Identifying, manipulating, and studying a complete sensory-to-motor model behavior circuit

项目摘要 大脑如何将感官信息转化为复杂的行为？的目的 一个建议是确定大脑中产生一个神经元所必需的相关神经元。 相对简单的动机行为，以研究和确定基本原则的基础上， 编码感觉-行为电路必须包含各种神经计算，例如 那些确定所感测的线索的身份和意义，测量内部状态， 记住以前的经验，并命令肌肉动作。然而，在不了解所有 模型电路的各个部分，研究这些计算在哪里以及如何发生已经证明 难目前，大多数行为背后的完整电路结构在很大程度上是未知的， 还没有完整的模型电路穿过小鼠边缘系统。因此，我们认为， 对神经编码的研究依赖于对单个大脑区域的研究，例如大脑皮层的细分， 杏仁核或下丘脑。这种专注可能类似于盲人触摸一个物体的不同部分。 大象;没有感知的整体，解释可能会变得扭曲。在这里我们建议 从感觉到动机行为的过程需要一个完整的回路，而对它的研究作为一个整体， 加快理解。我们将通过利用系统控制来克服这一瓶颈， 老鼠的嗅觉系统引出尿液标记行为作为一个理想的模型电路。后 闻到雌性的气味，雄性老鼠会故意存款大量的尿液标记， 宣传他们的性能力为了研究这种受激励的回路如何编码行为， 我们将1）确定一个完整的，从感觉到肌肉的，产生行为的解剖电路，2） 确定与行为相关的相关神经元的活动模式， 3）确定集成内部状态的电路上的神经逻辑， 体验.完成这些目标将提供一个统一的图片如何简单的动机 行为是在大脑中编码的。我们希望它还将提供实验手段， 确定和分配基本已知和意外原则的顺序和结构， 信息是如何被代表，改变和整合，因为它的旅程，从最初的嗅觉 最终肌肉活动的感觉。一旦完成，方法和结果 知识将为我们和其他人提供解决方案，作为机械化的模板。 研究其他更复杂的动机回路中的感觉到行为的逻辑。我们 预期完整电路将提供对部件和活动模式的充分了解， 这是理解感觉系统、大脑和身体如何共同作用的关键的第一步。 产生行为。

Project Summary How does the brain transform sensory information into complex behavior? The objective of this proposal is to identify the relevant neurons across the brain that are necessary to produce a relatively simple motivated behavior to study and identify fundamental principles underlying coding. Sensory-to-behavior circuits must contain a variety of neural computations such as those that determine the identity and meaning of the sensed cues, gauge internal state, remember previous experience, and command muscle action. However, without knowing all of the parts of a model circuit, studying where and how these computations occur has proven difficult. Currently, complete circuit structure underlying most behaviors is largely unknown, and no complete model circuit has been traversed through the mouse limbic system. Therefore, study of neural coding relies on investigation of single brain regions, such as subdivisions of the amygdala or hypothalamus. Such focus may be akin to blind men touching different parts of an elephant; without perceiving the entirety, interpretation may become distorted. Here we propose that sensation-to-motivated-behavior employs an entire circuit and its study as a whole will accelerate understanding. We will overcome this bottleneck by leveraging the systematic control of the mouse’s olfactory system to elicit urine-marking behavior as an ideal model circuit. Upon smelling females, male mice are motivated to intentionally deposit copious urine marks to advertise their sexual availability. To investigate how this motivated circuit encodes behavior, we will 1) identify a complete, sensory-to-muscle, anatomic circuit that generates behavior, 2) determine the activity patterns of the relevant neurons in relationship to the behavior and to each other, and 3) determine the neural logic across the circuit that integrates internal state and experience. Completion of these aims will provide a unified picture of how a simple motivated behavior is coded in the brain. We expect that it will also provide the experimental means to identify and assign order and structure of basic known and unexpected principles that underlie how information is represented, altered, and integrated as it journeys from initial olfactory sensation to ultimate muscle activity. Once completed, both the approach and resulting knowledge will provide solutions for us and others to use as a template for the mechanistic study of the logic of sensory-to-behavior across other more complex motivated circuits. We anticipate that full knowledge of the parts and activity patterns the complete circuit will provide a crucial first step to understanding of how sensory systems, the brain, and the body collectively generate behavior.