| First Author | Nakamura Y | Year | 2023 |
| Journal | Elife | Volume | 12 |
| PubMed ID | 36805807 | Mgi Jnum | J:367090 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:8164700 | Doi | 10.7554/eLife.83108 |
| Citation | Nakamura Y, et al. (2023) Cerebrospinal fluid-contacting neuron tracing reveals structural and functional connectivity for locomotion in the mouse spinal cord. Elife 12 |
| abstractText | Cerebrospinal fluid-contacting neurons (CSF-cNs) are enigmatic mechano- or chemosensory cells lying along the central canal of the spinal cord. Recent studies in zebrafish larvae and lampreys have shown that CSF-cNs control postures and movements via spinal connections. However, the structures, connectivity, and functions in mammals remain largely unknown. Here we developed a method to genetically target mouse CSF-cNs that highlighted structural connections and functions. We first found that intracerebroventricular injection of adeno-associated virus with a neuron-specific promoter and Pkd2l1-Cre mice specifically labeled CSF-cNs. Single-cell labeling of 71 CSF-cNs revealed rostral axon extensions of over 1800 mum in unmyelinated bundles in the ventral funiculus and terminated on CSF-cNs to form a recurrent circuitry, which was further determined by serial electron microscopy and electrophysiology. CSF-cNs were also found to connect with axial motor neurons and premotor interneurons around the central canal and within the axon bundles. Chemogenetic CSF-cNs inactivation reduced speed and step frequency during treadmill locomotion. Our data revealed the basic structures and connections of mouse CSF-cNs to control spinal motor circuits for proper locomotion. The versatile methods developed in this study will contribute to further understanding of CSF-cN functions in mammals. |
