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Pardiñas UFJ, Brito J, Soto EC, Cañón C. Comparative morphology of the rhinarium and upper lip in sigmodontine rodents: Refined nomenclature, intertribal variation in a phylogenetic framework, and functional inferences. J Morphol 2024; 285:e21760. [PMID: 39205331 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2024] [Revised: 07/22/2024] [Accepted: 08/01/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Rodents have received substantial attention in the study of olfaction. However, the rhinarium, the naked part of the nose, which plays an important role in chemical, tactile, and thermal perception, has been relatively overlooked. This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the rhinarium morphology and spatially associated structures (i.e., upper lip, and philtrum) in sigmodontines, a diverse group within the Cricetidae rodents. The research covers 483 specimens representing 145 species, accounting for 74% of genera in the clade, including all 13 recognized tribes, three incertae sedis genera, and the murid representatives Mus musculus and Rattus norvegicus. The inconsistent use of terminology in describing rhinarium traits across the literature poses a challenge for comparative analyzes. To address this issue, a standardized terminology was proposed to characterize the rhinarium. A paired complex protuberance typically with epidermal ridges (i.e., rhinoglyphics), termed here the tubercle of Hill, was identified as a distinctive feature in muroid rhinaria. Comparative assessments among tribes revealed unique sets of features defining each major clade, encompassing variations in hairiness, dorsum nasi complexity, size and positioning of the tubercle of Hill, and other key attributes. Two primary rhinarium configurations were discerned: one shared by Oryzomyalia and Sigmodontini and another specific to Ichthyomyini. The former groups display a ventrally positioned rhinarium prominently featuring the tubercle of Hill and sculptured areola circularis. In contrast, Ichthyomyini exhibit a frontally directed rhinarium characterized by an enlarged dorsum nasi fused to the tubercle of Hill, resulting in a distinctive "cherry" appearance. Convergent rhinarium structures observed in fossorial species, characterized by well-developed plica alaris and hair fringes, are presumed to mitigate potential damage during digging. Conversely, semiaquatic carnivorous sigmodontines showcase an integrated apical structure in their rhinarium, facilitating enhanced somatosensory capabilities crucial for predation activities during diving expeditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulyses F J Pardiñas
- Instituto de Diversidad y Evolución Austral (IDEAUS-CONICET), Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina
- Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad (INABIO), Quito, Ecuador
| | - Jorge Brito
- Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad (INABIO), Quito, Ecuador
| | - Erika Cuellar Soto
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
| | - Carola Cañón
- Departamento de Ecología, Cape Horn International Center for Global Change Studies and Biocultural Conservation (CHIC), Puerto Williams, and Millennium Institute Center for Genome Regulation (CGR), Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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2
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Haidarliu S, Nelinger G, Gantar L, Ahissar E, Saraf-Sinik I. Functional anatomy of mystacial active sensing in rats. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024; 307:442-456. [PMID: 37644754 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 07/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Rats' whisking motion and objects' palpation produce tactile signals sensed by mechanoreceptors at the vibrissal follicles. Rats adjust their whisking patterns to target information type, flow, and resolution, adapting to their behavioral needs and the changing environment. This coordination requires control over the activity of the mystacial pad's intrinsic and extrinsic muscles. Studies have relied on muscle recording and stimulation techniques to describe the roles of individual muscles. However, these methods lack the resolution to isolate the mystacial pad's small and compactly arranged muscles. Thus, we propose functional anatomy as a complementary approach for studying the individual and coordinated effects of the mystacial pad muscles on vibrissae movements. Our functional analysis addresses the kinematic measurements of whisking motion patterns recorded in freely exploring rats. Combined with anatomical descriptions of muscles and fascia elements of the mystacial pad in situ, we found: (1) the contributions of individual mystacial pad muscles to the different whisking motion patterns; (2) active touch by microvibrissae, and its underlying mechanism; and (3) dynamic position changes of the vibrissae pivot point, as determined by the movements of the corium and subcapsular fibrous mat. Finally, we hypothesize that each of the rat mystacial pad muscles is specialized for a particular function in a way that matches the architecture of the fascial structures. Consistent with biotensegrity principles, the muscles and fascia form a network of structural support and continuous tension that determine the arrangement and motion of the embedded individual follicles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Haidarliu
- Department of Brain Sciences, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Guy Nelinger
- Department of Brain Sciences, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Luka Gantar
- Department of Brain Sciences, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- Division of Neuroscience, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Ehud Ahissar
- Department of Brain Sciences, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Inbar Saraf-Sinik
- Department of Brain Sciences, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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3
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Melo MR, Wykes AD, Connelly AA, Bassi JK, Cheung SD, McDougall SJ, Menuet C, Bathgate RAD, Allen AM. Selective transduction and photoinhibition of pre-Bötzinger complex neurons that project to the facial nucleus in rats affects nasofacial activity. eLife 2023; 12:e85398. [PMID: 37772793 PMCID: PMC10653671 DOI: 10.7554/elife.85398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The pre-Bötzinger complex (preBötC), a key primary generator of the inspiratory breathing rhythm, contains neurons that project directly to facial nucleus (7n) motoneurons to coordinate orofacial and nasofacial activity. To further understand the identity of 7n-projecting preBötC neurons, we used a combination of optogenetic viral transgenic approaches to demonstrate that selective photoinhibition of these neurons affects mystacial pad activity, with minimal effects on breathing. These effects are altered by the type of anesthetic employed and also between anesthetized and conscious states. The population of 7n-projecting preBötC neurons we transduced consisted of both excitatory and inhibitory neurons that also send collaterals to multiple brainstem nuclei involved with the regulation of autonomic activity. We show that modulation of subgroups of preBötC neurons, based on their axonal projections, is a useful strategy to improve our understanding of the mechanisms that coordinate and integrate breathing with different motor and physiological behaviors. This is of fundamental importance, given that abnormal respiratory modulation of autonomic activity and orofacial behaviors have been associated with the development and progression of diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana R Melo
- Department of Anatomy & Physiology, University of MelbourneMelbourneAustralia
| | - Alexander D Wykes
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental HealthMelbourneAustralia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of MelbourneMelbourneAustralia
| | - Angela A Connelly
- Department of Anatomy & Physiology, University of MelbourneMelbourneAustralia
| | - Jaspreet K Bassi
- Department of Anatomy & Physiology, University of MelbourneMelbourneAustralia
| | - Shane D Cheung
- Biological Optical Microscopy Platform (BOMP) - University of MelbourneMelbourneAustralia
| | | | - Clément Menuet
- Institut de Neurobiologie de la Méditerrané, INMED UMR1249, INSERM, Aix-Marseille UniversitéMarseilleFrance
| | - Ross AD Bathgate
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental HealthMelbourneAustralia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of MelbourneMelbourneAustralia
| | - Andrew M Allen
- Department of Anatomy & Physiology, University of MelbourneMelbourneAustralia
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental HealthMelbourneAustralia
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4
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Callado Pérez A, Demers M, Fassihi A, Moore JD, Kleinfeld D, Deschênes M. A brainstem circuit for the expression of defensive facial reactions in rat. Curr Biol 2023; 33:4030-4035.e3. [PMID: 37703878 PMCID: PMC11034846 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.08.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
The brainstem houses neuronal circuits that control homeostasis of vital functions. These include the depth and rate of breathing1,2 and, critically, apnea, a transient cessation of breathing that prevents noxious vapors from entering further into the respiratory tract. Current thinking is that this reflex is mediated by two sensory pathways. One known pathway involves vagal and glossopharyngeal afferents that project to the nucleus of the solitary tract.3,4,5 Yet, apnea induced by electrical stimulation of the nasal epithelium or delivery of ammonia vapors to the nose persists after brainstem transection at the pontomedullary junction, indicating that the circuitry that mediates this reflex is intrinsic to the medulla.6 A second potential pathway, consistent with this observation, involves trigeminal afferents from the nasal cavity that project to the muralis subnucleus of the spinal trigeminal complex.7,8 Notably, the apneic reflex is not dependent on olfaction as it can be initiated even after disruption of olfactory pathways.9 We investigated how subnucleus muralis cells mediate apnea in rat. By means of electrophysiological recordings and lesions in anesthetized rats, we identified a pathway from chemosensors in the nostrils through the muralis subnucleus and onto both the preBötzinger and facial motor nuclei. We then monitored breathing and orofacial reactions upon ammonia delivery near the nostril of alert, head-restrained rats. The apneic reaction was associated with a grimace, characterized by vibrissa protraction, wrinkling of the nose, and squinting of the eyes. Our results show that a brainstem circuit can control facial expressions for nocifensive and potentially pain-inducing stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amalia Callado Pérez
- Cervo Research Center, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec G1J 2R3, Canada; Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Maxime Demers
- Cervo Research Center, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec G1J 2R3, Canada
| | - Arash Fassihi
- Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Jeffrey D Moore
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - David Kleinfeld
- Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Neurobiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
| | - Martin Deschênes
- Cervo Research Center, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec G1J 2R3, Canada.
