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Shearing-induced asymmetry in entorhinal grid cells

Author

Listed:
  • Tor Stensola

    (Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Olav Kyrres gate 9, 7491 Trondheim, Norway)

  • Hanne Stensola

    (Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Olav Kyrres gate 9, 7491 Trondheim, Norway)

  • May-Britt Moser

    (Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Olav Kyrres gate 9, 7491 Trondheim, Norway)

  • Edvard I. Moser

    (Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Olav Kyrres gate 9, 7491 Trondheim, Norway)

Abstract

Grid cells are neurons with periodic spatial receptive fields (grids) that tile two-dimensional space in a hexagonal pattern. To provide useful information about location, grids must be stably anchored to an external reference frame. The mechanisms underlying this anchoring process have remained elusive. Here we show in differently sized familiar square enclosures that the axes of the grids are offset from the walls by an angle that minimizes symmetry with the borders of the environment. This rotational offset is invariably accompanied by an elliptic distortion of the grid pattern. Reversing the ellipticity analytically by a shearing transformation removes the angular offset. This, together with the near-absence of rotation in novel environments, suggests that the rotation emerges through non-coaxial strain as a function of experience. The systematic relationship between rotation and distortion of the grid pattern points to shear forces arising from anchoring to specific geometric reference points as key elements of the mechanism for alignment of grid patterns to the external world.

Suggested Citation

  • Tor Stensola & Hanne Stensola & May-Britt Moser & Edvard I. Moser, 2015. "Shearing-induced asymmetry in entorhinal grid cells," Nature, Nature, vol. 518(7538), pages 207-212, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:518:y:2015:i:7538:d:10.1038_nature14151
    DOI: 10.1038/nature14151
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Alexander Nitsch & Mona M. Garvert & Jacob L. S. Bellmund & Nicolas W. Schuck & Christian F. Doeller, 2024. "Grid-like entorhinal representation of an abstract value space during prospective decision making," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-20, December.
    2. Simon N Weber & Henning Sprekeler, 2019. "A local measure of symmetry and orientation for individual spikes of grid cells," PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(2), pages 1-21, February.
    3. Laurenz Muessig & Fabio Ribeiro Rodrigues & Tale L. Bjerknes & Benjamin W. Towse & Caswell Barry & Neil Burgess & Edvard I. Moser & May-Britt Moser & Francesca Cacucci & Thomas J. Wills, 2024. "Environment geometry alters subiculum boundary vector cell receptive fields in adulthood and early development," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-17, December.
    4. Tiziano D’Albis & Richard Kempter, 2017. "A single-cell spiking model for the origin of grid-cell patterns," PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(10), pages 1-41, October.
    5. Lajos Vágó & Balázs B Ujfalussy, 2018. "Robust and efficient coding with grid cells," PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(1), pages 1-28, January.

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