Breathing with phox2b.

Full Abstract

In the last few years, elucidation of the architecture of breathing control centres has reached the cellular level. This has been facilitated by increasing knowledge of the molecular signatures of various classes of hindbrain neurons. Here, we review the advances achieved by studying the homeodomain factor Phox2b, a transcriptional determinant of neuronal identity in the central and peripheral nervous systems. Evidence from human genetics, neurophysiology and mouse reverse genetics converges to implicate a small population of Phox2b-dependent neurons, located in the retrotrapezoid nucleus, in the detection of CO(2), which is a paramount source of the 'drive to breathe'. Moreover, the same and other studies suggest that an overlapping or identical neuronal population, the parafacial respiratory group, might contribute to the respiratory rhythm at least in some circumstances, such as for the initiation of breathing following birth. Together with the previously established Phox2b dependency of other respiratory neurons (which we review briefly here), our new data highlight a key role of this transcription factor in setting up the circuits for breathing automaticity.

Author information

Author/s: Dubreuil, Véronique (V); Barhanin, Jacques (J); Goridis, Christo (C); Brunet, Jean-François (JF);

Affiliation: Ecole normale supérieure, Département de Biologie, 75005 Paris, France.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Review

Journal: Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences (Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci), published in England. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-Sep; vol 364 (issue 1529) : pp 2477-83

Dates: Created 2009/08/04; Completed 2009/10/30;

PMID: 19651649, status: MEDLINE (last retrieved date: 10/30/2009)

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