Abstract
Sequential encoding of motor programs is essential for behavior generation. However, whether it is critical for instinctive behavior is still largely unknown. Mouse hunting behavior typically contains a sequential motor program, including the prey search, chase, attack, and consumption. Here, we reveal that the neuronal activity in the lateral periaqueductal gray (LPAG) follows a sequential pattern and is time-locked to different hunting actions. Optrode recordings and photoinhibition demonstrate that LPAGVgat neurons are required for the prey detection, chase and attack, while LPAGVglut2 neurons are selectively required for the attack. Ablation of inputs that could trigger hunting, including the central amygdala, the lateral hypothalamus, and the zona incerta, interrupts the activity sequence pattern and substantially impairs hunting actions. Therefore, our findings reveal that periaqueductal gray neuronal ensembles encode the sequential hunting motor program, which might provide a framework for decoding complex instinctive behaviors.
Highlights
Chase Attack EatingIn0troduction Chase Attack EatingType IIType I 3 Type III Type IV Type V h
By input-specific lesions and in vivo singleunit recordings, we found that the central amygdala (CeA), the lateral hypothalamus (LH), and the zona incerta (ZI) convey distinct hunting-related information to the lateral periaqueductal gray (LPAG) to regulate distinct phases of predatory hunting, but they all were required for the formation of the intact activity sequence
To investigate how LPAG neurons are engaged in predatory hunting, we employed in vivo single-unit recordings in freely moving mice during the cricket task (Fig. 1a)
Summary
Type IIType I 3 Type III Type IV Type V h. Type I1.7% Type IV:9% Type III:1.3% Type ě Time (s). Attack related cells Unresponsive cells Type II:2.8% Type V:7.2% Type Ĝ Z-score -5 Type ě Type Ĝ. -2 i Sequences compared to shuffled data. Unshuffled, multiple alignment points Shuffled, multiple alignment points j.
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