A Specific Population of Reticulospinal Neurons Controls the Termination of Locomotion.
Locomotion requires the proper sequencing of neural activity to start, maintain, and stop it. Recently, brainstem neurons were shown to specifically stop locomotion in mammals. However, the cellular properties of these neurons and their activity during locomotion are still unknown. Here, we took advantage of the lamprey model to characterize the activity of a cell population that we now show to be involved in stopping locomotion. We find that these neurons display a burst of spikes that coincides with the end of swimming activity. Their pharmacological activation ends ongoing swimming, whereas the inactivation of these neurons dramatically impairs the rapid termination of swimming. These neurons are henceforth referred to as stop cells, because they play a crucial role in the termination of locomotion. Our findings contribute to the fundamental understanding of motor control and provide important details about the cellular mechanisms involved in locomotor termination.
Department of Neuroscience, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada.
Laurent
L
Juvin
Department of Neuroscience, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada; Department of Sciences de l'Activité Physique, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada; Department of Animal Physiology, Biocenter Cologne, University of Cologne, 50674 Cologne, Germany.
Swantje
S
Grätsch
Department of Neuroscience, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada.
Emilie
E
Trillaud-Doppia
Department of Neuroscience, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada.
Jean-François
JF
Gariépy
Department of Animal Physiology, Biocenter Cologne, University of Cologne, 50674 Cologne, Germany.
Ansgar
A
Büschges
Department of Neuroscience, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada; Department of Sciences de l'Activité Physique, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada. Electronic address: rejean.dubuc@gmail.com.
Réjean
R
Dubuc
D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000494:pharmacology; D005971:Glutamates / Q000378:metabolism; D007798:Lampreys / Q000502:physiology*; D008124:Locomotion / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D012249:Rhombencephalon / Q000166:cytology*; D013550:Swimming
D005971:Glutamates; D002118:Calcium