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Liao SM, Kleinfeld D. A change in behavioral state switches the pattern of motor output that underlies rhythmic head and orofacial movements. Curr Biol 2023; 33:1951-1966.e6. [PMID: 37105167 PMCID: PMC10225163 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
The breathing rhythm serves as a reference that paces orofacial motor actions and orchestrates active sensing. Past work has reported that pacing occurs solely at a fixed phase relative to sniffing. We re-evaluated this constraint as a function of exploratory behavior. Allocentric and egocentric rotations of the head and the electromyogenic activity of the motoneurons for head and orofacial movements were recorded in free-ranging rats as they searched for food. We found that a change in state from foraging to rearing is accompanied by a large phase shift in muscular activation relative to sniffing, and a concurrent change in the frequency of sniffing, so that pacing now occurs at one of the two phases. Further, head turning is biased such that an animal gathers a novel sample of its environment upon inhalation. In total, the coordination of active sensing has a previously unrealized computational complexity. This can emerge from hindbrain circuits with fixed architecture and credible synaptic time delays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song-Mao Liao
- Department of Physics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - David Kleinfeld
- Department of Physics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Neurobiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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6
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Dickinson E, Hartstone-Rose A. Behavioral correlates of fascicular organization: The confluence of muscle architectural anatomy and function. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2023. [PMID: 36880440 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
Muscle is a complex tissue that has been studied on numerous hierarchical levels: from gross descriptions of muscle organization to cellular analyses of fiber profiles. In the middle of this space between organismal and cellular biology lies muscle architecture, the level at which functional correlations between a muscle's internal fiber organization and contractile abilities are explored. In this review, we summarize this relationship, detail recent advances in our understanding of this form-function paradigm, and highlight the role played by The Anatomical Record in advancing our understanding of functional morphology within muscle over the past two decades. In so doing, we honor the legacy of Editor-in-Chief Kurt Albertine, whose stewardship of the journal from 2006 through 2020 oversaw the flourishing of myological research, including numerous special issues dedicated to exploring the behavioral correlates of myology across diverse taxa. This legacy has seen the The Anatomical Record establish itself as a preeminent source of myological research, and a true leader within the field of comparative anatomy and functional morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edwin Dickinson
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, New York, USA
| | - Adam Hartstone-Rose
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
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Tereshenko V, Dotzauer DC, Maierhofer U, Festin C, Luft M, Laengle G, Politikou O, Klein HJ, Blumer R, Aszmann OC, Bergmeister KD. Selective Denervation of the Facial Dermato-Muscular Complex in the Rat: Experimental Model and Anatomical Basis. Front Neuroanat 2021; 15:650761. [PMID: 33828465 PMCID: PMC8019738 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2021.650761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The facial dermato-muscular system consists of highly specialized muscles tightly adhering to the overlaying skin and thus form a complex morphological conglomerate. This is the anatomical and functional basis for versatile facial expressions, which are essential for human social interaction. The neural innervation of the facial skin and muscles occurs via branches of the trigeminal and facial nerves. These are also the most commonly pathologically affected cranial nerves, often requiring surgical treatment. Hence, experimental models for researching these nerves and their pathologies are highly relevant to study pathophysiology and nerve regeneration. Experimental models for the distinctive investigation of the complex afferent and efferent interplay within facial structures are scarce. In this study, we established a robust surgical model for distinctive exploration of facial structures after complete elimination of afferent or efferent innervation in the rat. Animals were allocated into two groups according to the surgical procedure. In the first group, the facial nerve and in the second all distal cutaneous branches of the trigeminal nerve were transected unilaterally. All animals survived and no higher burden was caused by the procedures. Whisker pad movements were documented with video recordings 4 weeks after surgery and showed successful denervation. Whole-mount immunofluorescent staining of facial muscles was performed to visualize the innervation pattern of the neuromuscular junctions. Comprehensive quantitative analysis revealed large differences in afferent axon counts in the cutaneous branches of the trigeminal nerve. Axon number was the highest in the infraorbital nerve (28,625 ± 2,519), followed by the supraorbital nerve (2,131 ± 413), the mental nerve (3,062 ± 341), and the cutaneous branch of the mylohyoid nerve (343 ± 78). Overall, this surgical model is robust and reliable for distinctive surgical deafferentation or deefferentation of the face. It may be used for investigating cortical plasticity, the neurobiological mechanisms behind various clinically relevant conditions like facial paralysis or trigeminal neuralgia as well as local anesthesia in the face and oral cavity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vlad Tereshenko
- Clinical Laboratory for Bionic Extremity Reconstruction, Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Center for Biomedical Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Dominik C Dotzauer
- Clinical Laboratory for Bionic Extremity Reconstruction, Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Udo Maierhofer
- Clinical Laboratory for Bionic Extremity Reconstruction, Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Center for Biomedical Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christopher Festin
- Clinical Laboratory for Bionic Extremity Reconstruction, Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Center for Biomedical Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthias Luft
- Clinical Laboratory for Bionic Extremity Reconstruction, Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Center for Biomedical Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gregor Laengle
- Clinical Laboratory for Bionic Extremity Reconstruction, Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Center for Biomedical Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Olga Politikou
- Clinical Laboratory for Bionic Extremity Reconstruction, Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Center for Biomedical Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Holger J Klein
- Department of Plastic Surgery and Hand Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Roland Blumer
- Center for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Oskar C Aszmann
- Clinical Laboratory for Bionic Extremity Reconstruction, Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Konstantin D Bergmeister
- Clinical Laboratory for Bionic Extremity Reconstruction, Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospital St. Poelten, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, Krems, Austria.,Department of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospital St. Poelten, Krems, Austria
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8
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Maier E, Lauer S, Brecht M. Layer 4 organization and respiration locking in the rodent nose somatosensory cortex. J Neurophysiol 2020; 124:822-832. [PMID: 32783591 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00138.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Rodents and other mammals acquire sensory information by precisely orchestrated head, whisker, and respiratory movements. We have, however, only limited information about integration of these signals. In the somatosensory domain, the integration of somatosensory information with other modalities is particularly pertinent for body parts such as eyes, ears, and nose, which serve another modality. Here we analyzed the nose/nostril representation in the rodent somatosensory cortex. We identified the representation of the nose/nostril in the rat somatosensory cortex by receptive field mapping and subsequent histological reconstruction. In tangential somatosensory cortical sections, the rat nostril cortex was evident as a prominent stripe-like recess of layer 4 revealed by cytochrome-c oxidase reactivity or by antibodies against the vesicular glutamate-transporter-2 (identifying thalamic afferents). We compared flattened somatosensory cortices of various rodents including rats, mice, gerbils, chinchillas, and chipmunks. We found that such a nose/nostril module was evident as a region with thinned or absent layer 4 at the expected somatotopic position of the nostril. Extracellular spike activity was strongly modulated by respiration in the rat somatosensory cortex, and field potential recordings revealed a stronger locking of nostril recording sites to respiration than for whisker/barrel cortex recoding sites. We conclude that the rodent nose/nostril representation has a conserved architecture and specifically interfaces with respiration signals.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We characterized the rodent nose somatosensory cortex. The nostril representation appeared as a kind of "hole" (i.e., as a stripe-like recess of layer 4) in tangential cortical sections. Neural activity in nose somatosensory cortex was locked to respiration, and simultaneous field recordings indicate that this locking was specific to this region. Our results reveal previously unknown cytoarchitectonic and physiological properties of the rodent nose somatosensory cortex, potentially enabling it to integrate multiple sensory modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduard Maier
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Simon Lauer
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael Brecht
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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9
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de Britto AA, Magalhães KS, da Silva MP, Paton JFR, Moraes DJA. Active expiratory oscillator regulates nasofacial and oral motor activities in rats. Exp Physiol 2020; 105:379-392. [PMID: 31820827 DOI: 10.1113/ep088046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
NEW FINDINGS What is the central question of this study? Does the parafacial respiratory group (pFRG), which mediates active expiration, recruit nasofacial and oral motoneurons to coordinate motor activities that engage muscles controlling airways in rats during active expiration. What is the main finding and its importance? Hypercapnia/acidosis or pFRG activation evoked active expiration and stimulated the motoneurons and nerves responsible for the control of nasofacial and oral airways patency simultaneously. Bilateral pFRG inhibition abolished active expiration and the simultaneous nasofacial and oral motor activities induced by hypercapnia/acidosis. The pFRG is more than a rhythmic oscillator for expiratory pump muscles: it also coordinates nasofacial and oral motor commands that engage muscles controlling airways. ABSTRACT Active expiration is mediated by an expiratory oscillator located in the parafacial respiratory group (pFRG). Active expiration requires more than contracting expiratory muscles as multiple cranial nerves are recruited to stabilize the naso- and oropharyngeal airways. We tested the hypothesis that activation of the pFRG recruits facial and trigeminal motoneurons to coordinate nasofacial and oral motor activities that engage muscles controlling airways in rats during active expiration. Using a combination of electrophysiological and pharmacological approaches, we identified brainstem circuits that phase-lock active expiration, nasofacial and oral motor outputs in an in situ preparation of rat. We found that either high chemical drive (hypercapnia/acidosis) or unilateral excitation (glutamate microinjection) of the pFRG evoked active expiration and stimulated motoneurons (facial and trigeminal) and motor nerves responsible for the control of nasofacial (buccal and zygomatic branches of the facial nerve) and oral (mylohyoid nerve) motor outputs simultaneously. Bilateral pharmacological inhibition (GABAergic and glycinergic receptor activation) of the pFRG abolished active expiration and the simultaneous nasofacial and oral motor activities induced by hypercapnia/acidosis. We conclude that the pFRG provides the excitatory drive to phase-lock rhythmic nasofacial and oral motor circuits during active expiration in rats. Therefore, the pFRG is more than a rhythmic oscillator for expiratory pump muscles: it also coordinates nasofacial and oral motor commands that engage muscles controlling airways in rats during active expiration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan A de Britto
- School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, Department of Physiology, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Karolyne S Magalhães
- School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, Department of Physiology, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Melina P da Silva
- School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, Department of Physiology, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Julian F R Paton
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Park Road, Grafton, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Davi J A Moraes
- School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, Department of Physiology, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
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10
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Severson KS, O'Connor DH. Active Sensing: The Rat's Nose Dances in Step with Whiskers, Head, and Breath. Curr Biol 2019; 27:R183-R185. [PMID: 28267973 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.01.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Active sampling of touch and smell involves coordinated movements first observed in the rat half a century ago. A new study has unveiled the elegant choreography of this facial and head motion during tactile and olfactory exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle S Severson
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Brain Science Institute, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Daniel H O'Connor
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Brain Science Institute, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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11
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Kurnikova A, Deschênes M, Kleinfeld D. Functional brain stem circuits for control of nose motion. J Neurophysiol 2019; 121:205-217. [PMID: 30461370 PMCID: PMC6383659 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00608.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2018] [Revised: 10/25/2018] [Accepted: 10/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Rodents shift their nose from side to side when they actively explore and lateralize odors in the space. This motor action is driven by a pair of muscles, the deflector nasi. We studied the premotor control of this motion. We used replication-competent rabies virus to transsynaptically label inputs to the deflector nasi muscle and find putative premotor labeling throughout the parvocellular, intermediate, and gigantocellular reticular formations, as well as the trigeminal nuclei, pontine reticular formation, midbrain reticular formation, red nucleus, and superior colliculus. Two areas with extensive labeling were analyzed for their impact on nose movement. One area is in the reticular formation caudal to the facial motor nucleus and is denoted the nose retrofacial area. The second is in the caudal part of the intermediate reticular region near the oscillator for whisking (the nose IRt). Functionally, we find that optogenetic activation of glutamatergic cells in both areas drives deflection of the nose. Ablation of cells in the nose retrofacial area, but not the nose IRt, impairs movement of the nose in response to the presentation of odorants but otherwise leaves movement unaffected. These data suggest that the nose retrofacial area is a conduit for a sensory-driven orofacial motor action. Furthermore, we find labeling of neurons that are immediately upstream of premotor neurons in the preBötzinger complex that presumably synchronizes a small, rhythmic component of nose motion to breathing. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We identify two previously undescribed premotor areas in the medulla that control deflection of the nose. This includes a pathway for directed motion of the nose in response to an odorant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Kurnikova
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego , La Jolla, California
| | - Martin Deschênes
- Centre de Recherche Université Laval Robert-Giffard , Quebec City, Quebec , Canada
| | - David Kleinfeld
- Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Section of Neurobiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
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12
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Kurnikova A, Moore JD, Liao SM, Deschênes M, Kleinfeld D. Coordination of Orofacial Motor Actions into Exploratory Behavior by Rat. Curr Biol 2017; 27:688-696. [PMID: 28216320 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2016] [Revised: 12/11/2016] [Accepted: 01/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The delineation of sensorimotor circuits that guide exploration begins with an understanding of the pattern of motor outputs [1]. These motor patterns provide a clue to the form of the underlying circuits [2-4] (but see [5]). We focus on the behaviors that rodents use to explore their peripersonal space through goal-directed positioning of their nose, head, and vibrissae. Rodents sniff in response to novel odors, reward expectation, and as part of social interactions [6-12]. Sniffing serves olfaction [13, 14], while whisking synchronized to sniffing serves vibrissa-based touch [6, 15, 16]. We quantify the ethology of exploratory nose and head movements in relation to breathing. We find that sniffing is accompanied by prominent lateral and vertical deflections of the nose, i.e., twitches, which are driven by activation of the deflector nasi muscles [17]. On the timescale of individual breaths, nose motion is rhythmic and has a maximum deflection following the onset of inspiration. On a longer timescale, excursions of the nose persist for several breaths and are accompanied by an asymmetry in vibrissa positioning toward the same side of the face. Such directed deflections can be triggered by a lateralized source of odor. Lastly, bobbing of the head as the animal cranes and explores is phase-locked to sniffing and to movement of the nose. These data, along with prior results on the resetting of the whisk cycle at the onset of inspiration [15, 16, 18], reveal that the onset of each breath initiates a "snapshot" of the orofacial sensory environment. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Kurnikova
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Jeffrey D Moore
- Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Song-Mao Liao
- Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Martin Deschênes
- Centre de Recherche Université Laval Robert-Giffard, Québec City, Québec G1J 2R3, Canada
| | - David Kleinfeld
- Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Section of Neurobiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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13
