Characterization of the encoding properties of intraspinal mechanosensory neurons in the lamprey

Nicole Massarelli, Allan L. Yau, Kathleen A. Hoffman, Tim Kiemel, Eric D. Tytell

Proprioceptive sensory inputs are an integral part of the closed-loop system of locomotion. In the lamprey, a model organism for vertebrate locomotion, such sensory inputs come from intraspinal mechanosensory cells called "edge cells". These edge cells synapse directly onto interneurons in the spinal central pattern generator (CPG) circuit and allow the CPG to adjust the motor output according to how the body is bending. However, the encoding properties of the edge cells have never been fully characterized. To identify these properties and better understand edge cells' role in locomotion, we isolated spinal cords of silver lampreys (Ichthyomyzon unicuspis) and recorded extracellularly from the lateral tracts where edge cell axons are located. We identified cells that responded to mechanical stimuli and used standard spike sorting algorithms to identify separate units, then examined how the cells respond to bending rate and bending angle. Although some cells respond to the bending angle, as was previously known, the strongest and most common responses were to bending velocity. These encoding properties will help us better understand how lampreys and other basal vertebrates adapt their locomotor rhythms to different water flow patterns, perturbations, or other unexpected changes in their environments.