Abstract
The cerebellum consists of parallel parasagittal modules that contribute to diverse behaviors, spanning motor to cognitive. Recent work illustrating a role for the anterior interposed nucleus (IntA) in reach control in mice raised questions of its anatomical organization that could confer functional specificity. We employed intersectional cell- and projection- specific labeling methods to map IntA inputs and outputs. In contrast to long-standing dogma of primarily excitatory outputs and restricted inferior olive targeting inhibitory output, we found that inhibitory IntA neurons ramified widely within the brainstem, targeting both motor- and sensory-related nuclei, suggesting potential functional roles in disinhibitory control or predictive sensory cancellation. Using monosynaptic rabies tracing, we then found that excitatory output neurons receive fewer and more precisely organized inputs than inhibitory neurons, which may set them up for distinct computations. Together these data suggest IntA contains at least two distinct output circuits and promise advances in identifying parallel computations of the cerebellum.
Competing Interest Statement
The authors have declared no competing interest.
Abbreviations
- APN
- Anterior Pretectal Nucleus B-Barrington’s Nucleus
- CbCtx
- Cerebellar Cortex CbN- Cerebellar Nuclei
- CM
- Centromedial nucleus of the thalamus
- CN
- Cochlear Nucleus
- CUN
- Cuneate Nucleus
- DCN
- Dorsal Column Nucleus
- DTN
- Dorsal Tegmental Nucleus
- ECU
- External Cuneate Nucleus
- GoC
- Golgi Cells
- GRN
- Gigantocellular Reticular Nucleus
- IC
- Inferior Colliculus
- III
- Occulomotor Nucleus
- IN
- Interposed Nucleus
- IntA
- Anterior Interposed Nucleus
- IO
- Inferior Olive
- IRN
- Intermediate reticular nucleus
- LC
- Locus Ceruleus
- LDT
- Lateral dorsal tegmental nucleus
- LN
- Lateral Cerebellar Nucleus
- LRN
- Lateral Reticular Nucleus
- MARN
- Magnocellular reticular nucleus
- MD
- Mediodorsal nucleus of the thalamus
- MDRNd
- Medullary reticular nucleus-dorsal
- MDRNv
- Medullary reticular nucleus-ventral
- MLI
- Molecular Layer Interneurons
- MN
- Medial Cerebellar Nucleus
- MRN
- Midbrain reticular nucleus
- NLL
- nucleus of the lateral lemniscus
- NTS
- Nucleus of the solitary tract
- P5
- Peritrigeminal nucleus
- PAG
- Periaqueductal grey
- PARN
- Parvicellular reticular nucleus
- PAS
- Parasolitary nucleus
- PB
- Parabrachial nuclei
- PC
- Purkinje Cells
- PCG
- Pontine Central Gray
- PCN
- Paracentral nucleus of the thalamus
- PDTg
- Posterodrosal tegmental nucleus
- PF
- Parafascicular nucleus of the thalamus
- PG
- Pontine gray
- PGRN
- Paragigantocellular reticular nucleus
- PHY
- Perihypoglossal nuclei
- PMR
- Paramedian reticular nucleus
- PO
- Posterior complex of the thalamus
- PPN
- Pedunculopontine nucleus
- PPY
- Parapyramidal nucleus
- PRN
- Pontine reticular nucleus
- PRP
- Prepositus nucleus
- PRT
- Pretectal region
- PSV
- Principal sensory nucleus of the trigeminal
- RAmb
- Midbrain raphe nucleus
- RM
- Nucleus raphe magnus
- RN
- Red nucleus
- RPS
- Relative Projection Strength
- SAG
- Nucleus sagulum
- SC
- Superior colliculus
- SLC
- Subceruleus nucleus
- SLD
- Sublaterodorsal nucleus
- SNr
- Substantia nigra, reticulata
- SPVc
- Spinal nucleus of the trigeminal, caudal
- SPVi
- Spinal nucleus of the trigeminal, interpolar
- SPVo
- Spinal nucleus of the trigeminal, oral
- SUT
- Supratrigeminal nucleus
- TRN
- Tegmental reticular nucleus of the pons
- V
- Motor nucleus of the trigeminal
- VAL
- Ventral anterior-lateral complex of the thalamus
- VEST
- Vestibular nuclei
- VII
- Facial motor nucleus
- VM
- Ventral medial nucleus of the thalamus
- VPL
- Ventral posterolateral nucleus of the thalamus
- VPM
- Ventral posteromedial nucleus of the thalamus
- VTA
- Ventral tegmental area X-Nucleus X
- XII
- Hypoglossal nucleus
- Y
- Nucleus Y
- ZI
- Zona incerta