title: Identification of central nervous system neurons innervating the respiratory muscles of the mouse: a transneuronal tracing study.
abstract: In recent years, the central control of breathing in mammals has been the subject of numerous studies. The aim of the present one was to characterize the neuronal network projecting to the main respiratory motoneurons, in adult mice. To this end, the morphology and location of the respiratory motoneurons and their sequential connections with other neurons were revealed using a transneuronal tracing technique by means of the rabies virus infection. The injections of the rabies virus in the respiratory muscles resulted in labeling the motoneurons and their serially connected interneurons at multiple levels of the mouse central nervous system: spinal cord, pons and medulla, cerebellum, mesencephalon, diencephalon, and telencephalon. Most of these labeled areas have been previously identified in the control of cardiorespiratory regulation, as well as in other autonomic functions. These anatomical data provide support for the integration of respiratory-related activities in complex behavioral responses. Furthermore, these data suggest similarities in the evolution of central respiratory networks in mammals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Physiology and Biology, University of Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain. sgaytan@us.es
authors.forename: Susana P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Gaytán
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pásaro
authors.forename: Patrice
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Coulon
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bevengut
authors.forename: Gérard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hilaire
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D007395:Interneurons / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D011820:Rabies virus; D012132:Respiratory Muscles / Q000294:innervation*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission