Functions of distinct trigeminal brainstem projection pathways in tactile behavior

触觉对我们体验周围的物质世界是至关重要的。像老鼠这样的物种使用 他们的面部胡须来导航和评估他们的环境。虽然有一个基本的理解 脑干三叉神经细胞，胡须衍生信号的第一个中枢继电器，如何对被动做出反应 触觉刺激，对它们在主动行为中的活动和功能知之甚少。触觉探索是 适应行为目的的主动感觉过程和三叉神经脑干的反应 神经元可能会相应地进行调整。此外，脑干投射神经元参与了两个主要的 上升路径，丘脑和旁脑，但这两条不同的通路的功能仍然存在 不清楚。我们这项高风险的探索性拨款申请的目标是开发一种慢性活体记录 准备，从光遗传学识别的丘脑或丘脑旁投射神经元进行记录 在活动行为中，并使用因果操作来确定它们的功能。录制和 在活体内操纵特定路径的神经元，并在自由的情况下进行准确的行为测量 移动的动物都是具有挑战性的。我们将利用技术创新的组合来克服 这些挑战。该项目的成果将为今后深入剖析 通过以下方式将触觉信息集成、转换并传递到不同的处理流 三叉神经脑干产生感知、唤起情感和/或为决策提供信息。

Tactile sensation is paramount to how we experience the physical world around us. Species like mice use their facial whiskers to navigate and assess their environment. Although there is a basic understanding of how brainstem trigeminal neurons, the first central relay for whisker-derived signals, respond to passive tactile stimuli, little is known about their activities and functions during active behaviors. Tactile exploration is an active sensing process, which adapts to behavioral purposes, and responses of trigeminal brainstem neurons are likely adjusted accordingly. Furthermore, brainstem projection neurons contribute to two main ascending pathways, lemniscal and paralemniscal, but the functions of these two distinct pathways remain unclear. Our goal for this high-risk exploratory grant application is to develop a chronic in vivo recording preparation, perform recordings from optogenetically identified lemniscal or paralemniscal projection neurons during active behaviors, and use causal manipulations to determine their functions. Recording and manipulating pathway-specific neurons in vivo, and making accurate behavioral measurements in freely moving animals are both challenging. We will use a combination of technological innovations to overcome these challenges. The outcome of this project will establish a platform for future in-depth dissection of how touch sensory information is integrated, transformed and delivered to different processing streams by trigeminal brainstem to generate perception, invoke emotion and/or inform decisions.