Vision Drives Accurate Approach Behavior during Prey Capture in Laboratory Mice

Abstract

Summary The ability to genetically identify and manipulate neural circuits in the mouse is rapidly advancing our understanding of visual processing in the mammalian brain [1,2]. However, studies investigating the circuitry that underlies complex ethologically-relevant visual behaviors in the mouse have been primarily restricted to fear responses [3–5]. Here, we show that a laboratory strain of mouse (Mus musculus, C57BL/6J) robustly pursues, captures and consumes live insect prey, and that vision is necessary for mice to perform the accurate orienting and approach behaviors leading to capture. Specifically, we differentially perturbed visual or auditory input in mice and determined that visual input is required for accurate approach, allowing maintenance of bearing to within 11 degrees of the target on average during pursuit. While mice were able to capture prey without vision, the accuracy of their approaches and capture rate dramatically declined. To better explore the contribution of vision to this behavior, we developed a simple assay that isolated visual cues and simplified analysis of the visually guided approach. Together, our results demonstrate that laboratory mice are capable of exhibiting dynamic and accurate visually-guided approach behaviors, and provide a means to estimate the visual features that drive behavior within an ethological context.

Integrated Control of Predatory Hunting by the Central Nucleus of the Amygdala

“…Glutamatergic afferents arising from cortical olfactory brain regions densely target the CeA (Shammah-Lagnado and Santiago, 1999). Visual and auditory inputs are also critical for prey detection in mice (Hoy et al, 2016). CeA neurons activated by such inputs may convey prey-associated sensory information to downstream premotor circuits.…”

The mouse pulvinar nucleus: Organization of the tectorecipient zones

“…Further investigations in mice may help to define mechanisms underlying the developmental competition between retinopulvinar, tectopulvinar and corticopulvinar projections, and how this might correlate with transitions from the simple light-aversive movements of neonates to the more complex visually-guided escape, freezing or prey capture behaviors of adult mice (De Franceschi et al, 2016; Hoy et al, 2016; Yilmaz and Meister, 2013). …”

Circuits for active vision : parallel tectothalamocortical visual pathways in the mouse.

“…Activation of a SC-pulvinar-amygdala pathway has been shown to elicit freezing responses, whereas inactivation of this pathway inhibits innate freezing response elicited by overhead looming stimuli (Wei et al, 2015). Given the large repertoire of behaviors that can now be quantified using mice (Yilmaz and Meister, 2013;Hoy et al, 2016), future optogenetic and/or chemogenetic manipulations may help to unravel the specific contributions of the pulvinocortical circuits to the initiation of apt behavioral responses.…”

“…Further investigations in mice may help to define mechanisms underlying the developmental competition between retinopulvinar, tectopulvinar and corticopulvinar projections, and how this might correlate with transitions from the simple light-aversive movements of neonates to the more complex visually-guided escape, freezing or prey capture behaviors of adult mice (Yilmaz and Meister, 2013;Hoy et al, 2016).…”

“…Mice could be used for future studies to determine whether the unilateral SC-pulvinar-striatum projections ( Figure 19B) trigger distinct motor responses, such as prey capture (Hoy et al, 2016).…”