Year-end Sale % OFF 
Abstract
Rapid eye movements (REM) are characteristic of the eponymous phase of sleep, yet the underlying motor commands remain an enigma. Here, we identified a cluster of Calbindin-D28K-expressing neurons in the Nucleus papilio (NPCalb), located in the dorsal paragigantocellular nucleus, which are active during REM sleep and project to the three contralateral eye-muscle nuclei. The firing of opto-tagged NPCalb neurons is augmented prior to the onset of eye movements during REM sleep. Optogenetic activation of NPCalb neurons triggers eye movements selectively during REM sleep, while their genetic ablation or optogenetic silencing suppresses them. None of these perturbations led to a change in the duration of REM sleep episodes. Our study provides the first evidence for a brainstem premotor command contributing to the control of eye movements selectively during REM sleep in the mammalian brain.
Highlights
To demonstrate the successful optogenetic stimulation of NPCalb neurons during in vivo experiments, we injected Calb1tm1.1(folA/Cre)/Hze/J murine line (Calb1)::Cre animals with AAV-EF1a-DIOhChR2(H134R)-YFP targeted to the NPCalb (AP: − 6.36 mm, ML: 0 mm; DV: − 4.2 mm) and chronically implanted fibre optics and four tetrodes attached to a Microdrive (Nanodrive, Cambridge Neurotech) as well as EEG/EMG four weeks later
Animals with the optic fibre above the 3N terminals were activated in a state specific manner, where 1 s continuous light was delivered at the onset of the REM sleep or wake episodes
Latency and Gaussian distributions analysis, animals with less than two REM sleep episodes in the hour of optogenetic stimulation or with poor EOG signals were not included in the analysis
Summary
E, f Averaged probabilities e and latencies f of EMs in response to optogenetic stimulations of NPCalb neuron terminals in 3N during wakefulness and REM sleep (n = 4 mice per group; P = 0.43, t = 0.8895 for wake; P = 0.0016, t = 11.098 for REM; df = 3 in both experimental conditions tested). G Summary of the mean duration of wake, NREM and REM sleep bouts, during a 1 h period of light activation delivered every minute of NPCalb cell soma at 1 s continous light (n = 9 and 6, P = 0.79, t = 0.832), 10 Hz (n = 7 and 7, P = 0.69, t = 0.876), and 1 Hz (n = 7 and 5, P = 0.28, t = 0.0.65); df = 35, when comparing ChR2-transduced to control animals.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
