Fig. 3: Distinct encoding of global vs. local geometry by POR and RSC EB cells.

A Top-down schematic showing the transformation of the square into an L-shape by inserting walls. B Top-down schematic of the frameworks used to model cell firing based on a vector average of all geometric features (global/centroid model, left) or only features within a certain distance of the animal (local/nearby walls model, right). C Directional spike plots (with color code for head direction (HD) on right) for a simultaneously recorded POR egocentric bearing (EB) cell and RSC EB cell pair in both square and L-shape sessions (same cells from Fig. 1F–M). D Plot of globality indices (GI) for all POR (N = 46 cells) and RSC (N = 177 cells) EB cells recorded in square and L-shaped environments (left), along with the change in GI between the square and L-shape (right). Note that POR EB cells tend toward global tuning, while RSC EB cells tend toward local tuning (two-sided Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, POR: W = 289, P = 5.33e-3; RSC: W = 2986, P = 7.84e-13). * indicates P < 0.05. E Path and spike plot for an MEC/PaS grid cell recorded in square and L-shaped environments. F Allocentric location firing rate maps showing the average change in normalized firing rates between the square and L-shape for POR EB cells (left), RSC EB cells (middle), and MEC/PaS grid cells (right). G Change in firing rate for individual cells (POR EB cells (N = 46), RSC EB cells (N = 177), MEC/PaS grid cells (N = 64)) between the square and L-shape near (<20 cm) or far from (> 20 cm) the inserted walls. Note that POR (two-sided Wilcoxon signed-rank test, W = 273, P = 2.92e-3) and RSC (W = 3299, P = 2.01e-11) EB cells, but not MEC/PaS grid cells (all remaining comparisons P > 0.05), show increased firing near the inserted walls. * indicates P < 0.05. H Allocentric location rate maps showing the change in normalized firing rate for POR EB cells (left) and RSC EB cells (right) between the square and L-shape, separated into animals initially trained in either the square or L-shape. I Change in normalized firing rate near or far from the inserted walls for POR and RSC EB cells of animals trained in either the square (left; N = 33 POR cells, two-sided Wilcoxon signed-rank test, near walls: W = 118, P = 2.92e-3; away from walls: P > 0.05; N = 89 RSC cells, near walls: W = 856, P = 2.72e-6; away from walls: P > 0.05) or L-shape (right; N = 13 POR cells, two-sided Wilcoxon signed-rank test, near walls: P > 0.05; away from walls: P > 0.05; N = 88 RSC cells, near walls: W = 804, P = 1.57e-6; away from walls: P > 0.05). Note that POR EB cells do not show increased firing near the inserted walls for animals trained in the L-shape. * indicates P < 0.05. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.