Department of Physiology, Center for Neuroscience, University of Alberta, 7-47 Medical Sciences Building, Edmonton, AB T6G2H7, Canada.
Integr Comp Biol. 2011 Dec;51(6):903-12. doi: 10.1093/icb/icr022. Epub 2011 May 15.
Locomotor behavior in mammals requires a complex pattern of muscle activation. Neural networks, known as central pattern generators (CPGs) and located entirely within the spinal cord, are responsible for generating much of the timing and pattern required for locomotor movements. Historically, identification of interneuronal components of the locomotor CPG in walking mammals has proven troublesome, primarily because of the difficulty in identifying functionally homogeneous groups of neurons in the spinal cord. Recently, a molecular approach has been used to identify populations of genetically similar interneurons based on the expression of transcription factors early in embryonic development. Preliminary work on these cell populations has shown that many comprise essential components of the locomotor CPG. Here I identify populations of genetically-defined interneurons that are candidate "first-order" cells of this neural network, potentially responsible for generating the locomotor rhythm in the mammalian spinal cord. Identification of the cell population(s) responsible for this key function will provide valuable insight into the structure and function of the locomotor CPG and could potentially lay the groundwork for the development of strategies aimed at regenerating motor pathways following injury to the spinal cord.
哺乳动物的运动行为需要复杂的肌肉激活模式。神经网络，即中央模式发生器（CPG），完全位于脊髓内，负责产生运动所需的大部分时间和模式。历史上，识别行走哺乳动物运动 CPG 的中间神经元成分一直很麻烦，主要是因为难以在脊髓中识别功能上同质的神经元群。最近，一种分子方法已被用于根据早期胚胎发育中转录因子的表达来识别遗传相似的中间神经元群体。这些细胞群体的初步研究表明，许多群体构成了运动 CPG 的基本组成部分。在这里，我确定了遗传定义的中间神经元群体，它们是这个神经网络的候选“一级”细胞，可能负责在哺乳动物脊髓中产生运动节律。鉴定负责这一关键功能的细胞群体将为运动 CPG 的结构和功能提供有价值的见解，并可能为旨在再生脊髓损伤后运动通路的策略奠定基础。
