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Guo X, Akanda N, Fiorino G, Nimbalkar S, Long CJ, Colón A, Patel A, Tighe PJ, Hickman JJ. Human IPSC-Derived PreBötC-Like Neurons and Development of an Opiate Overdose and Recovery Model. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2024; 8:e2300276. [PMID: 37675827 PMCID: PMC10921423 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202300276] [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: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
Opioid overdose is the leading cause of drug overdose lethality, posing an urgent need for investigation. The key brain region for inspiratory rhythm regulation and opioid-induced respiratory depression (OIRD) is the preBötzinger Complex (preBötC) and current knowledge has mainly been obtained from animal systems. This study aims to establish a protocol to generate human preBötC neurons from induced pluripotent cells (iPSCs) and develop an opioid overdose and recovery model utilizing these iPSC-preBötC neurons. A de novo protocol to differentiate preBötC-like neurons from human iPSCs is established. These neurons express essential preBötC markers analyzed by immunocytochemistry and demonstrate expected electrophysiological responses to preBötC modulators analyzed by patch clamp electrophysiology. The correlation of the specific biomarkers and function analysis strongly suggests a preBötC-like phenotype. Moreover, the dose-dependent inhibition of these neurons' activity is demonstrated for four different opioids with identified IC50's comparable to the literature. Inhibition is rescued by naloxone in a concentration-dependent manner. This iPSC-preBötC mimic is crucial for investigating OIRD and combating the overdose crisis and a first step for the integration of a functional overdose model into microphysiological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiufang Guo
- NanoScience Technology Center, University of Central Florida, 12424 Research Parkway, Suite 400, Orlando, FL, 32826, USA
| | - Nesar Akanda
- NanoScience Technology Center, University of Central Florida, 12424 Research Parkway, Suite 400, Orlando, FL, 32826, USA
| | - Gabriella Fiorino
- NanoScience Technology Center, University of Central Florida, 12424 Research Parkway, Suite 400, Orlando, FL, 32826, USA
| | - Siddharth Nimbalkar
- NanoScience Technology Center, University of Central Florida, 12424 Research Parkway, Suite 400, Orlando, FL, 32826, USA
| | - Christopher J Long
- Hesperos Inc, 12501 Research Parkway, Suite 100, Orlando, FL, 32826, USA
| | - Alisha Colón
- NanoScience Technology Center, University of Central Florida, 12424 Research Parkway, Suite 400, Orlando, FL, 32826, USA
| | - Aakash Patel
- NanoScience Technology Center, University of Central Florida, 12424 Research Parkway, Suite 400, Orlando, FL, 32826, USA
| | - Patrick J Tighe
- College of Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Florida, 1600 SW Archer Road, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - James J Hickman
- NanoScience Technology Center, University of Central Florida, 12424 Research Parkway, Suite 400, Orlando, FL, 32826, USA
- Hesperos Inc, 12501 Research Parkway, Suite 100, Orlando, FL, 32826, USA
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2
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Lucas-Romero J, Rivera-Arconada I, Lopez-Garcia JA. Noise or signal? Spontaneous activity of dorsal horn neurons: patterns and function in health and disease. Pflugers Arch 2024; 476:1171-1186. [PMID: 38822875 PMCID: PMC11271371 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-024-02971-8] [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: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024]
Abstract
Spontaneous activity refers to the firing of action potentials by neurons in the absence of external stimulation. Initially considered an artifact or "noise" in the nervous system, it is now recognized as a potential feature of neural function. Spontaneous activity has been observed in various brain areas, in experimental preparations from different animal species, and in live animals and humans using non-invasive imaging techniques. In this review, we specifically focus on the spontaneous activity of dorsal horn neurons of the spinal cord. We use a historical perspective to set the basis for a novel classification of the different patterns of spontaneous activity exhibited by dorsal horn neurons. Then we examine the origins of this activity and propose a model circuit to explain how the activity is generated and transmitted to the dorsal horn. Finally, we discuss possible roles of this activity during development and during signal processing under physiological conditions and pain states. By analyzing recent studies on the spontaneous activity of dorsal horn neurons, we aim to shed light on its significance in sensory processing. Understanding the different patterns of activity, the origins of this activity, and the potential roles it may play, will contribute to our knowledge of sensory mechanisms, including pain, to facilitate the modeling of spinal circuits and hopefully to explore novel strategies for pain treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Lucas-Romero
- Department of Systems Biology, University of Alcala, 28805, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Physical Therapy, Washington University School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63108, USA
| | | | - Jose Antonio Lopez-Garcia
- Department of Systems Biology, University of Alcala, 28805, Madrid, Spain.
- Departamento de Biologia de Sistemas, Edificio de Medicina, Universidad de Alcala, Ctra. Madrid-Barcelona, Km 33,600, 28805, Alcala de Henares, Madrid, Spain.
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3
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Khalilpour J, Soltani Zangbar H, Alipour MR, Shahabi P. The hypoxic respiratory response of the pre-Bötzinger complex. Heliyon 2024; 10:e34491. [PMID: 39114066 PMCID: PMC11305331 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e34491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2024] [Revised: 06/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Since the discovery of the pre-Bötzinger Complex (preBötC) as a crucial region for generating the main respiratory rhythm, our understanding of its cellular and molecular aspects has rapidly increased within the last few decades. It is now apparent that preBötC is a highly flexible neuronal network that reconfigures state-dependently to produce the most appropriate respiratory output in response to various metabolic challenges, such as hypoxia. However, the responses of the preBötC to hypoxic conditions can be varied based on the intensity, pattern, and duration of the hypoxic challenge. This review discusses the preBötC response to hypoxic challenges at the cellular and network level. Particularly, the involvement of preBötC in the classical biphasic response of the respiratory network to acute hypoxia is illuminated. Furthermore, the article discusses the functional and structural changes of preBötC neurons following intermittent and sustained hypoxic challenges. Accumulating evidence shows that the preBötC neural circuits undergo substantial changes following hypoxia and contribute to several types of the respiratory system's hypoxic ventilatory responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamal Khalilpour
- Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Hamid Soltani Zangbar
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | | | - Parviz Shahabi
- Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
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4
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Reising JP, Gonzalez-Sanchez AC, Samara A, Herlenius E. Astrocytic Calcium Signaling Toolkit (astroCaST): efficient analysis of dynamic astrocytic calcium events. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 18:1408607. [PMID: 38915875 PMCID: PMC11195029 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2024.1408607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The Astrocytic Calcium Signaling Toolkit (astroCaST) is a novel solution to a longstanding challenge in neuroscience research: the specialized analysis of astrocytic calcium events within fluorescence time-series imaging. Distinct from existing neuron-centric tools, astroCaST is adept at detecting and clustering astrocytic calcium events based on their unique spatiotemporal characteristics, thus filling a gap in astrocytic research methodologies. This toolkit not only facilitates the detection of such events but also extends its utility to provide comprehensive end-to-end analysis. This feature is absent in most tools targeting astrocytic activity. AstroCaST's development was motivated by the critical need for dedicated software that supports researchers in transitioning from raw video data to insightful experimental conclusions, efficiently managing large-scale datasets without compromising computational speed. It offers a user-friendly interface that caters to both novice and expert users, incorporating both a graphical user interface (GUI) for detailed explorations and a command-line interface (CLI) for extensive analyses. Expected outcomes from utilizing astroCaST include the ability to process and analyze a significantly larger volume of data. This enables a more profound and comprehensive analysis than previously possible, addressing the demands of large-scale astrocytic studies. In summary, astroCaST aims to advance astrocytic calcium imaging analysis, offering a tailored, efficient, and comprehensive toolset that enhances our understanding of astrocytic functions and their implications in neuroscience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Philipp Reising
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinksa Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ana Cristina Gonzalez-Sanchez
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinksa Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Athina Samara
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinksa Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Biomaterials, FUTURE, Center for Functional Tissue Reconstruction, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Eric Herlenius
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinksa Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
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5
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Borrus DS, Stettler MK, Grover CJ, Kalajian EJ, Gu J, Conradi Smith GD, Del Negro CA. Inspiratory and sigh breathing rhythms depend on distinct cellular signalling mechanisms in the preBötzinger complex. J Physiol 2024; 602:809-834. [PMID: 38353596 PMCID: PMC10940220 DOI: 10.1113/jp285582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Breathing behaviour involves the generation of normal breaths (eupnoea) on a timescale of seconds and sigh breaths on the order of minutes. Both rhythms emerge in tandem from a single brainstem site, but whether and how a single cell population can generate two disparate rhythms remains unclear. We posit that recurrent synaptic excitation in concert with synaptic depression and cellular refractoriness gives rise to the eupnoea rhythm, whereas an intracellular calcium oscillation that is slower by orders of magnitude gives rise to the sigh rhythm. A mathematical model capturing these dynamics simultaneously generates eupnoea and sigh rhythms with disparate frequencies, which can be separately regulated by physiological parameters. We experimentally validated key model predictions regarding intracellular calcium signalling. All vertebrate brains feature a network oscillator that drives the breathing pump for regular respiration. However, in air-breathing mammals with compliant lungs susceptible to collapse, the breathing rhythmogenic network may have refashioned ubiquitous intracellular signalling systems to produce a second slower rhythm (for sighs) that prevents atelectasis without impeding eupnoea. KEY POINTS: A simplified activity-based model of the preBötC generates inspiratory and sigh rhythms from a single neuron population. Inspiration is attributable to a canonical excitatory network oscillator mechanism. Sigh emerges from intracellular calcium signalling. The model predicts that perturbations of calcium uptake and release across the endoplasmic reticulum counterintuitively accelerate and decelerate sigh rhythmicity, respectively, which was experimentally validated. Vertebrate evolution may have adapted existing intracellular signalling mechanisms to produce slow oscillations needed to optimize pulmonary function in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel S. Borrus
- Applied Science and Neuroscience, William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23185
| | - Marco K. Stettler
- Applied Science and Neuroscience, William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23185
| | - Cameron J. Grover
- Applied Science and Neuroscience, William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23185
| | - Eva J. Kalajian
- Applied Science and Neuroscience, William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23185
| | - Jeffrey Gu
- Applied Science and Neuroscience, William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23185
| | - Gregory D. Conradi Smith
- Applied Science and Neuroscience, William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23185
- Conradi Smith and Del Negro contributed equally
| | - Christopher A. Del Negro
- Applied Science and Neuroscience, William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23185
- Conradi Smith and Del Negro contributed equally
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6
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Phillips RS, Baertsch NA. Interdependence of cellular and network properties in respiratory rhythmogenesis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.30.564834. [PMID: 37961254 PMCID: PMC10634953 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.30.564834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
How breathing is generated by the preBötzinger Complex (preBötC) remains divided between two ideological frameworks, and the persistent sodium current (INaP) lies at the heart of this debate. Although INaP is widely expressed, the pacemaker hypothesis considers it essential because it endows a small subset of neurons with intrinsic bursting or "pacemaker" activity. In contrast, burstlet theory considers INaP dispensable because rhythm emerges from "pre-inspiratory" spiking activity driven by feed-forward network interactions. Using computational modeling, we discover that changes in spike shape can dissociate INaP from intrinsic bursting. Consistent with many experimental benchmarks, conditional effects on spike shape during simulated changes in oxygenation, development, extracellular potassium, and temperature alter the prevalence of intrinsic bursting and pre-inspiratory spiking without altering the role of INaP. Our results support a unifying hypothesis where INaP and excitatory network interactions, but not intrinsic bursting or pre-inspiratory spiking, are critical interdependent features of preBötC rhythmogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan S Phillips
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle WA, USA
| | - Nathan A Baertsch
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle WA, USA
- Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle WA, USA
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle WA, USA
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7
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Yoda S, Onimaru H, Izumizaki M. Effects of aconitine on the respiratory activity of brainstem-spinal cord preparations isolated from newborn rats. Pflugers Arch 2023; 475:1301-1314. [PMID: 37707585 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-023-02857-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
Aconitine is a sodium channel opener, but its effects on the respiratory center are not well understood. We investigated the dose-dependent effects of aconitine on central respiratory activity in brainstem-spinal cord preparations isolated from newborn rats. Bath application of 0.5-5 μM aconitine caused an increase in respiratory rhythm and decrease in the inspiratory burst amplitude of the fourth cervical ventral root (C4). Separate application of aconitine revealed that medullary neurons were responsible for the respiratory rhythm increase, and neurons in both the medulla and spinal cord were involved in the decrease of C4 amplitude by aconitine. A local anesthetic, lidocaine (100 μM), or a voltage-dependent sodium channel blocker, tetrodotoxin (0.1 μM), partially antagonized the C4 amplitude decrease by aconitine. Tetrodotoxin treatment tentatively decreased the respiratory rhythm, but lidocaine tended to further increase the rhythm. Treatment with 100 μM riluzole or 100 μM flufenamic acid, which are known to inhibit respiratory pacemaker activity, did not reduce the respiratory rhythm enhanced by aconitine + lidocaine. The application of 1 μM aconitine depolarized the preinspiratory, expiratory, and inspiratory motor neurons. The facilitated burst rhythm of inspiratory neurons after aconitine disappeared in a low Ca2+/high Mg2+ synaptic blockade solution. We showed the dose-dependent effects of aconitine on respiratory activity. The antagonists reversed the depressive effects of aconitine in different manners, possibly due to their actions on different sites of sodium channels. The burst-generating pacemaker properties of neurons may not be involved in the generation of the facilitated rhythm after aconitine treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunya Yoda
- Department of Physiology, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 142-8555, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Onimaru
- Department of Physiology, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 142-8555, Japan.
| | - Masahiko Izumizaki
- Department of Physiology, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 142-8555, Japan
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8
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da Silva CA, Grover CJ, Picardo MCD, Del Negro CA. Role of Na V1.6-mediated persistent sodium current and bursting-pacemaker properties in breathing rhythm generation. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113000. [PMID: 37590134 PMCID: PMC10528911 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Inspiration is the inexorable active phase of breathing. The brainstem pre-Bötzinger complex (preBötC) gives rise to inspiratory neural rhythm, but its underlying cellular and ionic bases remain unclear. The long-standing "pacemaker hypothesis" posits that the persistent Na+ current (INaP) that gives rise to bursting-pacemaker properties in preBötC interneurons is essential for rhythmogenesis. We tested the pacemaker hypothesis by conditionally knocking out and knocking down the Scn8a (Nav1.6 [voltage-gated sodium channel 1.6]) gene in core rhythmogenic preBötC neurons. Deleting Scn8a substantially decreases the INaP and abolishes bursting-pacemaker activity, which slows inspiratory rhythm in vitro and negatively impacts the postnatal development of ventilation. Diminishing Scn8a via genetic interference has no impact on breathing in adult mice. We argue that the Scn8a-mediated INaP is not obligatory but that it influences the development and rhythmic function of the preBötC. The ubiquity of the INaP in respiratory brainstem interneurons could underlie breathing-related behaviors such as neonatal phonation or rhythmogenesis in different physiological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos A da Silva
- Department of Applied Science, William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23185, USA
| | - Cameron J Grover
- Department of Applied Science, William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23185, USA
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9
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Ashhad S, Slepukhin VM, Feldman JL, Levine AJ. Microcircuit Synchronization and Heavy-Tailed Synaptic Weight Distribution Augment preBötzinger Complex Bursting Dynamics. J Neurosci 2023; 43:240-260. [PMID: 36400528 PMCID: PMC9838711 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1195-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The preBötzinger Complex (preBötC) encodes inspiratory time as rhythmic bursts of activity underlying each breath. Spike synchronization throughout a sparsely connected preBötC microcircuit initiates bursts that ultimately drive the inspiratory motor patterns. Using minimal microcircuit models to explore burst initiation dynamics, we examined the variability in probability and latency to burst following exogenous stimulation of a small subset of neurons, mimicking experiments. Among various physiologically plausible graphs of 1000 excitatory neurons constructed using experimentally determined synaptic and connectivity parameters, directed Erdős-Rényi graphs with a broad (lognormal) distribution of synaptic weights best captured the experimentally observed dynamics. preBötC synchronization leading to bursts was regulated by the efferent connectivity of spiking neurons that are optimally tuned to amplify modest preinspiratory activity through input convergence. Using graph-theoretic and machine learning-based analyses, we found that input convergence of efferent connectivity at the next-nearest neighbor order was a strong predictor of incipient synchronization. Our analyses revealed a crucial role of synaptic heterogeneity in imparting exceptionally robust yet flexible preBötC attractor dynamics. Given the pervasiveness of lognormally distributed synaptic strengths throughout the nervous system, we postulate that these mechanisms represent a ubiquitous template for temporal processing and decision-making computational motifs.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Mammalian breathing is robust, virtually continuous throughout life, yet is inherently labile: to adapt to rapid metabolic shifts (e.g., fleeing a predator or chasing prey); for airway reflexes; and to enable nonventilatory behaviors (e.g., vocalization, breathholding, laughing). Canonical theoretical frameworks-based on pacemakers and intrinsic bursting-cannot account for the observed robustness and flexibility of the preBötzinger Complex rhythm. Experiments reveal that network synchronization is the key to initiate inspiratory bursts in each breathing cycle. We investigated preBötC synchronization dynamics using network models constructed with experimentally determined neuronal and synaptic parameters. We discovered that a fat-tailed (non-Gaussian) synaptic weight distribution-a manifestation of synaptic heterogeneity-augments neuronal synchronization and attractor dynamics in this vital rhythmogenic network, contributing to its extraordinary reliability and responsiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sufyan Ashhad
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095-1763
| | - Valentin M Slepukhin
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095-1596
| | - Jack L Feldman
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095-1763
| | - Alex J Levine
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095-1596
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095-1596
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10
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Morgado-Valle C, Smith JC, Fernandez-Ruiz J, Lopez-Meraz L, Beltran-Parrazal L. Modulation of inspiratory burst duration and frequency by bombesin in vitro. Pflugers Arch 2023; 475:101-117. [PMID: 35066612 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-022-02663-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 12/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Mammalian respiratory rhythm-generating circuits in the brainstem are subject to neuromodulation by multiple peptidergic afferent inputs controlling circuit behavior and outputs. Although functionally important, actions of neuropeptide modulators have not been fully characterized. We analyzed at cellular and circuit levels two inspiratory patterns intrinsically generated by the preBötzinger complex (preBötC) and their modulation by the neuropeptides bombesin and substance P (SP) in neonatal rat medullary slices in vitro. We found that, in recordings of hypoglossal nerve and preBötC neuron inspiratory activity, some inspiratory bursts occurring spontaneously under basal conditions have a biphasic shape with longer duration than normal inspiratory bursts and occur at a lower frequency. This biphasic burst pattern has been proposed to represent inspiratory activity underling periodic sighs. Bath-applied bombesin or SP decreased the period and increased the duration of both normal inspiratory and biphasic bursts and their underlying synaptic drives. The ratio of the biphasic long-duration burst period to the normal inspiratory burst period and the ratio of their burst durations remained the same before and after peptidergic modulation. Bombesin increased the frequency of the inspiratory rhythm in a Ca2+-independent manner and the frequency of long-duration bursts in a Ca2+-dependent manner. This finding suggests that period and burst duration coupling are due to intrinsic mechanisms controlling simultaneously timing and burst termination within the inspiratory rhythm-generating network. We propose a model in which signaling cascades activated by bombesin and SP modulate mechanisms controlling inspiratory burst frequency and duration to coordinate preBötC circuit behavioral outputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Consuelo Morgado-Valle
- Instituto de Investigaciones Cerebrales, Dirección General de Investigaciones, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa Veracruz, México, 91190. .,Cellular and Systems Neurobiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
| | - Jeffrey C Smith
- Cellular and Systems Neurobiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Juan Fernandez-Ruiz
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Ciudad de México, México City, 04510, México
| | - Leonor Lopez-Meraz
- Instituto de Investigaciones Cerebrales, Dirección General de Investigaciones, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa Veracruz, México, 91190
| | - Luis Beltran-Parrazal
- Instituto de Investigaciones Cerebrales, Dirección General de Investigaciones, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa Veracruz, México, 91190.
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11
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Kuznetsov SV, Kuznetsova NN. Effects of Ni2+ on Heart and Respiratory Rhythms in Newborn Rats. J EVOL BIOCHEM PHYS+ 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s0022093022050088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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12
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Gumnit MG, Watters JJ, Baker TL, Johnson SM, Johnson SM. Mu-opioid receptor-dependent transformation of respiratory motor pattern in neonates in vitro. Front Physiol 2022; 13:921466. [PMID: 35936900 PMCID: PMC9353126 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.921466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Endogenous opioid peptides activating mu-opioid receptors (MORs) are part of an intricate neuromodulatory system that coordinates and optimizes respiratory motor output to maintain blood-gas homeostasis. MOR activation is typically associated with respiratory depression but also has excitatory effects on breathing and respiratory neurons. We hypothesized that low level MOR activation induces excitatory effects on the respiratory motor pattern. Thus, low concentrations of an MOR agonist drug (DAMGO, 10–200 nM) were bath-applied to neonatal rat brainstem-spinal cord preparations while recording inspiratory-related motor output on cervical spinal roots (C4-C5). Bath-applied DAMGO (50–200 nM) increased inspiratory motor burst amplitude by 40–60% during (and shortly following) drug application with decreased burst frequency and minute activity. Reciprocal changes in inspiratory burst amplitude and frequency were balanced such that 20 min after DAMGO (50–200 nM) application, minute activity was unaltered compared to pre-DAMGO levels. The DAMGO-induced inspiratory burst amplitude increase did not require crossed cervical spinal pathways, was expressed on thoracic ventral spinal roots (T4-T8) and remained unaltered by riluzole pretreatment (blocks persistent sodium currents associated with gasping). Split-bath experiments showed that the inspiratory burst amplitude increase was induced only when DAMGO was bath-applied to the brainstem and not the spinal cord. Thus, MOR activation in neonates induces a respiratory burst amplitude increase via brainstem-specific mechanisms. The burst amplitude increase counteracts the expected MOR-dependent frequency depression and may represent a new mechanism by which MOR activation influences respiratory motor output.
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13
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Phillips RS, Koizumi H, Molkov YI, Rubin JE, Smith JC. Predictions and experimental tests of a new biophysical model of the mammalian respiratory oscillator. eLife 2022; 11:74762. [PMID: 35796425 PMCID: PMC9262387 DOI: 10.7554/elife.74762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Previously our computational modeling studies (Phillips et al., 2019) proposed that neuronal persistent sodium current (INaP) and calcium-activated non-selective cation current (ICAN) are key biophysical factors that, respectively, generate inspiratory rhythm and burst pattern in the mammalian preBötzinger complex (preBötC) respiratory oscillator isolated in vitro. Here, we experimentally tested and confirmed three predictions of the model from new simulations concerning the roles of INaP and ICAN: (1) INaP and ICAN blockade have opposite effects on the relationship between network excitability and preBötC rhythmic activity; (2) INaP is essential for preBötC rhythmogenesis; and (3) ICAN is essential for generating the amplitude of rhythmic output but not rhythm generation. These predictions were confirmed via optogenetic manipulations of preBötC network excitability during graded INaP or ICAN blockade by pharmacological manipulations in slices in vitro containing the rhythmically active preBötC from the medulla oblongata of neonatal mice. Our results support and advance the hypothesis that INaP and ICAN mechanistically underlie rhythm and inspiratory burst pattern generation, respectively, in the isolated preBötC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan S Phillips
- Department of Mathematics, University of Pittsburgh
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition
| | | | - Yaroslav I Molkov
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Georgia State University
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University
| | - Jonathan E Rubin
- Department of Mathematics, University of Pittsburgh
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition
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14
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Approaches to Parameter Estimation from Model Neurons and Biological Neurons. ALGORITHMS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/a15050168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Model optimization in neuroscience has focused on inferring intracellular parameters from time series observations of the membrane voltage and calcium concentrations. These parameters constitute the fingerprints of ion channel subtypes and may identify ion channel mutations from observed changes in electrical activity. A central question in neuroscience is whether computational methods may obtain ion channel parameters with sufficient consistency and accuracy to provide new information on the underlying biology. Finding single-valued solutions in particular, remains an outstanding theoretical challenge. This note reviews recent progress in the field. It first covers well-posed problems and describes the conditions that the model and data need to meet to warrant the recovery of all the original parameters—even in the presence of noise. The main challenge is model error, which reflects our lack of knowledge of exact equations. We report on strategies that have been partially successful at inferring the parameters of rodent and songbird neurons, when model error is sufficiently small for accurate predictions to be made irrespective of stimulation.
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15
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Phillips RS, Rubin JE. Putting the theory into 'burstlet theory' with a biophysical model of burstlets and bursts in the respiratory preBötzinger complex. eLife 2022; 11:e75713. [PMID: 35380537 PMCID: PMC9023056 DOI: 10.7554/elife.75713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Inspiratory breathing rhythms arise from synchronized neuronal activity in a bilaterally distributed brainstem structure known as the preBötzinger complex (preBötC). In in vitro slice preparations containing the preBötC, extracellular potassium must be elevated above physiological levels (to 7-9 mM) to observe regular rhythmic respiratory motor output in the hypoglossal nerve to which the preBötC projects. Reexamination of how extracellular K+ affects preBötC neuronal activity has revealed that low-amplitude oscillations persist at physiological levels. These oscillatory events are subthreshold from the standpoint of transmission to motor output and are dubbed burstlets. Burstlets arise from synchronized neural activity in a rhythmogenic neuronal subpopulation within the preBötC that in some instances may fail to recruit the larger network events, or bursts, required to generate motor output. The fraction of subthreshold preBötC oscillatory events (burstlet fraction) decreases sigmoidally with increasing extracellular potassium. These observations underlie the burstlet theory of respiratory rhythm generation. Experimental and computational studies have suggested that recruitment of the non-rhythmogenic component of the preBötC population requires intracellular Ca2+ dynamics and activation of a calcium-activated nonselective cationic current. In this computational study, we show how intracellular calcium dynamics driven by synaptically triggered Ca2+ influx as well as Ca2+ release/uptake by the endoplasmic reticulum in conjunction with a calcium-activated nonselective cationic current can reproduce and offer an explanation for many of the key properties associated with the burstlet theory of respiratory rhythm generation. Altogether, our modeling work provides a mechanistic basis that can unify a wide range of experimental findings on rhythm generation and motor output recruitment in the preBötC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan S Phillips
- Department of Mathematics and Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of PittsburghPittsburghUnited States
| | - Jonathan E Rubin
- Department of Mathematics and Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of PittsburghPittsburghUnited States
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16
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Smith JC. Respiratory rhythm and pattern generation: Brainstem cellular and circuit mechanisms. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2022; 188:1-35. [PMID: 35965022 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-323-91534-2.00004-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Breathing movements in mammals are driven by rhythmic neural activity automatically generated within spatially and functionally organized brainstem neural circuits comprising the respiratory central pattern generator (CPG). This chapter reviews up-to-date experimental information and theoretical studies of the cellular and circuit mechanisms of respiratory rhythm and pattern generation operating within critical components of this CPG in the lower brainstem. Over the past several decades, there have been substantial advances in delineating the spatial architecture of essential medullary regions and their regional cellular and circuit properties required to understand rhythm and pattern generation mechanisms. A fundamental concept is that the circuits in these regions have rhythm-generating capabilities at multiple cellular and circuit organization levels. The regional cellular properties, circuit organization, and control mechanisms allow flexible expression of neural activity patterns for a repertoire of respiratory behaviors under various physiologic conditions that are dictated by requirements for homeostatic regulation and behavioral integration. Many mechanistic insights have been provided by computational modeling studies driven by experimental results and have advanced understanding in the field. These conceptual and theoretical developments are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey C Smith
- Cellular and Systems Neurobiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States.
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17
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Pharmacological Modulation and (Patho)Physiological Roles of TRPM4 Channel-Part 2: TRPM4 in Health and Disease. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 15:ph15010040. [PMID: 35056097 PMCID: PMC8779181 DOI: 10.3390/ph15010040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Transient receptor potential melastatin 4 (TRPM4) is a unique member of the TRPM protein family and, similarly to TRPM5, is Ca2+ sensitive and permeable for monovalent but not divalent cations. It is widely expressed in many organs and is involved in several functions; it regulates membrane potential and Ca2+ homeostasis in both excitable and non-excitable cells. This part of the review discusses the currently available knowledge about the physiological and pathophysiological roles of TRPM4 in various tissues. These include the physiological functions of TRPM4 in the cells of the Langerhans islets of the pancreas, in various immune functions, in the regulation of vascular tone, in respiratory and other neuronal activities, in chemosensation, and in renal and cardiac physiology. TRPM4 contributes to pathological conditions such as overactive bladder, endothelial dysfunction, various types of malignant diseases and central nervous system conditions including stroke and injuries as well as in cardiac conditions such as arrhythmias, hypertrophy, and ischemia-reperfusion injuries. TRPM4 claims more and more attention and is likely to be the topic of research in the future.
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18
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Burgraff NJ, Bush NE, Ramirez JM, Baertsch NA. Dynamic Rhythmogenic Network States Drive Differential Opioid Responses in the In Vitro Respiratory Network. J Neurosci 2021; 41:9919-9931. [PMID: 34697095 PMCID: PMC8638687 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1329-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Death from opioid overdose is typically caused by opioid-induced respiratory depression (OIRD). A particularly dangerous characteristic of OIRD is its apparent unpredictability. The respiratory consequences of opioids can be surprisingly inconsistent, even within the same individual. Despite significant clinical implications, most studies have focused on average dose-r esponses rather than individual variation, and there remains little insight into the etiology of this apparent unpredictability. The preBötzinger complex (preBötC) in the ventral medulla is an important site for generating the respiratory rhythm and OIRD. Here, using male and female C57-Bl6 mice in vitro, we demonstrate that the preBötC can assume different network states depending on the excitability of the preBötC and the intrinsic membrane properties of preBötC neurons. These network states predict the functional consequences of opioids in the preBötC, and depending on network state, respiratory rhythmogenesis can be either stabilized or suppressed by opioids. We hypothesize that the dynamic nature of preBötC rhythmogenic properties, required to endow breathing with remarkable flexibility, also plays a key role in the dangerous unpredictability of OIRD.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Opioids can cause unpredictable, life-threatening suppression of breathing. This apparent unpredictability makes clinical management of opioids difficult while also making it challenging to define the underlying mechanisms of OIRD. Here, we find in brainstem slices that the preBötC, an opioid-sensitive subregion of the brainstem, has an optimal configuration of cellular and network properties that results in a maximally stable breathing rhythm. These properties are dynamic, and the state of each individual preBötC network relative to the optimal configuration of the network predicts how vulnerable rhythmogenesis is to the effects of opioids. These insights establish a framework for understanding how endogenous and exogenous modulation of the rhythmogenic state of the preBötC can increase or decrease the risk of OIRD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J Burgraff
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington 98101
| | - Nicholas E Bush
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington 98101
| | - Jan M Ramirez
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington 98101
- Departments of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
- Neurological Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
| | - Nathan A Baertsch
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington 98101
- Departments of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
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19
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Trpm5 channels encode bistability of spinal motoneurons and ensure motor control of hindlimbs in mice. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6815. [PMID: 34819493 PMCID: PMC8613399 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27113-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Bistable motoneurons of the spinal cord exhibit warmth-activated plateau potential driven by Na+ and triggered by a brief excitation. The thermoregulating molecular mechanisms of bistability and their role in motor functions remain unknown. Here, we identify thermosensitive Na+-permeable Trpm5 channels as the main molecular players for bistability in mouse motoneurons. Pharmacological, genetic or computational inhibition of Trpm5 occlude bistable-related properties (slow afterdepolarization, windup, plateau potentials) and reduce spinal locomotor outputs while central pattern generators for locomotion operate normally. At cellular level, Trpm5 is activated by a ryanodine-mediated Ca2+ release and turned off by Ca2+ reuptake through the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) pump. Mice in which Trpm5 is genetically silenced in most lumbar motoneurons develop hindlimb paresis and show difficulties in executing high-demanding locomotor tasks. Overall, by encoding bistability in motoneurons, Trpm5 appears indispensable for producing a postural tone in hindlimbs and amplifying the locomotor output.
