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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0eLife

Whole-brain mapping of spinal-projecting neurons in larval zebrafish

  • Martin Carbo-Tano1,2
  • Kevin Fidelin1
  • Tom Welch1
  • Sujatha Narayan3
  • Misha B Ahrens3
  • Réjean Dubuc4,5
  • Claire Wyart1
5 affiliations
  1. 1Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau (ICM), INSERM U1127 CNRS UMR 7225, Paris, France
  2. 2Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
  3. 3Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
  4. 4Département de Neurosciences, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
  5. 5Groupe de Recherche en Activité Physique Adaptée, Department of Exercise Science, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Canada
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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.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{carbotano2026wholebrain,
  title = {{Whole-brain mapping of spinal-projecting neurons in larval zebrafish}},
  author = {Martin Carbo-Tano and Kevin Fidelin and Tom Welch and Sujatha Narayan and Misha B Ahrens and Réjean Dubuc and Claire Wyart},
  journal = {eLife},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.7554/elife.112062},
  url = {https://elifesciences.org/articles/112062},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Whole-brain mapping of spinal-projecting neurons in larval zebrafish
AU  - Martin Carbo-Tano
AU  - Kevin Fidelin
AU  - Tom Welch
AU  - Sujatha Narayan
AU  - Misha B Ahrens
AU  - Réjean Dubuc
AU  - Claire Wyart
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/29
JO  - eLife
DO  - 10.7554/elife.112062
UR  - https://elifesciences.org/articles/112062
AB  - 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.
SN  - 2050-084X
ER  -