The broad objective of this proposal is to examine how spinal circuits are functionally and structurally organized to generate different motor behaviors. Although there is some good information about how spinal circuits generate particular motor behaviors, such as swimming in lampreys or frog embryos, much less is known about how multiple different behaviors are produced using the available circuitry in spinal cord. The major goals for this proposal are to determine the contribution of different classes of spinal interneurons in different motor behaviors, to examine the synaptic connectivity of interneurons active in these different behaviors, and to examine the patterns of activity within a pool of spinal interneurons not only within a single behavior, but also between different behaviors. Larval zebrafish will be the model system used for this study. The translucent nature of this preparation combined with functional imaging techniques and recent advances in genetic methods permits the means to monitor identified neurons in vivo during various behaviors and thus to correlate neuronal activity to behavior. In brief, this study will examine how spinal circuits are organized to generate swimming and struggling behaviors in zebrafish as a model for how spinal circuits use the available circuitry to produce different motor behaviors

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Type
Postdoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F32)
Project #
5F32NS044758-02
Application #
6641144
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-F02B (20))
Program Officer
Chen, Daofen
Project Start
2002-09-01
Project End
2004-08-31
Budget Start
2003-09-01
Budget End
2004-08-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2003
Total Cost
$41,608
Indirect Cost
Name
State University New York Stony Brook
Department
Other Basic Sciences
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
804878247
City
Stony Brook
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
11794
Mongeon, Rebecca; Gleason, Michelle R; Masino, Mark A et al. (2008) Synaptic homeostasis in a zebrafish glial glycine transporter mutant. J Neurophysiol 100:1716-23
McLean, David L; Masino, Mark A; Koh, Ingrid Y Y et al. (2008) Continuous shifts in the active set of spinal interneurons during changes in locomotor speed. Nat Neurosci 11:1419-29
Masino, Mark A; Fetcho, Joseph R (2005) Fictive swimming motor patterns in wild type and mutant larval zebrafish. J Neurophysiol 93:3177-88
Higashijima, Shin-ichi; Masino, Mark A; Mandel, Gail et al. (2004) Engrailed-1 expression marks a primitive class of inhibitory spinal interneuron. J Neurosci 24:5827-39
Higashijima, Shin-ichi; Masino, Mark A; Mandel, Gail et al. (2003) Imaging neuronal activity during zebrafish behavior with a genetically encoded calcium indicator. J Neurophysiol 90:3986-97