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20
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Dynamics of ramping bursts in a respiratory neuron model. J Comput Neurosci 2021; 50:161-180. [PMID: 34704174 DOI: 10.1007/s10827-021-00800-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Intensive computational and theoretical work has led to the development of multiple mathematical models for bursting in respiratory neurons in the pre-Bötzinger Complex (pre-BötC) of the mammalian brainstem. Nonetheless, these previous models have not captured the pre-inspiratory ramping aspects of these neurons' activity patterns, in which relatively slow tonic spiking gradually progresses to faster spiking and a full-blown burst, with a corresponding gradual development of an underlying plateau potential. In this work, we show that the incorporation of the dynamics of the extracellular potassium ion concentration into an existing model for pre-BötC neuron bursting, along with some parameter adjustments, suffices to induce this ramping behavior. Using fast-slow decomposition, we show that this activity can be considered as a form of parabolic bursting, but with burst termination at a homoclinic bifurcation rather than as a SNIC bifurcation. We also investigate the parameter-dependence of these solutions and show that the proposed model yields a greater dynamic range of burst frequencies, durations, and duty cycles than those produced by other models in the literature.
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21
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Layer N, Brandes J, Lührs PJ, Wuttke TV, Koch H. The effect of lamotrigine and other antiepileptic drugs on respiratory rhythm generation in the pre-Bötzinger complex. Epilepsia 2021; 62:2790-2803. [PMID: 34553376 DOI: 10.1111/epi.17066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2020] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Lamotrigine and other sodium-channel blocking agents are among the most commonly used antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Because other sodium channel blockers, such as riluzole, can severely alter respiratory rhythm generation during hypoxia, we wanted to investigate if AEDs can have similar effects. This is especially important in the context of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP), the major cause of death in patients suffering from therapy-resistant epilepsy. Although the mechanism of action is not entirely understood, respiratory dysfunction after generalized tonic-clonic seizures seems to play a major role. METHODS We used transverse brainstem slice preparations from neonatal and juvenile mice containing the pre-Bötzinger complex (PreBötC) and measured population as well as intracellular activity of the rhythm-generating network under normoxia and hypoxia in the presence or absence of AEDs. RESULTS We found a substantial inhibition of the gasping response induced by the application of sodium channel blockers (lamotrigine and carbamazepine). In contrast, levetiracetam, an AED-modulating synaptic function, had a much smaller effect. The inhibition of gasping by lamotrigine was accompanied by a significant reduction of the persistent sodium current (INap) in PreBötC neurons. Surprisingly, the suppression of persistent sodium currents by lamotrigine did not affect the voltage-dependent bursting activity in PreBötC pacemaker neurons, but led to a hypoxia-dependent shift of the action potential rheobase in all measured PreBötC neurons. SIGNIFICANCE Our results contribute to the understanding of the effects of AEDs on the vital respiratory functions of the central nervous system. Moreover, our study adds further insight into sodium-dependent changes occurring during hypoxia and the contribution of cellular properties to the respiratory rhythm generation in the pre-Bötzinger complex. It raises the question of whether sodium channel blocking AEDs could, in conditions of extreme hypoxia, contribute to SUDEP, an important issue that warrants further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolas Layer
- Department of Neurology and Epileptology, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Janine Brandes
- Department of Neurology and Epileptology, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Philipp Justus Lührs
- Department of Neurology and Epileptology, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Thomas V Wuttke
- Department of Neurology and Epileptology, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Department of Neurosurgery, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Henner Koch
- Department of Neurology and Epileptology, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Department of Epileptology, Neurology, RWTH University of Aachen, Aachen, Germany
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22
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Magalhães KS, da Silva MP, Mecawi AS, Paton JFR, Machado BH, Moraes DJA. Intrinsic and synaptic mechanisms controlling the expiratory activity of excitatory lateral parafacial neurones of rats. J Physiol 2021; 599:4925-4948. [PMID: 34510468 DOI: 10.1113/jp281545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Active expiration is essential for increasing pulmonary ventilation during high chemical drive (hypercapnia). The lateral parafacial (pFL ) region, which contains expiratory neurones, drives abdominal muscles during active expiration in response to hypercapnia. However, the electrophysiological properties and synaptic mechanisms determining the activity of pFL expiratory neurones, as well as the specific conditions for their emergence, are not fully understood. Using whole cell electrophysiology and single cell quantitative RT-PCR techniques, we describe the intrinsic electrophysiological properties, the phenotype and the respiratory-related synaptic inputs to the pFL expiratory neurones, as well as the mechanisms for the expression of their expiratory activity under conditions of hypercapnia-induced active expiration, using in situ preparations of juvenile rats. We also evaluated whether these neurones possess intrinsic CO2 /[H+ ] sensitivity and burst generating properties. GABAergic and glycinergic inhibition during inspiration and expiration suppressed the activity of glutamatergic pFL expiratory neurones in normocapnia. In hypercapnia, these neurones escape glycinergic inhibition and generate burst discharges at the end of expiration. Evidence for the contribution of post-inhibitory rebound, CaV 3.2 isoform of T-type Ca2+ channels and intracellular [Ca2+ ] is presented. Neither intrinsic bursting properties, mediated by persistent Na+ current, nor CO2 /[H+ ] sensitivity or expression of CO2 /[H+ ] sensitive ion channels/receptors (TASK or GPR4) were observed. On the other hand, hyperpolarisation-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated and twik-related K+ leak channels were recorded. Post-synaptic disinhibition and the intrinsic electrophysiological properties of glutamatergic neurones play important roles in the generation of the expiratory oscillations in the pFL region during hypercapnia in rats. KEY POINTS: Hypercapnia induces active expiration in rats and the recruitment of a specific population of expiratory neurones in the lateral parafacial (pFL ) region. Post-synaptic GABAergic and glycinergic inhibition both suppress the activity of glutamatergic pFL neurones during inspiratory and expiratory phases in normocapnia. Hypercapnia reduces glycinergic inhibition during expiration leading to burst generation by pFL neurones; evidence for a contribution of post-inhibitory rebound, voltage-gated Ca2+ channels and intracellular [Ca2+ ] is presented. pFL glutamatergic expiratory neurones are neither intrinsic burster neurones, nor CO2 /[H+ ] sensors, and do not express CO2 /[H+ ] sensitive ion channels or receptors. Post-synaptic disinhibition and the intrinsic electrophysiological properties of glutamatergic neurones both play important roles in the generation of the expiratory oscillations in the pFL region during hypercapnia in rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolyne S Magalhães
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Melina P da Silva
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - André S Mecawi
- Department of Biophysics, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Julian F R Paton
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Park Road, Grafton, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Benedito H Machado
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Davi J A Moraes
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
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23
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The lamprey respiratory network: Some evolutionary aspects. Respir Physiol Neurobiol 2021; 294:103766. [PMID: 34329767 DOI: 10.1016/j.resp.2021.103766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Breathing is a complex behaviour that involves rhythm generating networks. In this review, we examine the main characteristics of respiratory rhythm generation in vertebrates and, in particular, we describe the main results of our studies on the role of neural mechanisms involved in the neuromodulation of the lamprey respiration. The lamprey respiratory rhythm generator is located in the paratrigeminal respiratory group (pTRG) and shows similarities with the mammalian preBötzinger complex. In fact, within the pTRG a major role is played by glutamate, but also GABA and glycine display important contributions. In addition, neuromodulatory influences are exerted by opioids, substance P, acetylcholine and serotonin. Both structures respond to exogenous ATP with a biphasic response and astrocytes there located strongly contribute to the modulation of the respiratory pattern. The results emphasize that some important characteristics of the respiratory rhythm generating network are, to a great extent, maintained throughout evolution.
