Neuronal basis of bimodal ventilation in lower vertebrates

呼吸也许是哺乳动物中最重要、最强健和最有节奏的行为，但关于产生呼吸节奏的节律神经元回路的性质的关键问题仍然在很大程度上没有得到解决。这些问题包括：（a）节律发生回路的范围有多大？(b)它能被简化为一些离散但相互作用的神经元振荡器吗？ 以及（c）电路是如何演变的？ 其动机是（a）呼吸对人类健康和福祉至关重要，（B）需要更多关于非哺乳动物物种呼吸中枢控制的知识，以及（c）比较方法有助于阐明其他系统生理学基础的神经机制，所提出的实验集中在低等脊椎动物呼吸的神经元控制上，并解决了节律回路的进化。

Breathing is perhaps the most vital, robust and rhythmic behavior in mammals yet key questions regarding the nature of the rhythmogenic neuronal circuit that generates the breathing rhythm remain largely unresolved. These include: (a) How extensive is the rhythmogenic circuit? (b) Can it be reduced to a number of discrete, but interacting neuronal oscillators? And (c) how did the circuit evolve? Motivated by (a) the fact that breathing is quintessential to human health and well-being, (b) the need for greater knowledge about central control of breathing in non-mammalian species and (c) the fact that a comparative approach has been instrumental in illuminating neuronal mechanisms underlying the physiology of other systems, the proposed experiments focus on neuronal control of breathing in lower vertebrates and address the evolution of the rhythmogenic circuit.