Growth at Cold Temperature Increases the Number of Motor Neurons to Optimize Locomotor Function.

ABSTRACT: During vertebrate development, spinal neurons differentiate and connect to generate a system that performs sensorimotor functions critical for survival. Spontaneous Ca²⁺ activity regulates different aspects of spinal neuron differentiation. It is unclear whether environmental factors can modulate this Ca²⁺ activity in developing spinal neurons to alter their specialization and ultimately adjust sensorimotor behavior to fit the environment. Here, we show that growing Xenopus laevis embryos at cold temperatures results in an increase in the number of spinal motor neurons in larvae. This change in spinal cord development optimizes the escape response to gentle touch of animals raised in and tested at cold temperatures. The cold-sensitive channel TRPM8 increases Ca²⁺

SUBMITTER: Spencer KA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7501754 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature