An atlas of functional ensembles in the zebrafish hindbrain links structural and molecular features to behavior
- 1University of Konstanz
Abstract
The vertebrate hindbrain sustains functions essential for survival and behavioral control, yet how it operates as a whole remains poorly understood. Here we map its functional organization in larval zebrafish, whose transparency permits imaging of the entire hindbrain. We first curate established functional populations from the literature into an atlas annotated with putative mammalian counterparts. We then complement this library with ensembles of co-active neurons extracted without prior labels from whole-hindbrain light-field recordings in behaving larvae. We identify 70 ensembles that recur across individuals and recover most of them in independent light-sheet datasets. Ensembles also align with spatial gene-expression patterns and share their bilateral symmetry. Behavioral characterization identifies known eye- and tail-movement-related populations and reveals new associations with fin and mouth movements. Combining co-activity, molecular signatures, and neuronal projections suggests a candidate recurrent inter-regional circuit. Our atlas thus provides a common spatial reference for linking functional, molecular, and anatomical data to guide circuit discovery.
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BibTeX
@misc{aimon2026atlas,
title = {{An atlas of functional ensembles in the zebrafish hindbrain links structural and molecular features to behavior}},
author = {S. Aimon and H. Naumann and A. Bahl},
howpublished = {bioRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.64898/2026.09.30.752102},
url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.30.752102v1},
note = {CC BY-ND},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - An atlas of functional ensembles in the zebrafish hindbrain links structural and molecular features to behavior
AU - S. Aimon
AU - H. Naumann
AU - A. Bahl
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/30
PB - bioRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.09.30.752102
UR - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.30.752102v1
AB - The vertebrate hindbrain sustains functions essential for survival and behavioral control, yet how it operates as a whole remains poorly understood. Here we map its functional organization in larval zebrafish, whose transparency permits imaging of the entire hindbrain. We first curate established functional populations from the literature into an atlas annotated with putative mammalian counterparts. We then complement this library with ensembles of co-active neurons extracted without prior labels from whole-hindbrain light-field recordings in behaving larvae. We identify 70 ensembles that recur across individuals and recover most of them in independent light-sheet datasets. Ensembles also align with spatial gene-expression patterns and share their bilateral symmetry. Behavioral characterization identifies known eye- and tail-movement-related populations and reveals new associations with fin and mouth movements. Combining co-activity, molecular signatures, and neuronal projections suggests a candidate recurrent inter-regional circuit. Our atlas thus provides a common spatial reference for linking functional, molecular, and anatomical data to guide circuit discovery.
ER -