Parameters definitions and statistics.

The sensation of gravity anchors our perception of the environment and is important for navigation. However, the neural circuits that transform gravity into commands for navigation are undefined. We first determined that larval zebrafish (Danio rerio) navigate vertically by maintaining a consistent heading across a series of upward climb or downward dive bouts. Gravity-blind mutant fish swim with more variable heading and excessive veering, leading to less effective vertical navigation. After targeted photoablation of ascending vestibular neurons and spinal projecting midbrain neurons, but not vestibulospinal neurons, vertical navigation was impaired. These data define a sensorimotor circuit that uses evolutionarily conserved brainstem architecture to transform gravitational signals into persistent heading for vertical navigation. The work lays a foundation to understand how vestibular inputs allow animals to move effectively through their environment.重力感知锚定了我们对环境的认知，且对于导航行为至关重要。然而，将重力信号转化为导航指令的神经环路至今尚未被明确界定。我们首先明确，幼年金色斑马鱼（Danio rerio）通过在一系列向上爬升或向下俯冲的游动过程中保持稳定的朝向，来实现垂直导航。重力感知缺陷的突变型斑马鱼，其游动朝向更不稳定且出现过度偏航，导致垂直导航效率显著下降。在对上行前庭神经元以及向脊髓投射的中脑神经元进行靶向光消融后（而非前庭脊髓神经元），斑马鱼的垂直导航能力出现受损。本研究的数据明确了一条感觉运动环路：该环路借助进化保守的脑干结构，将重力信号转化为维持垂直导航所需的稳定朝向。这项研究为理解前庭输入如何帮助动物在环境中高效移动奠定了基础。