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24
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Cummings KJ. Eupnea and gasping in vivo are facilitated by the activation of 5-HT 2A receptors. J Neurophysiol 2021; 125:1543-1551. [PMID: 33760672 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00088.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Eupnea and gasping in infancy depend on central nervous system (CNS) serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT). Although previous in vitro preparations have provided some evidence that 5-HT acts through type 2 A receptors (5-HT2A) to facilitate eupnea and gasping, here the hypothesis addressed is that 5-HT2A receptor activation is necessary for eupnea and the proper generation of gasping in vivo. To test this, we administered 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine (DOI; 0.25 mg/kg i.p.), a 5-HT2A agonist, 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT; 0.25 mg/kg i.p.), a 5-HT1A agonist, or vehicle (saline) to 7-9-day-old tryptophan hydroxylase 2 knockout (TPH2-/-) mice. A second experiment assessed the effect of MDL-11,939 (MDL; 10 mg/kg i.p.), the specific 5-HT2A antagonist, or vehicle (DMSO) on the gasping of wild-type (TPH2+/+) animals. Drugs were given 15 min prior to five episodes of severe hypoxia that elicited gasping. TPH2-/- breathed more slowly but had the same V̇e and V̇e/V̇o2 compared with TPH2+/+. As previously reported, the gasping of TPH2-/- was significantly delayed (P < 0.001) and occurred at a significantly lower frequency compared with TPH2+/+ (P = 0.04). For both genotypes, DOI hastened eupneic frequency but had no effect on V̇e or V̇e/V̇o2. The gasping of TPH2-/-, although unaffected by 8-OH-DPAT, was indistinguishable from the gasping of TPH2+/+ following DOI. In TPH2+/+, application of MDL led to hypoventilation (P = 0.01), a delay in the appearance of gasping (P = 0.005), and reduced gasp frequency (P = 0.05). These data show that, in vivo, 5-HT2A receptors facilitate both eupnea and gasping. As has been shown in vitro, 5-HT2A probably promotes gasping by exciting hypoxia-resistant pacemaker neurons.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Previous in vitro studies suggest that 5-HT2A receptors contribute to eupnea and are necessary for fictive gasping. The current study shows that the impaired gasping displayed by neonatal TPH2-/- mice, deficient in CNS serotonin, is restored by 5-HT2A receptor activation. Following 5-HT2A blockade, wild-type mice hypoventilated and their gasping resembled that of TPH2-/- mice. This study shows that both eupnea and gasping in vivo rely on the activation of 5-HT2A receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin J Cummings
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri and Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
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25
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Li S, Wang F. Vertebrate Evolution Conserves Hindbrain Circuits despite Diverse Feeding and Breathing Modes. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0435-20.2021. [PMID: 33707205 PMCID: PMC8174041 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0435-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Feeding and breathing are two functions vital to the survival of all vertebrate species. Throughout the evolution, vertebrates living in different environments have evolved drastically different modes of feeding and breathing through using diversified orofacial and pharyngeal (oropharyngeal) muscles. The oropharyngeal structures are controlled by hindbrain neural circuits. The developing hindbrain shares strikingly conserved organizations and gene expression patterns across vertebrates, thus begs the question of how a highly conserved hindbrain generates circuits subserving diverse feeding/breathing patterns. In this review, we summarize major modes of feeding and breathing and principles underlying their coordination in many vertebrate species. We provide a hypothesis for the existence of a common hindbrain circuit at the phylotypic embryonic stage controlling oropharyngeal movements that is shared across vertebrate species; and reconfiguration and repurposing of this conserved circuit give rise to more complex behaviors in adult higher vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shun Li
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710
| | - Fan Wang
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710
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26
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Inagaki RT, Raghuraman S, Chase K, Steele T, Zornik E, Olivera B, Yamaguchi A. Molecular characterization of frog vocal neurons using constellation pharmacology. J Neurophysiol 2020; 123:2297-2310. [PMID: 32374212 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00105.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Identification and characterization of neuronal cell classes in motor circuits are essential for understanding the neural basis of behavior. It is a challenging task, especially in a non-genetic-model organism, to identify cell-specific expression of functional macromolecules. Here, we performed constellation pharmacology, calcium imaging of dissociated neurons to pharmacologically identify functional receptors expressed by vocal neurons in adult male and female African clawed frogs, Xenopus laevis. Previously we identified a population of vocal neurons called fast trill neurons (FTNs) in the amphibian parabrachial nucleus (PB) that express N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors and GABA and/or glycine receptors. Using constellation pharmacology, we identified four cell classes of putative fast trill neurons (pFTNs, responsive to both NMDA and GABA/glycine applications). We discovered that some pFTNs responded to the application of substance P (SP), acetylcholine (ACh), or both. Electrophysiological recordings obtained from FTNs using an ex vivo preparation verified that SP and/or ACh depolarize FTNs. Bilateral injection of ACh, SP, or their antagonists into PBs showed that ACh receptors are not sufficient but necessary for vocal production, and SP receptors play a role in shaping the morphology of vocalizations. Additionally, we discovered that the PB of adult female X. laevis also contains all the subclasses of neurons at a similar frequency as in males, despite their sexually distinct vocalizations. These results reveal novel neuromodulators that regulate X. laevis vocal production and demonstrate the power of constellation pharmacology in identifying the neuronal subtypes marked by functional expression of cell-specific receptors in non-genetic-model organisms.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Molecular profiles of neurons are critical for understanding the neuronal functions, but their identification is challenging especially in non-genetic-model organisms. Here, we characterized the functional expression of membrane macromolecules in vocal neurons of African clawed frogs, Xenopus laevis, using a technique called constellation pharmacology. We discovered that receptors for acetylcholine and/or substance P are expressed by some classes of vocal neurons, and their activation plays a role in the production of normal vocalizations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryota T Inagaki
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | | | - Kevin Chase
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | | | - Erik Zornik
- Biology Department, Reed College, Portland, Oregon
| | - Baldomero Olivera
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Ayako Yamaguchi
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
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27
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Ashhad S, Feldman JL. Emergent Elements of Inspiratory Rhythmogenesis: Network Synchronization and Synchrony Propagation. Neuron 2020; 106:482-497.e4. [PMID: 32130872 PMCID: PMC11221628 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Revised: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
We assessed the mechanism of mammalian breathing rhythmogenesis in the preBötzinger complex (preBötC) in vitro, where experimental tests remain inconsistent with hypotheses of canonical rhythmogenic cellular or synaptic mechanisms, i.e., pacemaker neurons or inhibition. Under rhythmic conditions, in each cycle, an inspiratory burst emerges as (presumptive) preBötC rhythmogenic neurons transition from aperiodic uncorrelated population spike activity to become increasingly synchronized during preinspiration (for ∼50-500 ms), which can trigger inspiratory bursts that propagate to motoneurons. In nonrhythmic conditions, antagonizing GABAA receptors can initiate this synchronization while inducing a higher conductance state in nonrhythmogenic preBötC output neurons. Our analyses uncover salient features of preBötC network dynamics where inspiratory bursts arise when and only when the preBötC rhythmogenic subpopulation strongly synchronizes to drive output neurons. Furthermore, downstream propagation of preBötC network activity, ultimately to motoneurons, is dependent on the strength of input synchrony onto preBötC output neurons exemplifying synchronous propagation of network activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sufyan Ashhad
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Box 951763, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1763, USA
| | - Jack L Feldman
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Box 951763, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1763, USA.
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Buntschu S, Tscherter A, Heidemann M, Streit J. Critical Components for Spontaneous Activity and Rhythm Generation in Spinal Cord Circuits in Culture. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:81. [PMID: 32410961 PMCID: PMC7198714 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.00081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuronal excitability contributes to rhythm generation in central pattern generating networks (CPGs). In spinal cord CPGs, such intrinsic excitability partly relies on persistent sodium currents (INaP), whereas respiratory CPGs additionally depend on calcium-activated cation currents (ICAN). Here, we investigated the contributions of INaP and ICAN to spontaneous rhythm generation in neuronal networks of the spinal cord and whether they mainly involve Hb9 neurons. We used cultures of ventral and transverse slices from the E13-14 embryonic rodent lumbar spinal cord on multielectrode arrays (MEAs). All cultures showed spontaneous bursts of network activity. Blocking synaptic excitation with the AMPA receptor antagonist CNQX suppressed spontaneous network bursts and left asynchronous intrinsic activity at about 30% of the electrodes. Such intrinsic activity was completely blocked at all electrodes by both the INaP blocker riluzole as well as by the ICAN blocker flufenamic acid (FFA) and the more specific TRPM4 channel antagonist 9-phenanthrol. All three antagonists also suppressed spontaneous bursting completely and strongly reduced stimulus-evoked bursts. Also, FFA reduced repetitive spiking that was induced in single neurons by injection of depolarizing current pulses to few spikes. Other antagonists of unspecific cation currents or calcium currents had no suppressing effects on either intrinsic activity (gadolinium chloride) or spontaneous bursting (the TRPC channel antagonists clemizole and ML204 and the T channel antagonist TTA-P2). Combined patch-clamp and MEA recordings showed that Hb9 interneurons were activated by network bursts but could not initiate them. Together these findings suggest that both INaP through Na+-channels and ICAN through putative TRPM4 channels contribute to spontaneous intrinsic and repetitive spiking in spinal cord neurons and thereby to the generation of network bursts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jürg Streit
- Department of Physiology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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29
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Maric V, Ramanathan D, Mishra J. Respiratory regulation & interactions with neuro-cognitive circuitry. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 112:95-106. [PMID: 32027875 PMCID: PMC10092293 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2019] [Revised: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
It is increasingly being recognized that active control of breathing - a key aspect of ancient Vedic meditative practices, can relieve stress and anxiety and improve cognition. However, the underlying mechanisms of respiratory modulation of neurophysiology are just beginning to be elucidated. Research shows that brainstem circuits involved in the motor control of respiration receive input from and can directly modulate activity in subcortical circuits, affecting emotion and arousal. Meanwhile, brain regions involved in the sensory aspects of respiration, such as the olfactory bulb, are like-wise linked with wide-spread brain oscillations; and perturbing olfactory bulb activity can significantly affect both mood and cognition. Thus, via both motor and sensory pathways, there are clear mechanisms by which brain activity is entrained to the respiratory cycle. Here, we review evidence gathered across multiple species demonstrating the links between respiration, entrainment of brain activity and functional relevance for affecting mood and cognition. We also discuss further linkages with cardiac rhythms, and the potential translational implications for biorhythm monitoring and regulation in neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vojislav Maric
- Neural Engineering and Translation Labs, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Dhakshin Ramanathan
- Neural Engineering and Translation Labs, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Mental Health, VA San Diego Medical Center, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Jyoti Mishra
- Neural Engineering and Translation Labs, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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30
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Effects of inflammation on the developing respiratory system: Focus on hypoglossal (XII) neuron morphology, brainstem neurochemistry, and control of breathing. Respir Physiol Neurobiol 2020; 275:103389. [PMID: 31958568 DOI: 10.1016/j.resp.2020.103389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Revised: 01/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Breathing is fundamental to life and any adverse change in respiratory function can endanger the health of an organism or even be fatal. Perinatal inflammation is known to adversely affect breathing in preterm babies, but lung infection/inflammation impacts all stages of life from birth to death. Little is known about the role of inflammation in respiratory control, neuronal morphology, or neural function during development. Animal models of inflammation can provide understanding and insight into respiratory development and how inflammatory processes alter developmental phenotype in addition to providing insight into new treatment modalities. In this review, we focus on recent work concerning the development of neurons, models of perinatal inflammation with an emphasis on two common LPS-based models, inflammation and its impact on development, and current and potential treatments for inflammation within the respiratory control circuitry of the mammalian brainstem. We have also discussed models of inflammation in adults and have specifically focused on hypoglossal motoneurons (XII) and neurons of the nucleus tractus solitarii (nTS) as these nuclei have been studied more extensively than other brainstem nuclei participating in breathing and airway control. Understanding the impact of inflammation on the developmental aspects of respiratory control and breathing pattern is critical to addressing problems of cardiorespiratory dysregulation in disease and this overview points out many gaps in our current knowledge.
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31
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Evaluating the Burstlet Theory of Inspiratory Rhythm and Pattern Generation. eNeuro 2020; 7:ENEURO.0314-19.2019. [PMID: 31888961 PMCID: PMC6964920 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0314-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2019] [Revised: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The preBötzinger complex (preBötC) generates the rhythm and rudimentary motor pattern for inspiratory breathing movements. Here, we test “burstlet” theory (Kam et al., 2013a), which posits that low amplitude burstlets, subthreshold from the standpoint of inspiratory bursts, reflect the fundamental oscillator of the preBötC. In turn, a discrete suprathreshold process transforms burstlets into full amplitude inspiratory bursts that drive motor output, measurable via hypoglossal nerve (XII) discharge in vitro. We recap observations by Kam and Feldman in neonatal mouse slice preparations: field recordings from preBötC demonstrate bursts and concurrent XII motor output intermingled with lower amplitude burstlets that do not produce XII motor output. Manipulations of excitability affect the relative prevalence of bursts and burstlets and modulate their frequency. Whole-cell and photonic recordings of preBötC neurons suggest that burstlets involve inconstant subsets of rhythmogenic interneurons. We conclude that discrete rhythm- and pattern-generating mechanisms coexist in the preBötC and that burstlets reflect its fundamental rhythmogenic nature.
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32
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Effect of Riluzole, a Glutamate Release Inhibitor, on Synaptic Plasticity in the Intrahippocampal Aβ Rat Model of Alzheimer’s Disease. NEUROPHYSIOLOGY+ 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s11062-019-09820-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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33
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Abu-Hassan K, Taylor JD, Morris PG, Donati E, Bortolotto ZA, Indiveri G, Paton JFR, Nogaret A. Optimal solid state neurons. Nat Commun 2019; 10:5309. [PMID: 31796727 PMCID: PMC6890780 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13177-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Bioelectronic medicine is driving the need for neuromorphic microcircuits that integrate raw nervous stimuli and respond identically to biological neurons. However, designing such circuits remains a challenge. Here we estimate the parameters of highly nonlinear conductance models and derive the ab initio equations of intracellular currents and membrane voltages embodied in analog solid-state electronics. By configuring individual ion channels of solid-state neurons with parameters estimated from large-scale assimilation of electrophysiological recordings, we successfully transfer the complete dynamics of hippocampal and respiratory neurons in silico. The solid-state neurons are found to respond nearly identically to biological neurons under stimulation by a wide range of current injection protocols. The optimization of nonlinear models demonstrates a powerful method for programming analog electronic circuits. This approach offers a route for repairing diseased biocircuits and emulating their function with biomedical implants that can adapt to biofeedback.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamal Abu-Hassan
- Department of Physics, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Joseph D Taylor
- Department of Physics, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Paul G Morris
- Department of Physics, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK.,School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Elisa Donati
- Institute of Neuroinformatics, University of Zürich and ETH Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Zuner A Bortolotto
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Giacomo Indiveri
- Institute of Neuroinformatics, University of Zürich and ETH Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Julian F R Paton
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK.,Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Grafton, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Alain Nogaret
- Department of Physics, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK.
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34
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Zimmer MB, Fong AY, Milsom WK. Effect of temperature, age and the pons on respiratory rhythm in the rat brainstem-spinal cord. Respir Physiol Neurobiol 2019; 273:103333. [PMID: 31634578 DOI: 10.1016/j.resp.2019.103333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Revised: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Neonatal animals are extremely tolerant of hypothermia. However, cooling will ultimately lead to ventilatory arrest, or cessation of respiratory movements. Upon rewarming, ventilation can recover spontaneously (autoresuscitation). This study examined the effect of age (P0-P5) and the pons on respiratory-related output during hypothermic ventilatory arrest and recovery using a brainstem-spinal cord preparation of neonatal rats. As temperature fell, burst frequency slowed, burst duration increased, burst shape became fragmented and eventually respiratory arrest occurred in all preparations. Removing the pons had little effect on younger preparations (P0-P2). Older preparations (P4-P5) with the pons removed continued to burst at cooler temperatures compared to pons-intact preparations and burst durations were significantly longer. Episodic breathing patterns were observed in all preparations (all ages, pons on or off) at lower temperatures. At 27 °C, however, episodic breathing was only observed in younger preparations with the pons on. These data suggest that developmental changes occurring at the level of the pons underlie the loss of hypothermic tolerance and episodic breathing.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Beth Zimmer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ferris State University, Big Rapids, MI, 49307, USA.
| | - Angelina Y Fong
- Department of Physiology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - William K Milsom
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6R 1ZT, Canada
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35
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The pre-Bötzinger complex: Generation and modulation of respiratory rhythm. NEUROLOGÍA (ENGLISH EDITION) 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nrleng.2018.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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36
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Phillips RS, Rubin JE. Effects of persistent sodium current blockade in respiratory circuits depend on the pharmacological mechanism of action and network dynamics. PLoS Comput Biol 2019; 15:e1006938. [PMID: 31469828 PMCID: PMC6742421 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Revised: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 06/15/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The mechanism(s) of action of most commonly used pharmacological blockers of voltage-gated ion channels are well understood; however, this knowledge is rarely considered when interpreting experimental data. Effects of blockade are often assumed to be equivalent, regardless of the mechanism of the blocker involved. Using computer simulations, we demonstrate that this assumption may not always be correct. We simulate the blockade of a persistent sodium current (INaP), proposed to underlie rhythm generation in pre-Bötzinger complex (pre-BötC) respiratory neurons, via two distinct pharmacological mechanisms: (1) pore obstruction mediated by tetrodotoxin and (2) altered inactivation dynamics mediated by riluzole. The reported effects of experimental application of tetrodotoxin and riluzole in respiratory circuits are diverse and seemingly contradictory and have led to considerable debate within the field as to the specific role of INaP in respiratory circuits. The results of our simulations match a wide array of experimental data spanning from the level of isolated pre-BötC neurons to the level of the intact respiratory network and also generate a series of experimentally testable predictions. Specifically, in this study we: (1) provide a mechanistic explanation for seemingly contradictory experimental results from in vitro studies of INaP block, (2) show that the effects of INaP block in in vitro preparations are not necessarily equivalent to those in more intact preparations, (3) demonstrate and explain why riluzole application may fail to effectively block INaP in the intact respiratory network, and (4) derive the prediction that effective block of INaP by low concentration tetrodotoxin will stop respiratory rhythm generation in the intact respiratory network. These simulations support a critical role for INaP in respiratory rhythmogenesis in vivo and illustrate the importance of considering mechanism when interpreting and simulating data relating to pharmacological blockade. The application of pharmacological agents that affect transmembrane ionic currents in neurons is a commonly used experimental technique. A simplistic interpretation of experiments involving these agents suggests that antagonist application removes the impacted current and that subsequently observed changes in activity are attributable to the loss of that current’s effects. The more complex reality, however, is that different drugs may have distinct mechanisms of action, some corresponding not to a removal of a current but rather to a changing of its properties. We use computational modeling to explore the implications of the distinct mechanisms associated with two drugs, riluzole and tetrodotoxin, that are often characterized as sodium channel blockers. Through this approach, we offer potential explanations for disparate findings observed in experiments on neural respiratory circuits and show that the experimental results are consistent with a key role for the persistent sodium current in respiratory rhythm generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan S. Phillips
- Department of Mathematics and Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Jonathan E. Rubin
- Department of Mathematics and Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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37
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Steuer I, Guertin PA. Central pattern generators in the brainstem and spinal cord: an overview of basic principles, similarities and differences. Rev Neurosci 2019; 30:107-164. [PMID: 30543520 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2017-0102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2017] [Accepted: 03/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Central pattern generators (CPGs) are generally defined as networks of neurons capable of enabling the production of central commands, specifically controlling stereotyped, rhythmic motor behaviors. Several CPGs localized in brainstem and spinal cord areas have been shown to underlie the expression of complex behaviors such as deglutition, mastication, respiration, defecation, micturition, ejaculation, and locomotion. Their pivotal roles have clearly been demonstrated although their organization and cellular properties remain incompletely characterized. In recent years, insightful findings about CPGs have been made mainly because (1) several complementary animal models were developed; (2) these models enabled a wide variety of techniques to be used and, hence, a plethora of characteristics to be discovered; and (3) organizations, functions, and cell properties across all models and species studied thus far were generally found to be well-preserved phylogenetically. This article aims at providing an overview for non-experts of the most important findings made on CPGs in in vivo animal models, in vitro preparations from invertebrate and vertebrate species as well as in primates. Data about CPG functions, adaptation, organization, and cellular properties will be summarized with a special attention paid to the network for locomotion given its advanced level of characterization compared with some of the other CPGs. Similarities and differences between these networks will also be highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inge Steuer
- Neuroscience Unit, Laval University Medical Center (CHUL - CHU de Québec), 2705 Laurier Blvd, Quebec City, Quebec G1V 4G2, Canada
| | - Pierre A Guertin
- Neuroscience Unit, Laval University Medical Center (CHUL - CHU de Québec), 2705 Laurier Blvd, Quebec City, Quebec G1V 4G2, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Laval University, Quebec City, Quebec G1V 0A6, Canada
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38
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Robustness of respiratory rhythm generation across dynamic regimes. PLoS Comput Biol 2019; 15:e1006860. [PMID: 31361738 PMCID: PMC6697358 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2019] [Revised: 08/16/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
A central issue in the study of the neural generation of respiratory rhythms is the role of the intrinsic pacemaking capabilities that some respiratory neurons exhibit. The debate on this issue has occurred in parallel to investigations of interactions among respiratory network neurons and how these contribute to respiratory behavior. In this computational study, we demonstrate how these two issues are inextricably linked. We use simulations and dynamical systems analysis to show that once a conditional respiratory pacemaker, which can be tuned across oscillatory and non-oscillatory dynamic regimes in isolation, is embedded into a respiratory network, its dynamics become masked: the network exhibits similar dynamical properties regardless of the conditional pacemaker node's tuning, and that node's outputs are dominated by network influences. Furthermore, the outputs of the respiratory central pattern generator as a whole are invariant to these changes of dynamical properties, which ensures flexible and robust performance over a wide dynamic range.
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Phillips RS, John TT, Koizumi H, Molkov YI, Smith JC. Biophysical mechanisms in the mammalian respiratory oscillator re-examined with a new data-driven computational model. eLife 2019; 8:41555. [PMID: 30907727 PMCID: PMC6433470 DOI: 10.7554/elife.41555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
An autorhythmic population of excitatory neurons in the brainstem pre-Bötzinger complex is a critical component of the mammalian respiratory oscillator. Two intrinsic neuronal biophysical mechanisms—a persistent sodium current (INaP) and a calcium-activated non-selective cationic current (ICAN)—were proposed to individually or in combination generate cellular- and circuit-level oscillations, but their roles are debated without resolution. We re-examined these roles in a model of a synaptically connected population of excitatory neurons with ICAN and INaP. This model robustly reproduces experimental data showing that rhythm generation can be independent of ICAN activation, which determines population activity amplitude. This occurs when ICAN is primarily activated by neuronal calcium fluxes driven by synaptic mechanisms. Rhythm depends critically on INaP in a subpopulation forming the rhythmogenic kernel. The model explains how the rhythm and amplitude of respiratory oscillations involve distinct biophysical mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan S Phillips
- Cellular and Systems Neurobiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States.,Department of Physics, University of New Hampshire, Durham, United States
| | - Tibin T John
- Cellular and Systems Neurobiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Hidehiko Koizumi
- Cellular and Systems Neurobiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Yaroslav I Molkov
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Georgia State University, Atlanta, United States.,Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, United States
| | - Jeffrey C Smith
- Cellular and Systems Neurobiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
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40
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Picardo MCD, Sugimura YK, Dorst KE, Kallurkar PS, Akins VT, Ma X, Teruyama R, Guinamard R, Kam K, Saha MS, Del Negro CA. Trpm4 ion channels in pre-Bötzinger complex interneurons are essential for breathing motor pattern but not rhythm. PLoS Biol 2019; 17:e2006094. [PMID: 30789900 PMCID: PMC6400419 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2006094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2018] [Revised: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Inspiratory breathing movements depend on pre-Bötzinger complex (preBötC) interneurons that express calcium (Ca2+)-activated nonselective cationic current (ICAN) to generate robust neural bursts. Hypothesized to be rhythmogenic, reducing ICAN is predicted to slow down or stop breathing; its contributions to motor pattern would be reflected in the magnitude of movements (output). We tested the role(s) of ICAN using reverse genetic techniques to diminish its putative ion channels Trpm4 or Trpc3 in preBötC neurons in vivo. Adult mice transduced with Trpm4-targeted short hairpin RNA (shRNA) progressively decreased the tidal volume of breaths yet surprisingly increased breathing frequency, often followed by gasping and fatal respiratory failure. Mice transduced with Trpc3-targeted shRNA survived with no changes in breathing. Patch-clamp and field recordings from the preBötC in mouse slices also showed an increase in the frequency and a decrease in the magnitude of preBötC neural bursts in the presence of Trpm4 antagonist 9-phenanthrol, whereas the Trpc3 antagonist pyrazole-3 (pyr-3) showed inconsistent effects on magnitude and no effect on frequency. These data suggest that Trpm4 mediates ICAN, whose influence on frequency contradicts a direct role in rhythm generation. We conclude that Trpm4-mediated ICAN is indispensable for motor output but not the rhythmogenic core mechanism of the breathing central pattern generator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Cristina D. Picardo
- Department of Applied Science, Integrated Science Center, William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Yae K. Sugimura
- Department of Applied Science, Integrated Science Center, William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Kaitlyn E. Dorst
- Department of Applied Science, Integrated Science Center, William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Prajkta S. Kallurkar
- Department of Applied Science, Integrated Science Center, William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Victoria T. Akins
- Department of Applied Science, Integrated Science Center, William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Xingru Ma
- Department of Applied Science, Integrated Science Center, William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Ryoichi Teruyama
- Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Romain Guinamard
- Signalisation, Electrophysiologie et Imagerie des Lésions d’Ischémie-Reperfusion Myocardique, Normandie Université, UNICAEN, Caen, France
| | - Kaiwen Kam
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Margaret S. Saha
- Department of Biology, Integrated Science Center, William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Christopher A. Del Negro
- Department of Applied Science, Integrated Science Center, William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, United States of America
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41
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Pickett KL, Stein PS, Vincen-Brown MA, Pilarski JQ. Maturation of Breathing-Related Inhibitory Neurotransmission in the Medulla Oblongata of the Embryonic and Perinatal Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata). Dev Neurobiol 2018; 78:1081-1096. [PMID: 30160056 PMCID: PMC6596416 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2018] [Revised: 07/07/2018] [Accepted: 07/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The medullary portion of the embryonic zebra finch hindbrain was isolated and superfused with physiologically relevant artificial cerebral spinal fluid. This in vitro preparation produced uninterrupted rhythmic episodes of neural activity via cranial nerve IX (glossopharyngeal) from embryonic day 4 (E4) through hatching on E14. Cranial nerve IX carries motor activity to the glottis during the inspiratory phase of breathing, and we focused on the role of synaptic inhibition during the embryonic and perinatal maturation of this branchiomotor outflow. We show that spontaneous neural activity (SNA) is first observed on E4 and temporally transforms as the embryo ages. To start, SNA is dependent on the excitatory actions of GABAA and glycine. As the embryo continues to develop, GABAergic and glycinergic neurotransmission take on a modulatory role, albeit an excitatory one, through E10. After that, data show that GABAergic and glycinergic neurotransmission switches to a phenotype consistent with inhibition, coincident with the onset of functional breathing. We also report that the inhibitory action of GABAergic and glycinergic receptor gating is not necessary for the spontaneous generation of branchiomotor motor rhythms in these birds near hatching. This is the first report focusing on the development of central breathing-related inhibitory neurotransmission in birds during the entire period of embryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaci L. Pickett
- Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID. 83209-8007
| | - Paxton S. Stein
- Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID. 83209-8007
| | | | - Jason Q. Pilarski
- Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID. 83209-8007
- Department of Dental Sciences, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID. 83209-8007
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Yamanishi T, Koizumi H, Navarro MA, Milescu LS, Smith JC. Kinetic properties of persistent Na + current orchestrate oscillatory bursting in respiratory neurons. J Gen Physiol 2018; 150:1523-1540. [PMID: 30301870 PMCID: PMC6219691 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201812100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2018] [Revised: 08/14/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The rhythmic pattern of breathing depends on the pre-Bötzinger complex (preBötC) in the brainstem, a vital circuit that contains a population of neurons with intrinsic oscillatory bursting behavior. Here, we investigate the specific kinetic properties that enable voltage-gated sodium channels to establish oscillatory bursting in preBötC inspiratory neurons, which exhibit an unusually large persistent Na+ current (INaP). We first characterize the kinetics of INaP in neonatal rat brainstem slices in vitro, using whole-cell patch-clamp and computational modeling, and then test the contribution of INaP to rhythmic bursting in live neurons, using the dynamic clamp technique. We provide evidence that subthreshold activation, persistence at suprathreshold potentials, slow inactivation, and slow recovery from inactivation are kinetic features of INaP that regulate all aspects of intrinsic rhythmic bursting in preBötC neurons. The slow and cumulative inactivation of INaP during the burst active phase controls burst duration and termination, while the slow recovery from inactivation controls the duration of the interburst interval. To demonstrate this mechanism, we develop a Markov state model of INaP that explains a comprehensive set of voltage clamp data. By adding or subtracting a computer-generated INaP from a live neuron via dynamic clamp, we are able to convert nonbursters into intrinsic bursters, and vice versa. As a control, we test a model with inactivation features removed. Adding noninactivating INaP into nonbursters results in a pattern of random transitions between sustained firing and quiescence. The relative amplitude of INaP is the key factor that separates intrinsic bursters from nonbursters and can change the fraction of intrinsic bursters in the preBötC. INaP could thus be an important target for regulating network rhythmogenic properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tadashi Yamanishi
- Cellular and Systems Neurobiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.,The First Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hidehiko Koizumi
- Cellular and Systems Neurobiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Marco A Navarro
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO
| | - Lorin S Milescu
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO
| | - Jeffrey C Smith
- Cellular and Systems Neurobiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
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43
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Thoby-Brisson M. Neural mechanisms for sigh generation during prenatal development. J Neurophysiol 2018; 120:1162-1172. [PMID: 29897860 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00314.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The respiratory network of the preBötzinger complex (preBötC), which controls inspiratory behavior, can in normal conditions simultaneously produce two types of inspiration-related rhythmic activities: the eupneic rhythm composed of monophasic, low-amplitude, and relatively high-frequency bursts, interspersed with sigh rhythmic activity, composed of biphasic, high-amplitude, and lower frequency bursts. By combining electrophysiological recordings from transverse brainstem slices with computational modeling, new advances in the mechanisms underlying sigh production have been obtained during prenatal development. The present review summarizes recent findings that establish when sigh rhythmogenesis starts to be produced during embryonic development as well as the cellular, membrane, and synaptic properties required for its expression. Together, the results demonstrate that although generated by the same network, the eupnea and sigh rhythms have different developmental onset times and rely on distinct network properties. Because sighs (also known as augmented breaths) are important in maintaining lung function (by reopening collapsed alveoli), gaining insight into their underlying neural mechanisms at early developmental stages is likely to help in the treatment of prematurely born babies often suffering from breathing deficiencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muriel Thoby-Brisson
- Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d'Aquitaine, CNRS UMR 5287, Université de Bordeaux , Bordeaux , France
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44
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Lucas-Romero J, Rivera-Arconada I, Roza C, Lopez-Garcia JA. Origin and classification of spontaneous discharges in mouse superficial dorsal horn neurons. Sci Rep 2018; 8:9735. [PMID: 29950700 PMCID: PMC6021406 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-27993-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Accepted: 06/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Superficial laminae of the spinal cord possess a considerable number of neurons with spontaneous activity as reported in vivo and in vitro preparations of several species. Such neurons may play a role in the development of the nociceptive system and/or in the spinal coding of somatosensory signals. We have used electrophysiological techniques in a horizontal spinal cord slice preparation from adult mice to investigate how this activity is generated and what are the main patterns of activity that can be found. The results show the existence of neurons that fire regularly and irregularly. Within each of these main types, it was possible to distinguish patterns of spontaneous activity formed by single action potentials and different types of bursts according to intra-burst firing frequency. Activity in neurons with irregular patterns was blocked by a mixture of antagonists of the main neurotransmitter receptors present in the cord. Approximately 82% of neurons with a regular firing pattern were insensitive to synaptic antagonists but their activity was inhibited by specific ion channel blockers. It is suggested that these neurons generate endogenous activity due to the functional expression of hyperpolarisation-activated and persistent sodium currents driving the activity of irregular neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Lucas-Romero
- Department of Systems Biology, Universidad de Alcala, Alcala de Henares, 28871, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ivan Rivera-Arconada
- Department of Systems Biology, Universidad de Alcala, Alcala de Henares, 28871, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carolina Roza
- Department of Systems Biology, Universidad de Alcala, Alcala de Henares, 28871, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jose A Lopez-Garcia
- Department of Systems Biology, Universidad de Alcala, Alcala de Henares, 28871, Madrid, Spain.
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Abstract
Breathing is a well-described, vital and surprisingly complex behaviour, with behavioural and physiological outputs that are easy to directly measure. Key neural elements for generating breathing pattern are distinct, compact and form a network amenable to detailed interrogation, promising the imminent discovery of molecular, cellular, synaptic and network mechanisms that give rise to the behaviour. Coupled oscillatory microcircuits make up the rhythmic core of the breathing network. Primary among these is the preBötzinger Complex (preBötC), which is composed of excitatory rhythmogenic interneurons and excitatory and inhibitory pattern-forming interneurons that together produce the essential periodic drive for inspiration. The preBötC coordinates all phases of the breathing cycle, coordinates breathing with orofacial behaviours and strongly influences, and is influenced by, emotion and cognition. Here, we review progress towards cracking the inner workings of this vital core.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher A Del Negro
- Department of Applied Science, Integrated Science Center, William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA, USA
| | - Gregory D Funk
- Department of Physiology, Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, Women's and Children's Health Research Institute (WCHRI), Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jack L Feldman
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, Center for Health Sciences, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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Premotor Neuron Divergence Reflects Vocal Evolution. J Neurosci 2018; 38:5325-5337. [PMID: 29875228 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0089-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2018] [Revised: 04/09/2018] [Accepted: 04/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
To identify mechanisms of behavioral evolution, we investigated the hindbrain circuit that generates distinct vocal patterns in two closely related frog species. Male Xenopus laevis and Xenopus petersii produce courtship calls that include a fast trill: trains of ∼60 Hz sound pulses. Although fast trill rates are similar, X. laevis fast trills have a longer duration and period than those of X. petersii To pinpoint the neural basis of these differences, we used whole-cell patch-clamp recordings in a key premotor hindbrain nucleus (the Xenopus parabrachial area, PBX) in ex vivo brains that produce fictive vocalizations, vocal nerve activity corresponding to advertisement call patterns. We found two populations of PBX neurons with distinct properties: fast trill neurons (FTNs) and early vocal neurons (EVNs). FTNs, but not EVNs, appear to be intrinsically tuned to produce each species' call patterns because: (1) X. laevis FTNs generate longer and slower depolarizations than X. petersii FTNs during their respective fictive vocalizations, (2) current steps in FTNs induce burst durations that are significantly longer in X. laevis than X. petersii, and (3) synaptically isolated FTNs oscillate in response to NMDA in a species-specific manner: longer and slower in X. laevis than in X. petersii Therefore, divergence of premotor neuron membrane properties is a strong candidate for generating vocal differences between species.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The vertebrate hindbrain includes multiple neural circuits that generate rhythmic behaviors including vocalizations. Male African clawed frogs produce courtship calls that are unique to each species and differ in temporal patterns. Here, we identified two functional subtypes of neurons located in the parabrachial nucleus: a hindbrain region implicated in vocal and respiratory control across vertebrates. One of these neuronal subtypes exhibits distinct properties across species that can account for the evolutionary divergence of song patterns. Our results suggest that changes to this group of neurons during evolution may have had a major role in establishing novel behaviors in closely related species.
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Peña-Ortega F. Neural Network Reconfigurations: Changes of the Respiratory Network by Hypoxia as an Example. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2018; 1015:217-237. [PMID: 29080029 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-62817-2_12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Neural networks, including the respiratory network, can undergo a reconfiguration process by just changing the number, the connectivity or the activity of their elements. Those elements can be either brain regions or neurons, which constitute the building blocks of macrocircuits and microcircuits, respectively. The reconfiguration processes can also involve changes in the number of connections and/or the strength between the elements of the network. These changes allow neural networks to acquire different topologies to perform a variety of functions or change their responses as a consequence of physiological or pathological conditions. Thus, neural networks are not hardwired entities, but they constitute flexible circuits that can be constantly reconfigured in response to a variety of stimuli. Here, we are going to review several examples of these processes with special emphasis on the reconfiguration of the respiratory rhythm generator in response to different patterns of hypoxia, which can lead to changes in respiratory patterns or lasting changes in frequency and/or amplitude.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Peña-Ortega
- Departamento de Neurobiología del Desarrollo y Neurofisiología, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM-Campus Juriquilla, Boulevard Juriquilla 3001, Querétaro, 76230, Mexico.
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Organization of the core respiratory network: Insights from optogenetic and modeling studies. PLoS Comput Biol 2018; 14:e1006148. [PMID: 29698394 PMCID: PMC5940240 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2017] [Revised: 05/08/2018] [Accepted: 04/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The circuit organization within the mammalian brainstem respiratory network, specifically within and between the pre-Bötzinger (pre-BötC) and Bötzinger (BötC) complexes, and the roles of these circuits in respiratory pattern generation are continuously debated. We address these issues with a combination of optogenetic experiments and modeling studies. We used transgenic mice expressing channelrhodopsin-2 under the VGAT-promoter to investigate perturbations of respiratory circuit activity by site-specific photostimulation of inhibitory neurons within the pre-BötC or BötC. The stimulation effects were dependent on the intensity and phase of the photostimulation. Specifically: (1) Low intensity (≤ 1.0 mW) pulses delivered to the pre-BötC during inspiration did not terminate activity, whereas stronger stimulations (≥ 2.0 mW) terminated inspiration. (2) When the pre-BötC stimulation ended in or was applied during expiration, rebound activation of inspiration occurred after a fixed latency. (3) Relatively weak sustained stimulation (20 Hz, 0.5-2.0 mW) of pre-BötC inhibitory neurons increased respiratory frequency, while a further increase of stimulus intensity (> 3.0 mW) reduced frequency and finally (≥ 5.0 mW) terminated respiratory oscillations. (4) Single pulses (0.2-5.0 s) applied to the BötC inhibited rhythmic activity for the duration of the stimulation. (5) Sustained stimulation (20 Hz, 0.5-3.0 mW) of the BötC reduced respiratory frequency and finally led to apnea. We have revised our computational model of pre-BötC and BötC microcircuits by incorporating an additional population of post-inspiratory inhibitory neurons in the pre-BötC that interacts with other neurons in the network. This model was able to reproduce the above experimental findings as well as previously published results of optogenetic activation of pre-BötC or BötC neurons obtained by other laboratories. The proposed organization of pre-BötC and BötC circuits leads to testable predictions about their specific roles in respiratory pattern generation and provides important insights into key circuit interactions operating within brainstem respiratory networks.
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Transient Receptor Potential Channels TRPM4 and TRPC3 Critically Contribute to Respiratory Motor Pattern Formation but not Rhythmogenesis in Rodent Brainstem Circuits. eNeuro 2018; 5:eN-NWR-0332-17. [PMID: 29435486 PMCID: PMC5806591 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0332-17.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2017] [Revised: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Transient receptor potential channel, TRPM4, the putative molecular substrate for Ca2+-activated nonselective cation current (ICAN), is hypothesized to generate bursting activity of pre-Bötzinger complex (pre-BötC) inspiratory neurons and critically contribute to respiratory rhythmogenesis. Another TRP channel, TRPC3, which mediates Na+/Ca2+ fluxes, may be involved in regulating Ca2+-related signaling, including affecting TRPM4/ICAN in respiratory pre-BötC neurons. However, TRPM4 and TRPC3 expression in pre-BötC inspiratory neurons and functional roles of these channels remain to be determined. By single-cell multiplex RT-PCR, we show mRNA expression for these channels in pre-BötC inspiratory neurons in rhythmically active medullary in vitro slices from neonatal rats and mice. Functional contributions were analyzed with pharmacological inhibitors of TRPM4 or TRPC3 in vitro as well as in mature rodent arterially perfused in situ brainstem-spinal cord preparations. Perturbations of respiratory circuit activity were also compared with those by a blocker of ICAN. Pharmacologically attenuating endogenous activation of TRPM4, TRPC3, or ICANin vitro similarly reduced the amplitude of inspiratory motoneuronal activity without significant perturbations of inspiratory frequency or variability of the rhythm. Amplitude perturbations were correlated with reduced inspiratory glutamatergic pre-BötC neuronal activity, monitored by multicellular dynamic calcium imaging in vitro. In more intact circuits in situ, the reduction of pre-BötC and motoneuronal inspiratory activity amplitude was accompanied by reduced post-inspiratory motoneuronal activity, without disruption of rhythm generation. We conclude that endogenously activated TRPM4, which likely mediates ICAN, and TRPC3 channels in pre-BötC inspiratory neurons play fundamental roles in respiratory pattern formation but are not critically involved in respiratory rhythm generation.
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50
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Guo J, She J, Zeng W, Chen Q, Bai XC, Jiang Y. Structures of the calcium-activated, non-selective cation channel TRPM4. Nature 2017; 552:205-209. [PMID: 29211714 PMCID: PMC5901961 DOI: 10.1038/nature24997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2017] [Accepted: 11/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
TRPM4 is a calcium-activated, phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P2) -modulated, non-selective cation channel that belongs to the family of melastatin-related transient receptor potential (TRPM) channels. Here we present the electron cryo-microscopy structures of the mouse TRPM4 channel with and without ATP. TRPM4 consists of multiple transmembrane and cytosolic domains, which assemble into a three-tiered architecture. The N-terminal nucleotide-binding domain and the C-terminal coiled-coil participate in the tetrameric assembly of the channel; ATP binds at the nucleotide-binding domain and inhibits channel activity. TRPM4 has an exceptionally wide filter but is only permeable to monovalent cations; filter residue Gln973 is essential in defining monovalent selectivity. The S1-S4 domain and the post-S6 TRP domain form the central gating apparatus that probably houses the Ca2+- and PtdIns(4,5)P2-binding sites. These structures provide an essential starting point for elucidating the complex gating mechanisms of TRPM4 and reveal the molecular architecture of the TRPM family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiangtao Guo
- Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390-9040, USA.,Department of Biophysics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390-8816, USA
| | - Ji She
- Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390-9040, USA.,Department of Biophysics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390-8816, USA
| | - Weizhong Zeng
- Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390-9040, USA.,Department of Biophysics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390-8816, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390-9040, USA
| | - Qingfeng Chen
- Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390-9040, USA.,Department of Biophysics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390-8816, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390-9040, USA
| | - Xiao-Chen Bai
- Department of Biophysics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390-8816, USA.,Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390-9039, USA
| | - Youxing Jiang
- Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390-9040, USA.,Department of Biophysics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390-8816, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390-9040, USA
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