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Kubin L. Neural Control of the Upper Airway: Respiratory and State-Dependent Mechanisms. Compr Physiol 2016; 6:1801-1850. [PMID: 27783860 DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c160002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Upper airway muscles subserve many essential for survival orofacial behaviors, including their important role as accessory respiratory muscles. In the face of certain predisposition of craniofacial anatomy, both tonic and phasic inspiratory activation of upper airway muscles is necessary to protect the upper airway against collapse. This protective action is adequate during wakefulness, but fails during sleep which results in recurrent episodes of hypopneas and apneas, a condition known as the obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA). Although OSA is almost exclusively a human disorder, animal models help unveil the basic principles governing the impact of sleep on breathing and upper airway muscle activity. This article discusses the neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, and neurophysiology of the different neuronal systems whose activity changes with sleep-wake states, such as the noradrenergic, serotonergic, cholinergic, orexinergic, histaminergic, GABAergic and glycinergic, and their impact on central respiratory neurons and upper airway motoneurons. Observations of the interactions between sleep-wake states and upper airway muscles in healthy humans and OSA patients are related to findings from animal models with normal upper airway, and various animal models of OSA, including the chronic-intermittent hypoxia model. Using a framework of upper airway motoneurons being under concurrent influence of central respiratory, reflex and state-dependent inputs, different neurotransmitters, and neuropeptides are considered as either causing a sleep-dependent withdrawal of excitation from motoneurons or mediating an active, sleep-related inhibition of motoneurons. Information about the neurochemistry of state-dependent control of upper airway muscles accumulated to date reveals fundamental principles and may help understand and treat OSA. © 2016 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 6:1801-1850, 2016.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leszek Kubin
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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14
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Whisking mechanics and active sensing. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2016; 40:178-188. [PMID: 27632212 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2016.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2016] [Revised: 08/03/2016] [Accepted: 08/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
We describe recent advances in quantifying the three-dimensional (3D) geometry and mechanics of whisking. Careful delineation of relevant 3D reference frames reveals important geometric and mechanical distinctions between the localization problem ('where' is an object) and the feature extraction problem ('what' is an object). Head-centered and resting-whisker reference frames lend themselves to quantifying temporal and kinematic cues used for object localization. The whisking-centered reference frame lends itself to quantifying the contact mechanics likely associated with feature extraction. We offer the 'windowed sampling' hypothesis for active sensing: that rats can estimate an object's spatial features by integrating mechanical information across whiskers during brief (25-60ms) windows of 'haptic enclosure' with the whiskers, a motion that resembles a hand grasp.
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Circuits in the Ventral Medulla That Phase-Lock Motoneurons for Coordinated Sniffing and Whisking. Neural Plast 2016; 2016:7493048. [PMID: 27293905 PMCID: PMC4887653 DOI: 10.1155/2016/7493048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2016] [Accepted: 04/27/2016] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The exploratory behavior of rodents is characterized by stereotypical movements of the vibrissae, nose, and head, which are phase locked with rapid respiration, that is, sniffing. Here we review the brainstem circuitry that coordinates these actions and propose that respiration may act as a master clock for binding orofacial inputs across different sensory modalities.
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16
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Deschênes M, Takatoh J, Kurnikova A, Moore JD, Demers M, Elbaz M, Furuta T, Wang F, Kleinfeld D. Inhibition, Not Excitation, Drives Rhythmic Whisking. Neuron 2016; 90:374-87. [PMID: 27041498 PMCID: PMC4929009 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2015] [Revised: 02/10/2016] [Accepted: 02/22/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Sniffing and whisking typify the exploratory behavior of rodents. These actions involve separate oscillators in the medulla, located respectively in the pre-Bötzinger complex (preBötC) and the vibrissa-related region of the intermediate reticular formation (vIRt). We examine how these oscillators synergize to control sniffing and whisking. We find that the vIRt contains glycinergic/GABAergic cells that rhythmically inhibit vibrissa facial motoneurons. As a basis for the entrainment of whisking by breathing, but not vice versa, we provide evidence for unidirectional connections from the preBötC to the vIRt. The preBötC further contributes to the control of the mystacial pad. Lastly, we show that bilateral synchrony of whisking relies on the respiratory rhythm, consistent with commissural connections between preBötC cells. These data yield a putative circuit in which the preBötC acts as a master clock for the synchronization of vibrissa, pad, and snout movements, as well as for the bilateral synchronization of whisking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Deschênes
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Laval University, Québec City, QC G1J 2R3, Canada.
