Developmental molecular signatures define de novo cortico-brainstem circuit for skilled forelimb movement
Julia Kaiser, Payal Patel, Sam Fedde, Alexander Lammers, Matthew Kenwood, Asim Iqbal, Mark P Goldberg, Vibhu Sahni · 2026
Read Developmental molecular signatures define de novo cortico-brainstem circuit for skilled forelimb movement by Julia Kaiser, Payal Patel, Sam Fedde, Alexander Lammers, Matthew Kenwood, Asim Iqbal, Mark P Goldberg, Vibhu Sahni (2026) in the Tower of Babel, a free online library of public-domain works preserved in clean, searchable text. No sign-up. The full text is served as a plain-text file at a predictable URL, where text is present: https://antarctic-labs.com/tower-of-babel/pmc-13385823.txt.
Description
Julia Kaiser and seven co-authors identify a direct cortex to brainstem circuit for skilled forelimb movement in this 2026 paper. Skilled movement depends on cortical neurons that project downward to the brainstem and cord. The team found a subset that projects only to the brainstem, from the earliest stage of axon growth, and never reaches the cord. During development, these neurons can be picked out by one marker gene, Npy. In adults, they aim mainly at rostral brainstem motor areas.
Silencing the marked neurons in mice impaired the precision and targeting of reaching. The circuit thus carries part of the skill signal, not a redundant copy. The authors read the result as a developmental logic: molecular programs laid down early sort descending neurons into channels. That sorting can now be used to study one channel at a time.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Julia Kaiser, Payal Patel, Sam Fedde, Alexander Lammers, Matthew Kenwood, Asim Iqbal, Mark P Goldberg, Vibhu Sahni |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 116 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |