Circuits controlling vertebrate locomotion: moving in a new direction

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Abstract
The central pattern generator (CPG) networks that generate relatively simple motor outputs are ideal experimental models for circuit analysis. Locomotor CPGs in the ventral spinal cord function autonomously to generate repetitive patterns of oscillatory motor activity. Recent progress has been made in identifying the neuronal components that make up the locomotor circuitry, with functional studies indicating that the locomotor CPG has a modular structure. The development and assembly of the locomotor CPG is regulated by a genetic programme that operates in the embryonic spinal cord. The merging of genetic analyses with systems approaches, coupled with new tools for imaging and regulating neuronal excitability, provides the means for a comprehensive analysis of these circuits. The emerging phylogenetic relationship between neurons in the vertebrate spinal cord is providing key insights into the structure and function of the spinal motor circuitry.