Data from: Detection of transient synchrony across oscillating receptors by the central electrosensory system of mormyrid fish

Recently, we reported evidence for a novel mechanism of peripheral sensory coding based on oscillatory synchrony. Spontaneously oscillating electroreceptors in weakly electric fish (Mormyridae) respond to electrosensory stimuli with a phase reset that results in transient synchrony across the receptor population (Baker et al., 2015). Here, we asked whether the central electrosensory system actually detects the occurrence of synchronous oscillations among receptors. We found that electrosensory stimulation elicited evoked potentials in the midbrain exterolateral nucleus at a short latency following receptor synchronization. Frequency tuning in the midbrain resembled peripheral frequency tuning, which matches the intrinsic oscillation frequencies of the receptors. These frequencies are lower than those in individual conspecific signals, and instead match those found in collective signals produced by groups of conspecifics. Our results provide further support for a novel mechanism for sensory coding based on the detection of oscillatory synchrony among peripheral receptors.近期，我们报道了一种基于振荡同步（oscillatory synchrony）的外周感觉编码新机制的实验证据。在象鼻鱼科（Mormyridae）弱电场鱼中，自发振荡的电感受器会对电感觉刺激产生相位重置，进而使感受器群体出现瞬时同步现象（Baker等，2015）。本研究旨在探究中枢电感觉系统是否能够检测到感受器群体间的同步振荡事件。我们发现，在感受器同步化后，电感觉刺激可在短潜伏期内于中脑外侧核（exterolateral nucleus）诱发出诱发电位。中脑的频率调谐特性与外周感受器的频率调谐特性一致，而后者与感受器的固有振荡频率相匹配。此类频率低于单个同种个体发出的信号频率，却与同种个体群体产生的集体信号频率相吻合。本研究结果为基于外周感受器群体间振荡同步检测的感觉编码新机制提供了进一步的实验支撑。