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Divergent midbrain circuits orchestrate escape and freezing responses to looming stimuli in mice

Author

Listed:
  • Congping Shang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Tsinghua University
    National Institute of Biological Sciences)

  • Zijun Chen

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Aixue Liu

    (National Institute of Biological Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences)

  • Yang Li

    (National Institute of Biological Sciences)

  • Jiajing Zhang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Baole Qu

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Fei Yan

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Yaning Zhang

    (Tsinghua University
    National Institute of Biological Sciences)

  • Weixiu Liu

    (Tsinghua University
    National Institute of Biological Sciences)

  • Zhihui Liu

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Xiaofei Guo

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Dapeng Li

    (National Institute of Biological Sciences)

  • Yi Wang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Peng Cao

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    National Institute of Biological Sciences)

Abstract

Animals respond to environmental threats, e.g. looming visual stimuli, with innate defensive behaviors such as escape and freezing. The key neural circuits that participate in the generation of such dimorphic defensive behaviors remain unclear. Here we show that the dimorphic behavioral patterns triggered by looming visual stimuli are mediated by parvalbumin-positive (PV+) projection neurons in mouse superior colliculus (SC). Two distinct groups of SC PV+ neurons form divergent pathways to transmit threat-relevant visual signals to neurons in the parabigeminal nucleus (PBGN) and lateral posterior thalamic nucleus (LPTN). Activations of PV+ SC-PBGN and SC-LPTN pathways mimic the dimorphic defensive behaviors. The PBGN and LPTN neurons are co-activated by looming visual stimuli. Bilateral inactivation of either nucleus results in the defensive behavior dominated by the other nucleus. Together, these data suggest that the SC orchestrates dimorphic defensive behaviors through two separate tectofugal pathways that may have interactions.

Suggested Citation

  • Congping Shang & Zijun Chen & Aixue Liu & Yang Li & Jiajing Zhang & Baole Qu & Fei Yan & Yaning Zhang & Weixiu Liu & Zhihui Liu & Xiaofei Guo & Dapeng Li & Yi Wang & Peng Cao, 2018. "Divergent midbrain circuits orchestrate escape and freezing responses to looming stimuli in mice," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 9(1), pages 1-17, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:9:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-018-03580-7
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03580-7
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    Cited by:

    1. Lan Pang & Zhiguo Liu & Jiani Chen & Zhi Dong & Sicong Zhou & Qichao Zhang & Yueqi Lu & Yifeng Sheng & Xuexin Chen & Jianhua Huang, 2022. "Search performance and octopamine neuronal signaling mediate parasitoid induced changes in Drosophila oviposition behavior," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-18, December.
    2. Ami Ritter & Shlomi Habusha & Lior Givon & Shahaf Edut & Oded Klavir, 2024. "Prefrontal control of superior colliculus modulates innate escape behavior following adversity," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-16, December.
    3. Wen Z. Yang & Hengchang Xie & Xiaosa Du & Qian Zhou & Yan Xiao & Zhengdong Zhao & Xiaoning Jia & Jianhui Xu & Wen Zhang & Shuang Cai & Zhangjie Li & Xin Fu & Rong Hua & Junhao Cai & Shuang Chang & Jin, 2023. "A parabrachial-hypothalamic parallel circuit governs cold defense in mice," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-18, December.
    4. Wei Shang & Shuangyi Xie & Wenbo Feng & Zhuangzhuang Li & Jingyan Jia & Xiaoxiao Cao & Yanting Shen & Jing Li & Haibo Shi & Yiran Gu & Shi-Jun Weng & Longnian Lin & Yi-Hsuan Pan & Xiao-Bing Yuan, 2024. "A non-image-forming visual circuit mediates the innate fear of heights in male mice," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-16, December.

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