Hierarchical sensory processing in zebrafish thalamocortical-like circuits

A Anh-Tuan Trinh (Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Algorithms in the Cortex, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.) A Anna Maria Ostenrath (Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Algorithms in the Cortex, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.) I Ignacio del Castillo-Berges (Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Algorithms in the Cortex, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.) F Fanchon Cachin (Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Algorithms in the Cortex, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.) M Mina Koç (Graduate School of Health Sciences, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey.) S Susanne Kraus (Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Algorithms in the Cortex, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.) B Bram Serneels (Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Algorithms in the Cortex, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.) K Koichi Kawakami (Laboratory of Molecular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Japan.) E Emre Yaksi (Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Algorithms in the Cortex, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.)

Abstract

Thalamocortical projections shape the functional regionalization and parallel sensory computations across the mammalian cortex. However, the principles of thalamocortical computations in non-mammalian vertebrates remain underexplored. Here we investigated how the zebrafish pallium, a homolog of the vertebrate cortex, receives and processes sensory information, and how its architecture compares to thalamocortical circuits in other vertebrates. We revealed that the preglomerular complex (PG), a thalamocortical-like pathway, is the primary source of visual and vibrational information to the zebrafish pallium. PG and its pallial projections exhibit sensory-specific and topographically organized responses. In contrast, pallial neurons display topographically organized hierarchies, ranging from sensory-specific to multimodal and coincidence-detecting nonlinear responses. Our results suggest that hierarchies of sensory transformations across topographically organized thalamocortical-like circuits reflect a convergent principle across vertebrates.

Article Details

Journal Science
Volume / Issue Vol. 1, Issue 1
Published July 02, 2026
ISSN 0036-8075
Publisher American Association for the Advancement of Science

Journal Info

Science

American Association for the Advancement of Science

ISSN: 0036-8075 Social Sciences

Authors (9)

A

Anh-Tuan Trinh

Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Algorithms in the Cortex, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.

A

Anna Maria Ostenrath

Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Algorithms in the Cortex, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.

I

Ignacio del Castillo-Berges

Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Algorithms in the Cortex, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.

F

Fanchon Cachin

Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Algorithms in the Cortex, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.

M

Mina Koç

Graduate School of Health Sciences, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey.

S

Susanne Kraus

Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Algorithms in the Cortex, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.

B

Bram Serneels

Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Algorithms in the Cortex, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.

K

Koichi Kawakami

Laboratory of Molecular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Japan.

E

Emre Yaksi

Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Algorithms in the Cortex, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.