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

项目摘要 大脑如何将感觉信息转化为复杂的行为？这样做的目的是 建议是确定整个大脑中产生 相对简单的动机行为，以研究和确定潜在的基本原则 编码。感觉到行为的回路必须包含各种神经计算，例如 确定感测线索的身份和意义、测量内部状态、 记住以前的经验，并指挥肌肉动作。然而，在不知道所有 通过研究这些计算在哪里以及如何进行，已经证明了模型电路的各个部分 很难。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，并且 还没有完整的模型电路穿过小鼠的边缘系统。因此， 神经编码的研究依赖于对单个大脑区域的研究，例如 杏仁核或下丘脑。这种专注可能类似于盲人触摸身体的不同部位。 大象；如果不能感知整体，解释可能会扭曲。在这里，我们建议 这种从感觉到动机的行为使用了整个环路，它的学习作为一个整体 加快理解。我们将通过利用系统控制来克服这一瓶颈 作为一种理想的模型电路，我们可以利用小鼠的嗅觉系统来诱导尿液标记行为。vt.在.的基础上 闻到雌性的雄性老鼠会故意留下大量的尿痕来 为他们的性生活做广告。为了研究这个激励电路是如何编码行为的， 我们将1)确定一个完整的、感觉到肌肉的、产生行为的解剖回路，2) 确定相关神经元的活动模式与行为和 以及3)确定整个电路上的神经逻辑，该电路将内部状态和 经验。这些目标的完成将提供一个统一的图景，说明如何简单地激励 行为是在大脑中编码的。我们预计它还将提供实验手段，以 确定并分配作为基础的基本已知和意外原则的顺序和结构 从最初的嗅觉开始，信息是如何表现、改变和整合的 感觉到终极的肌肉活动。一旦完成，方法和结果都将 知识将为我们和其他人提供解决方案，作为机械论的模板 研究其他更复杂的动机回路中感觉到行为的逻辑。我们 预计完整电路将提供部件和活动模式的完整知识 理解感官系统、大脑和身体如何共同作用的关键第一步 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.