Transcriptomic encoding of sensorimotor transformation in the midbrain

eLife

Le Sun¹  Congping Shang²  Meizhu Huang²  Miao Zhao³  Zhiyong Xie³  Rui Lin³  Youtong Zhou³  Qing Pei³  Huating Gu³  Minmin Luo⁴  Peng Cao⁵  Gengxin Ran⁶  Qiang Ma⁶  Zeyuan Liu⁶  Mengdi Wang⁶  Changjiang Zhang⁶  Xiaoqun Wang⁷  Qian Wu⁸  Jiyao Zhang⁸  Junjing Zhang⁸ 

[1] Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China;Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou, China;National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China;National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China;Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China;National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China;Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China;State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology (Shanghai), Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China;University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China;State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology (Shanghai), Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China;University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China;Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou, China;Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China;Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China;Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data-Based Precision Medicine, Beihang University & Capital Medical University, Beijing, China;State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China;

关键词: superior colliculus;    sensorimotor transformation;    single-cell transcriptome;    Cbln2;    Pitx2;    Mouse;   

DOI  :  10.7554/eLife.69825

来源: eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd

【 摘 要 】

Sensorimotor transformation, a process that converts sensory stimuli into motor actions, is critical for the brain to initiate behaviors. Although the circuitry involved in sensorimotor transformation has been well delineated, the molecular logic behind this process remains poorly understood. Here, we performed high-throughput and circuit-specific single-cell transcriptomic analyses of neurons in the superior colliculus (SC), a midbrain structure implicated in early sensorimotor transformation. We found that SC neurons in distinct laminae expressed discrete marker genes. Of particular interest, Cbln2 and Pitx2 were key markers that define glutamatergic projection neurons in the optic nerve (Op) and intermediate gray (InG) layers, respectively. The Cbln2+ neurons responded to visual stimuli mimicking cruising predators, while the Pitx2+ neurons encoded prey-derived vibrissal tactile cues. By forming distinct input and output connections with other brain areas, these neuronal subtypes independently mediated behaviors of predator avoidance and prey capture. Our results reveal that, in the midbrain, sensorimotor transformation for different behaviors may be performed by separate circuit modules that are molecularly defined by distinct transcriptomic codes.

【 授权许可】

CC BY