Event:

Topographically organized neuronal maps are frequently found throughout the animal kingdom. A puzzling exception is the medial nucleus of the mechanosensory lateral line system (MON), the first-order sensory nucleus of the lateral line. The lateral line system of teleost fishes is a distributed sensory system used for near range (pre-touch) sensing in a variety of behaviours.

In my talk I will review our joint effort in understanding this sensory system, starting with the pre-receptor physics and the encoding of simple hydrodynamic stimuli at the level of the sensors. The data I will present have led to the demonstration of a simple and plausible heuristic for navigation based on the lateral line. However, this algorithm would significantly benefit from some topography.
I will thus address an enigma of lateral line research, the lack of topography in the MON. Combining theoretical with anatomical data, I will demonstrate that at - least in zebrafish - we have evidence for a map in the MON and that this weak topography is sufficient in setting up a map in the torus semicircularis even in absence of a visual teacher (the tectum opticum).