Marco Agrusa
Pronouns: He/him
Research Mentor(s): Peng Li
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Life Sciences Institute / Other
Program:
Authors: Marco Agrusa, Alisha Spoelman, Xingyu Li, Peng Li
Session: Session 6: 3:40 pm – 4:30 pm
Poster: 59
Abstract
A crucial process in the brain that gathers and interprets internal sensory data and controls feelings such as hunger, heart rate and the will to breathe is interoception. As important as it sounds, little is known on how breathing is controlled from Interoception signals on the respiratory system. The vagus nerve (cranial nerve X), which transmits ascending sensory data from the internal organs, exhibits notable structural variations among rodent species, which further complicates research in this area. In particular, the development and organization of the nodose and jugular ganglia that make up the vagal ganglia complex vary in rats, mice, and guinea pigs. In order to gain a deeper understanding of respiratory sensation and lay the groundwork for upcoming functional manipulations, we mapped the neurons connected to the spatial respiratory regions in mice in this work. We created surgical techniques to target neurons in the proximal trachea, distal trachea, and distal lung. The associated neurons were then fluorescently labeled using adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) and cholera toxin B (CTB). Our tracing studies showed that a considerable proportion of labeled neurons were also present in the jugular ganglia, even though the nodose ganglia contained the majority of the fluorescently labeled cell bodies. Moreover, under all circumstances where two respiratory regions were injected with distinct fluorescent channels of CTB, co-localized labeling was seen throughout the vagal ganglia. These findings lay a critical foundation for future functional manipulations and offer insight into plausible mechanisms for the spatial resolution of stimuli within the airways. Furthermore, by dissecting the mouse airway innervation structurally, research toward a deeper comprehension of respiratory disorders will be made possible.
