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| Open AccessGap junctions desynchronize a neural circuit to stabilize insect flight
In the Drosophila central-pattern-generating neural network, a mechanism for network desynchronization relying on weak electrical synapses and specific excitability dynamics of the coupled neurons translates unpatterned premotor input into stereotyped neuronal firing with fixed sequences of cell activation, ensuring stable wingbeat power.
- Silvan Hürkey
- , Nelson Niemeyer
- & Carsten Duch
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Presynaptic inhibition of spinal sensory feedback ensures smooth movement
A population of spinal interneurons that form axo–axonic connections with the terminals of proprioceptive afferents are shown to mediate presynaptic inhibition; their ablation elicits harmonic oscillations during goal-directed forelimb movements, which can be modelled as the consequence of an increase in sensory feedback gain.
- Andrew J. P. Fink
- , Katherine R. Croce
- & Eiman Azim
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Skilled reaching relies on a V2a propriospinal internal copy circuit
Cervical propriospinal neurons (PNs) form a genetically accessible subclass of V2a interneurons that convey both premotor output and precerebellar copy signals; their ablation in mice impairs reaching movements selectively, and activation of their internal copy projection recruits a rapid cerebellar feedback loop that modulates forelimb movement.
- Eiman Azim
- , Juan Jiang
- & Thomas M. Jessell
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CLP1 links tRNA metabolism to progressive motor-neuron loss
Inactivating the CLP1 RNA kinase in mice leads to a progressive loss of motor neurons, through a mechanism related to the accumulation of a novel set of small RNA fragments derived from aberrant processing of tyrosine pre-transfer RNA.
- Toshikatsu Hanada
- , Stefan Weitzer
- & Josef M. Penninger