Yingtang published her work on a PACAP peptidergic brainstem system in mice that is activated immediately at birth to support breathing (Nature 589: 426-430, 2021). The activation of PACAP expression in RTN respiratory chemoreceptor neurons appears to result from initiation of air breathing; when PACAP is eliminated from RTN neurons in mice, they exhibit blunted breathing reflexes and greater numbers of apneas (pauses in breathing). In mouse pups, these effects are exacerbated by environmental challenges (e.g., thermal), like those associated with SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). Thus, PACAP expression in RTN neurons stimulated by air breathing supports a critical, yet vulnerable, neonatal respiratory system; issues with this system may account for earlier genetic associations of PACAP variants with SIDS. This collaborative work included contributions from various Bayliss lab colleagues, our long-time UVA collaborators (Patrice Guyenet, Ruth Stornetta, Ed Perez-Reyes), the Greg Funk lab (University of Alberta) and Rachel Ross & Brad Lowell (Harvard University).
Comments