title: Origin of a Non-Clarke's Column Division of the Dorsal Spinocerebellar Tract and the Role of Caudal Proprioceptive Neurons in Motor Function.
abstract: Proprioception, the sense of limb and body position, is essential for generating proper movement. Unconscious proprioceptive information travels through cerebellar-projecting neurons in the spinal cord and medulla. The progenitor domain defined by the basic-helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor, ATOH1, has been implicated in forming these cerebellar-projecting neurons; however, their precise contribution to proprioceptive tracts and motor behavior is unknown. Significantly, we demonstrate that Atoh1-lineage neurons in the spinal cord reside outside Clarke's column (CC), a main contributor of neurons relaying hindlimb proprioception, despite giving rise to the anatomical and functional correlate of CC in the medulla, the external cuneate nucleus (ECu), which mediates forelimb proprioception. Elimination of caudal Atoh1-lineages results in mice with relatively normal locomotion but unable to perform coordinated motor tasks. Altogether, we reveal that proprioceptive nuclei in the spinal cord and medulla develop from more than one progenitor source, suggesting an avenue to uncover distinct proprioceptive functions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yuengert
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
authors.forename: Kei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hori
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
authors.forename: Erin E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Kibodeaux
authors.affiliation: Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
authors.forename: Jacob X
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: McClellan
authors.affiliation: Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
authors.forename: Justin E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Morales
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pediatrics, Neurology, Molecular and Human Genetics, and Neuroscience, Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, 1250 Moursund Street, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Teng-Wei P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pediatrics, Neurology, Molecular and Human Genetics, and Neuroscience, Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, 1250 Moursund Street, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Jeffrey L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Neul
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75390, USA. Electronic address: helen.lai@utsouthwestern.edu.
authors.forename: Helen C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Lai
mesh_terms: D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000166:cytology; D000818:Animals; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019070:Cell Lineage; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009068:Movement; D058953:Neural Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D055495:Neurogenesis; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D011434:Proprioception; D066148:Spinal Cord Dorsal Horn / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; C500943:Atoh1 protein, mouse