| First Author | Xie Z | Year | 2022 |
| Journal | Neuron | Volume | 110 |
| Issue | 5 | Pages | 874-890.e7 |
| PubMed ID | 34932943 | Mgi Jnum | J:325014 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:7282315 | Doi | 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.11.028 |
| Citation | Xie Z, et al. (2022) A brain-to-spinal sensorimotor loop for repetitive self-grooming. Neuron 110(5):874-890.e7 |
| abstractText | Self-grooming is a complex behavior with important biological functions and pathological relevance. How the brain coordinates with the spinal cord to generate the repetitive movements of self-grooming remains largely unknown. Here, we report that in the caudal part of the spinal trigeminal nucleus (Sp5C), neurons that express Cerebellin-2 (Cbln2(+)) form a neural circuit to the cervical spinal cord to maintain repetitive orofacial self-grooming. Inactivation of Cbln2(+) Sp5C neurons blocked both sensory-evoked and stress-induced repetitive orofacial self-grooming. Activation of these neurons triggered short-latency repetitive forelimb movements that resembled orofacial self-grooming. The Cbln2(+) Sp5C neurons were monosynaptically innervated by both somatosensory neurons in the trigeminal ganglion and paraventricular hypothalamic neurons. Among the divergent projections of Cbln2(+) Sp5C neurons, a descending pathway that innervated motor neurons and interneurons in the cervical spinal cord was necessary and sufficient for repetitive orofacial self-grooming. These data reveal a brain-to-spinal sensorimotor loop for repetitive self-grooming in mice. |
