, while proprioceptors exhibit inversely correlated connectivity profiles. Genetic manipulations affecting the functionality of proprioceptive feedback circuits lead to adjustments in vestibular input to motor neuron subtypes counterbalancing the imposed changes, without changing the sparse vestibular input to flexor pools. Thus, two sensory signaling systems interact to establish complementary synaptic input patterns to the final site of motor output processing.
authors.affiliation: Biozentrum, Department of Cell Biology, University of Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland; Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Basaldella
authors.affiliation: Biozentrum, Department of Cell Biology, University of Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland; Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Aya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takeoka
authors.affiliation: Biozentrum, Department of Cell Biology, University of Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland; Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sigrist
authors.affiliation: Biozentrum, Department of Cell Biology, University of Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland; Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, 4058 Basel, Switzerland. Electronic address: silvia.arber@unibas.ch.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arber
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D051379:Mice; D057507:Mice, 129 Strain; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D019255:NADPH Oxidases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004856:Postural Balance; D011187:Posture; D011434:Proprioception; D013569:Synapses; D014726:Vestibular Nuclei / Q000378:metabolism*; D014722:Vestibule, Labyrinth / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019255:NADPH Oxidases; C484511:Nox3 protein, mouse