| | - Jun Takatoh
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Anastasia Kurnikova
- Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Jeffrey D Moore
- Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Maxime Demers
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Laval University, Québec City, QC G1J 2R3, Canada
| | - Michael Elbaz
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Laval University, Québec City, QC G1J 2R3, Canada
| | - Takahiro Furuta
- Department of Morphological Brain Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Fan Wang
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - David Kleinfeld
- Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Section of Neurobiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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17
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Fonio E, Gordon G, Barak N, Winetraub Y, Oram TB, Haidarliu S, Kimchi T, Ahissar E. Coordination of sniffing and whisking depends on the mode of interaction with the environment. Isr J Ecol Evol 2015. [DOI: 10.1080/15659801.2015.1124656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/30/2022]
Abstract
Smell and touch convey most of the information that nocturnal rodents collect in their natural environments, each via its own complex network of muscles, receptors and neurons. Being active senses, a critical factor determining the integration of their sensations relates to the degree of their coordination. While it has been known for nearly 50 years that sniffing and whisking can be coordinated, the dynamics of such coordination and its dependency on behavioral and environmental conditions are not yet understood. Here we introduce a novel non-invasive method to track sniffing along with whisking and locomotion using high-resolution video recordings of mice, during free exploration of an open arena. Active sensing parameters in each modality showed significant dependency on exploratory modes (“Outbound”, “Exploration” and “Inbound”) and locomotion speed. Surprisingly, the correlation between sniffing and whisking was often as high as the bilateral inter-whisker correlation. Both inter-whisker and inter-modal coordination switched between distinct high-correlation and low-correlation states. The fraction of time with high-correlation states was higher in the Outbound and Exploration modes compared with the Inbound mode. Overall, these data indicate that sniffing–whisking coordination is a complex dynamic process, likely to be controlled by multiple-level inter-modal coordinated loops of motor-sensory networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehud Fonio
- Department of Physics of Complex Systems, Weizmann Institute of Science
| | - Goren Gordon
- Department of Industrial Engineering, Tel-Aviv University
| | - Noy Barak
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science
| | | | | | | | - Tali Kimchi
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University
| | - Ehud Ahissar
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University
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Haidarliu S, Kleinfeld D, Deschênes M, Ahissar E. The Musculature That Drives Active Touch by Vibrissae and Nose in Mice. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2014; 298:1347-58. [PMID: 25408106 DOI: 10.1002/ar.23102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2014] [Revised: 10/21/2014] [Accepted: 10/26/2014] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Coordinated action of facial muscles during whisking, sniffing, and touching objects is an important component of active sensing in rodents. Accumulating evidence suggests that the anatomical schemes that underlie active sensing are similar across the majority of whisking rodents. Intriguingly, however, muscle architecture in the mystacial pad of the mouse was reported to be different, possessing only one extrinsic vibrissa protracting muscle (M. nasalis) in the rostral part of the snout. In this study, the organization of the muscles that move the nose and the mystacial vibrissae in mice was re-examined and compared with that reported previously in other rodents. We found that muscle distribution within the mystacial pad and around the tip of the nose in mice is isomorphic with that found in other whisking rodents. In particular, in the rostral part of the mouse snout, we describe both protractors and retractors of the vibrissae. Nose movements are controlled by the M. dilator nasi and five subunits of the M. nasolabialis profundus, with involvement of the nasal cartilaginous skeleton as a mediator in the muscular effort translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Haidarliu
- Department of Neurobiology, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - David Kleinfeld
- Department of Physics and Section of Neurobiology, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Martin Deschênes
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Québec City, Canada
| | - Ehud Ahissar
- Department of Neurobiology, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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