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Investigating Heading Representation in the Zebrafish Interpeduncular Nucleus (2024 FENS-Kavli Network of Excellence PhD Thesis Prize)
  • Luigi Petrucco
Luigi Petrucco
Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Abstract

The brain’s ability to integrate sensory and motor information allows us to maintain a sense of orientation in space, a process in which head-direction cells play a key role. While these neurons have been studied extensively in mammals, their presence and function in non-mammalian species remain less understood. Here, I summarise the research work for my PhD thesis, where we explore the interpeduncular nucleus (IPN) in zebrafish, a lesser-known brain region, using whole-brain electron microscopy and calcium imaging techniques. We identified a novel population of unipolar neurons, with their activity exhibiting a dynamic, rotational pattern during head movements, even in the absence of sensory cues. This population mirrors the functionality of head-direction cells observed in mammals, suggesting a conserved mechanism for spatial orientation across vertebrates. Our findings reveal the potential of the zebrafish IPN as a vertebrate model for studying ring attractor networks, a theoretical framework previously used to explain head-direction cell activity. These results pave the way for future research on how motor and sensory signals converge in the vertebrate brain to maintain spatial orientation.
14 Oct 2024Submitted to European Journal of Neuroscience
15 Oct 2024Submission Checks Completed
15 Oct 2024Assigned to Editor
15 Oct 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
15 Oct 2024Reviewer(s) Assigned
15 Oct 2024Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
01 Nov 20241st Revision Received
02 Nov 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
02 Nov 2024Submission Checks Completed
02 Nov 2024Assigned to Editor
02 Nov 2024Reviewer(s) Assigned
02 Nov 2024Editorial Decision: Accept