Neural control of respiration in lampreys

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Respiration is a vital motor behaviour that begins at birth and is maintained throughout life. The neural mechanisms generating and modulating respiration are still not well understood. Such an understanding requires knowledge relative to the synaptic connectivity of the entire network as well as the membrane properties of the comprising generator neurons. The complexity of the mammalian Central Nervous System (CNS) renders this task difficult and simpler CNS models are needed. Lampreys are basal vertebrates that have diverged from other vertebrate species some 560 million years ago. The organisation of their brainstem, however, is strikingly similar to that of mammals. Moreover, the neural circuitry generating respiration in lampreys stays active after isolation in vitro of their CNS, and continues to generate respiratory output very similar to that observed in intact animals. We propose to characterize the neural circuitry both at the system (synaptic connectivity) and cellular (intrinsic properties of neurons) levels in the CNS of lampreys. The relative contribution of synaptic and intrinsic properties to respiration will be established as well as the connectivity in the respiratory network.