, 1998 and Li et al., 2006). Similarly for the mammalian CPG that directs walking, ipsilateral inhibitory neurons are involved in setting up flexor-extensor alternation and contralaterally-projecting commissural neurons ensure left-right coordination ( Talpalar et al., 2011, Butt et al., 2002a, Butt and

Kiehn, 2003, Zhong et al., 2006, Jankowska, 2008 and Kiehn, 2006). Mammalian rhythm-generating interneurons are thought to be excitatory ( Kiehn, 2006 and Grillner and Jessell, 2009) and to project ipsilaterally ( Kiehn, 2006), but their molecular and functional identity has remained elusive. learn more The classification of spinal neurons on the basis of embryonic expression of transcription factors has permitted identification of excitatory and inhibitory interneuron populations (Jessell, 2000 and Goulding, 2009). Two classes of glutamatergic iEINs have been analyzed: V2a and Hb9 interneurons. V2a interneurons express Chx10, comprise the major set of iEINs in the ventral spinal cord (Al-Mosawie et al., 2007 and Lundfald et al., 2007) and exhibit rhythmic activity

during locomotion (Dougherty and Kiehn, 2010a and Zhong et al., 2010). Embryonic ablation of V2a neurons leads to the disruption of normal left-right alternation in a speed-dependent manner, and the inability to evoke locomotion PF-01367338 manufacturer by stimulation of descending fibers (Crone et al., 2008 and Crone et al., 2009), but does not impact the

rhythmogenic capacity of the spinal CPG. Yet in zebrafish spinal cord, interneurons analogous to mammalian V2a neurons have been implicated in rhythm generation (McLean et al., 2008 and Eklöf-Ljunggren et al., 2012). iEINs marked by the expression of the transcription factor Hb9 are rhythmically active but, by virtue of Hb9 expression in motor neurons, their influence on rhythmic motor output remains unclear (Hinckley and Ziskind-Conhaim, 2006 and Wilson et al., 2005). The contribution of other molecularly defined classes of ventral excitatory interneurons to rhythmogenic behaviors is Florfenicol uncertain. Here, we set out to identify interneuron populations involved in the generation of motor rhythm. We describe a set of iEINs that expresses the homeodomain transcription factor Shox2 (Shox2 INs). The Shox2+ and Chx10+ interneuron subsets exhibit substantial overlap, but ∼25% of Shox2 INs lack Chx10 expression, uncovering a previously unappreciated set of spinal iEINs. Blocking the output of Shox2 INs has a marked impact on spinal rhythmogenic activity. Locomotor frequency decreases while left-right and flexor-extensor alternation remains intact, an effect not mimicked by inactivation of Chx10+ V2a interneurons.