{
  "abstract": "To elicit voluntary movements and integrative reflexes underlying behavior, the brain sends command signals to the spinal cord via specialized long-range descending neurons, known as spinal-projecting neurons (SPNs). The vast and widespread distribution of SPNs, combined with their complex long-distance connectivity, poses a significant challenge for mapping their anatomical organization and associating specific populations with distinct functions. Here, we took advantage of the transparency and genetic accessibility of larval zebrafish to uncover the fundamental principles of SPN anatomical organization in a teleost. Using an optical backfilling method relying on photoactivable GFP, we generate a whole-brain map of all neurons sending axons toward the spinal cord. This approach reveals far more SPNs than previously described through conventional strategies, offering an unparalleled opportunity to revisit distinct spinal-projecting nuclei distributed across the hindbrain, midbrain, and diencephalic structures. Combining information on cell location, morphology, and projection patterns, we propose tentative homological designations for zebrafish of SPN nuclei based on established descriptions in mammals and other vertebrates.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau (ICM), INSERM U1127 CNRS UMR 7225, Paris, France",
    "Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark",
    "Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States",
    "Département de Neurosciences, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada",
    "Groupe de Recherche en Activité Physique Adaptée, Department of Exercise Science, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Canada"
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 7,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Martin Carbo-Tano",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-1936-7174"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Kevin Fidelin",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-7676-1410"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Tom Welch"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Sujatha Narayan",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-3741-1319"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Misha B Ahrens",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-3457-4462"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3,
        4
      ],
      "name": "Réjean Dubuc"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Claire Wyart",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-1668-4975"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/ajvrrma01g6aj.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.7554/elife.112062",
  "fulltext_url": "https://elifesciences.org/articles/112062",
  "id": "ajvrrma01g6aj",
  "issns": [
    "2050-084X"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://elifesciences.org/articles/112062",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "elife",
      "neuroscience"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": null,
  "pdf_url": "https://cdn.elifesciences.org/articles/112062/elife-112062-v1.pdf",
  "pmcid": "PMC13719168",
  "pmid": "42955830",
  "published": "2026-10-29",
  "publisher": "eLife Sciences Publications",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/ajvrrma01g6aj.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:25Z",
      "native_id": "112062",
      "source": "elife",
      "url": "https://elifesciences.org/articles/112062"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-31T00:20:39Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42955830",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42955830"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "elife:neuroscience",
      "subfield": "neuroscience"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Whole-brain mapping of spinal-projecting neurons in larval zebrafish",
  "title_text": "Whole-brain mapping of spinal-projecting neurons in larval zebrafish",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-01T00:20:36Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/ajvrrma01g6aj",
  "venue": "eLife",
  "versions": []
}