Analysis of vestibulospinal pathways regulating spinal motor circuits using zebrafish

• Project/Area Number: 16K07022
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Neurophysiology / General neuroscience
• Research Institution: Center for Novel Science Initatives, National Institutes of Natural Sciences (2018-2019); National Institute for Basic Biology (2016-2017)
• Principal Investigator: Kimura Yukiko 大学共同利用機関法人自然科学研究機構(新分野創成センター、アストロバイオロジーセンター、生命創成探究, 生命創成探究センター, 助教 (70581122)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2019)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,810,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,110,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥1,950,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥450,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000)
• Keywords: ゼブラフィッシュ / 前庭脊髄路 / 行動神経科学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The neural pathway by which information from the vestibular system reaches the spinal cord has not been well characterized. To investigate this pathway, we used zebrafish larvae, which have a simple nervous system. We generated transgenic fish in which vestibulospinal neurons are identifiable with fluorescent proteins. To identify neurons activated by vestibular stimulation, we made new microscope systems that allow us to image activities of these neurons during vestibular stimulation.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

前庭脊髄路は、脊椎動物が前庭に存在する感覚器で感知した重力の情報に基づいて姿勢制御を行う際に重要な経路のひとつである。しかし、前庭脊髄路ニューロンがどのような脊髄ニューロンを経由して、前庭からの情報を脊髄に伝えているかは詳しくは分かっていない。本研究では、哺乳類等に比べ単純な神経回路を持つゼブラフィッシュ仔魚を用いることで、網羅的かつ、詳細な前庭脊髄路の解析を行うことのできる実験系の開発に成功した。

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Functional Diversity of Glycinergic Commissural Inhibitory Neurons in Larval Zebrafish (2020)
  • Author(s): Satou Chie、Sugioka Takumi、Uemura Yuto、Shimazaki Takashi、Zmarz Pawel、Kimura Yukiko、Higashijima Shin-ichi
  • Journal Title: Cell Reports Volume: 30 Issue: 9 Pages: 3036-3050
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.02.015
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Regulation of locomotor speed and selection of active sets of neurons by V1 neurons (2019)
  • Author(s): Kimura Yukiko、Higashijima Shin-ichi
  • Journal Title: Nature Communications Volume: 10 Issue: 1 Pages: 2268-2268
  • DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-09871-x
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Spinal V2b neurons reveal a role for ipsilateral inhibition in speed control (2019)
  • Author(s): Callahan Rebecca A、Roberts Richard、Sengupta Mohini、Kimura Yukiko、Higashijima Shin-ichi、Bagnall Martha W
  • Journal Title: eLife Volume: 8
  • DOI: 10.7554/elife.47837
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Axially-confined in vivo single-cell labeling by primed conversion using blue and red lasers with conventional confocal microscopes (2017)
  • Author(s): Taniguchi Atsushi、Kimura Yukiko、Mori Ikue、Nonaka Shigenori、Higashijima Shin-ichi
  • Journal Title: Development, Growth & Differentiation Volume: 59 Issue: 9 Pages: 741-748
  • DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12412
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Presentation] En1 positive neurons in the spinal cord shut down slow swimming circuits during fast swimming (2017)
  • Author(s): Yukiko Kimura, Shin-ichi Higashijima
  • Organizer: 第40回日本神経科学大会
• [Presentation] Properties and function of V1 spinal neurons in motor circuits of zebrafish (2016)
  • Author(s): Kimura Y, Higashijima S
  • Organizer: The 87th meeting of Zoological Society of Japan
  • Place of Presentation: 沖縄コンベンションセンター（沖縄県宜野湾市）
  • Year and Date: 2016-11-14