Presynaptic Inhibition Selectively Gates Auditory Transmission to the Brainstem Startle Circuit.

ABSTRACT: Filtering mechanisms prevent a continuous stream of sensory information from swamping perception, leading to diminished focal attention and cognitive processing. Mechanisms for sensory gating are commonly studied using prepulse inhibition, a paradigm that measures the regulated transmission of auditory information to the startle circuit; however, the underlying neuronal pathways are unresolved. Using large-scale calcium imaging, optogenetics, and laser ablations, we reveal a cluster of 30 morphologically identified neurons in zebrafish that suppress the transmission of auditory signals during prepulse inhibition. These neurons project to a key sensorimotor interface in the startle circuit-the termination zone of auditory afferents on the dendrite of a startle command neuron. Direct measure

SUBMITTER: Tabor KM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6410737 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature