Biology subjects

Milicic, N.

Publications and source records attributed to Milicic, N..

2 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2023

Behavioral control through the direct, focal silencing of neuronal activity

Voltage-gated sodium channel (NaV) activity underlies electrical signaling, synaptic release, circuit function, and, ultimately, behavior. Molecular tools that enable precise control of NaV subpopulations make possible temporal regulation of neuronal activity and cellular communication. To rapidly modulate NaV currents, we have rendered a potent NaV inhibitor, saxitoxin, transiently inert through chemical protection with a novel nitrobenzyl-derived photocleavable group. Light-induced uncaging of the photocaged toxin, STX-bpc, effects rapid inhibitor release and focal NaV block. We demonstrate the efficacy of this reagent for manipulating action potentials in mammalian neurons and brain slice and for altering locomotor behavior in larval zebrafish. Photo-uncaging of STX-bpc is a non-invasive, effective method for reversible, spatiotemporally precise tuning of NaV currents, application of which requires no genetic manipulation of the biological sample.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2023

Hatchling fish disperse using an efficient multisensory strategy

Animals improve fitness by choosing when and where to disperse in the environment using sensory cues. In freshwater habitats subject to flood and drought, dispersal can urgently challenge newly hatched fish. Here we manipulated rearing environment and sensory systems to reveal an adaptive sensorimotor strategy for dispersal. If we constrained hatchlings or blocked feedback about motion by simultaneously impairing the lateral line and vision, they gulped air and elevated their buoyancy to passively sail on faster surface waters. In stagnant water, hatchlings then covered more ground with hyperstable swimming, tightly steering based on graviception. In hydrodynamic simulations, these adaptations nearly tripled diffusivity and made dispersal robust to local conditions. Through combined use of three senses, hatchlings adapt their behavior to flexibly and efficiently disperse.

animal behavior and cognition↗