Molecular identification of neural circuits controlling vocalization and cardiopulmonary physiology
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- The nucleus ambiguus is a small column of several hundred neurons in the brainstem that is essential for critical functions including speech and neural control of the heart and lungs, but the cell types that control these distinct functions have not been molecularly identified. Here I describe my work dissecting this region using retrograde labeling, single-cell RNA sequencing, single-molecule fluorescent in situ hybridization, and functional experiments in mice. These experiments revealed the first molecularly defined neurons that control vocalization and cardiopulmonary physiology. One of the identified cell types consists of ~160 neurons adjacent to the nucleus ambiguus that express a specific neuropeptide and are necessary and sufficient for producing sound and controlling sound volume. Activating these neurons finely coordinates laryngeal and expiratory muscles, revealing the neural mechanism for sound production and volume control. I then identified two additional molecularly distinct cell types, one that selectively controls the heart and maintains blood pressure homeostasis (~35 neurons), and another that coordinates heart and lung function during an ancient physiological reflex (~15 neurons). Taken together, this work revealed intermingled but specialized neural circuits for three critical physiological and social functions: cardiovascular control, cardiopulmonary control, and vocalization, laying a foundation for precisely modulating these circuits in health and disease.
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Form | electronic resource; remote; computer; online resource |
| Extent | 1 online resource. |
| Place | California |
| Place | [Stanford, California] |
| Publisher | [Stanford University] |
| Copyright date | 2023; ©2023 |
| Publication date | 2023; 2023 |
| Issuance | monographic |
| Language | English |
Creators/Contributors
| Author | Veerakumar, Avin |
|---|---|
| Degree supervisor | Krasnow, Mark, 1956- |
| Thesis advisor | Krasnow, Mark, 1956- |
| Thesis advisor | Kingsley, David M. (David Mark) |
| Thesis advisor | Lee, Jin Hyung |
| Degree committee member | Kingsley, David M. (David Mark) |
| Degree committee member | Lee, Jin Hyung |
| Associated with | Stanford University, School of Engineering |
| Associated with | Stanford University, Department of Bioengineering |
Subjects
| Genre | Theses |
|---|---|
| Genre | Text |
Bibliographic information
| Statement of responsibility | Avin Veerakumar. |
|---|---|
| Note | Submitted to the Department of Bioengineering. |
| Thesis | Thesis Ph.D. Stanford University 2023. |
| Location | https://purl.stanford.edu/sy488qr5419 |
Access conditions
- Copyright
- © 2023 by Avin Veerakumar
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