Directionally biased neuronal responses to pitch-axis vestibular stimulation in larval zebrafish compared to roll-axis responses
4 affiliations
- 1Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS), Laboratoire Jean Perrin (LJP), Paris, France
- 2Center for Integrative Biology, Molecular Cellular and Developmental (MCD) Biology Unit, Federal University of Toulouse, Toulouse, France
- 3Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut des neurosciences Paris-Saclay, Saclay, France
- 4Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS), Laboratoire Jean Perrin (LJP), Paris, France. [email protected]
Abstract
The vestibular apparatus plays a pivotal role in maintaining postural equilibrium and processing movement signals, underscoring its importance in studying certain neurological disorders. Here, we present a rotating light-sheet microscope, enabling brain-wide functional recordings during dynamic vestibular stimulation along the pitch axes in addition to the roll axis in head-restrained zebrafish larvae. The system incorporates a double galvanometer mirror configuration, is amenable to 3D printing, and enhances scanning efficiency. Employing this apparatus, we have successfully conducted the first comprehensive mapping of zebrafish brain responses to dynamic pitch-tilt vestibular stimulation. Through Fourier and regression analyses, we report an asymmetry in neuronal recruitment during nose-up versus nose-down pitch tilts within critical regions, including the cerebellum, oculomotor nucleus, caudal hindbrain, and vestibular nucleus, highlighting physiological adaptations to downward motion. We identified specific brain regions, notably the cerebellum and medial-rostral rhombencephalon, that respond to roll- but not pitch-tilt vestibular stimuli. Furthermore, we have identified a transgenic line that closely correlates with our functional mappings and demonstrates a significant response to vestibular stimulation. The elucidation of brain-wide neuronal circuits involved in vestibular processing establishes a foundational framework for subsequent detailed investigations into the molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying postural control and motion perception.
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BibTeX
@article{migault2026directionally,
title = {{Directionally biased neuronal responses to pitch-axis vestibular stimulation in larval zebrafish compared to roll-axis responses}},
author = {Geoffrey Migault and Natalia Beiza-Canelo and Sharbatanu Chatterjee and Georges Debrégeas and Volker Bormuth},
journal = {Communications Biology},
year = {2026},
month = may,
doi = {10.1038/s42003-026-10141-y},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-026-10141-y},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Directionally biased neuronal responses to pitch-axis vestibular stimulation in larval zebrafish compared to roll-axis responses
AU - Geoffrey Migault
AU - Natalia Beiza-Canelo
AU - Sharbatanu Chatterjee
AU - Georges Debrégeas
AU - Volker Bormuth
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/05/19
JO - Communications Biology
DO - 10.1038/s42003-026-10141-y
UR - https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-026-10141-y
AB - The vestibular apparatus plays a pivotal role in maintaining postural equilibrium and processing movement signals, underscoring its importance in studying certain neurological disorders. Here, we present a rotating light-sheet microscope, enabling brain-wide functional recordings during dynamic vestibular stimulation along the pitch axes in addition to the roll axis in head-restrained zebrafish larvae. The system incorporates a double galvanometer mirror configuration, is amenable to 3D printing, and enhances scanning efficiency. Employing this apparatus, we have successfully conducted the first comprehensive mapping of zebrafish brain responses to dynamic pitch-tilt vestibular stimulation. Through Fourier and regression analyses, we report an asymmetry in neuronal recruitment during nose-up versus nose-down pitch tilts within critical regions, including the cerebellum, oculomotor nucleus, caudal hindbrain, and vestibular nucleus, highlighting physiological adaptations to downward motion. We identified specific brain regions, notably the cerebellum and medial-rostral rhombencephalon, that respond to roll- but not pitch-tilt vestibular stimuli. Furthermore, we have identified a transgenic line that closely correlates with our functional mappings and demonstrates a significant response to vestibular stimulation. The elucidation of brain-wide neuronal circuits involved in vestibular processing establishes a foundational framework for subsequent detailed investigations into the molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying postural control and motion perception.
SN - 2399-3642
ER -