# Identifying, manipulating, and studying a complete sensory-to-motor model behavior circuit

> **NIH NIH R01** · SCRIPPS RESEARCH INSTITUTE, THE · 2020 · $665,609

## Abstract

Project Summary
How does the brain transform sensory information into complex behavior? The objective of this
proposal is to identify the relevant neurons across the brain that are necessary to produce a
relatively simple motivated behavior to study and identify fundamental principles underlying
coding. Sensory-to-behavior circuits must contain a variety of neural computations such as
those that determine the identity and meaning of the sensed cues, gauge internal state,
remember previous experience, and command muscle action. However, without knowing all of
the parts of a model circuit, studying where and how these computations occur has proven
difficult. Currently, complete circuit structure underlying most behaviors is largely unknown, and
no complete model circuit has been traversed through the mouse limbic system. Therefore,
study of neural coding relies on investigation of single brain regions, such as subdivisions of the
amygdala or hypothalamus. Such focus may be akin to blind men touching different parts of an
elephant; without perceiving the entirety, interpretation may become distorted. Here we propose
that sensation-to-motivated-behavior employs an entire circuit and its study as a whole will
accelerate understanding. We will overcome this bottleneck by leveraging the systematic control
of the mouse’s olfactory system to elicit urine-marking behavior as an ideal model circuit. Upon
smelling females, male mice are motivated to intentionally deposit copious urine marks to
advertise their sexual availability. To investigate how this motivated circuit encodes behavior,
we will 1) identify a complete, sensory-to-muscle, anatomic circuit that generates behavior, 2)
determine the activity patterns of the relevant neurons in relationship to the behavior and to
each other, and 3) determine the neural logic across the circuit that integrates internal state and
experience. Completion of these aims will provide a unified picture of how a simple motivated
behavior is coded in the brain. We expect that it will also provide the experimental means to
identify and assign order and structure of basic known and unexpected principles that underlie
how information is represented, altered, and integrated as it journeys from initial olfactory
sensation to ultimate muscle activity. Once completed, both the approach and resulting
knowledge will provide solutions for us and others to use as a template for the mechanistic
study of the logic of sensory-to-behavior across other more complex motivated circuits. We
anticipate that full knowledge of the parts and activity patterns the complete circuit will provide a
crucial first step to understanding of how sensory systems, the brain, and the body collectively
generate behavior.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9982441
- **Project number:** 5R01NS108439-03
- **Recipient organization:** SCRIPPS RESEARCH INSTITUTE, THE
- **Principal Investigator:** LISA STOWERS
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $665,609
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-30 → 2023-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9982441

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9982441, Identifying, manipulating, and studying a complete sensory-to-motor model behavior circuit (5R01NS108439-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9982441. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*