Brainstem and Spinal Cord Circuitry Regulating REM Sleep and Muscle Atonia
Open Access
- 17 October 2011
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Public Library of Science (PLoS) in PLOS ONE
- Vol. 6 (10), e24998
- https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0024998
Abstract
Previous work has suggested, but not demonstrated directly, a critical role for both glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons of the pontine tegmentum in the regulation of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. To determine the in vivo roles of these fast-acting neurotransmitters in putative REM pontine circuits, we injected an adeno-associated viral vector expressing Cre recombinase (AAV-Cre) into mice harboring lox-P modified alleles of either the vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (VGLUT2) or vesicular GABA-glycine transporter (VGAT) genes. Our results show that glutamatergic neurons of the sublaterodorsal nucleus (SLD) and glycinergic/GABAergic interneurons of the spinal ventral horn contribute to REM atonia, whereas a separate population of glutamatergic neurons in the caudal laterodorsal tegmental nucleus (cLDT) and SLD are important for REM sleep generation. Our results further suggest that presynaptic GABA release in the cLDT-SLD, ventrolateral periaqueductal gray matter (vlPAG) and lateral pontine tegmentum (LPT) are not critically involved in REM sleep control. These findings reveal the critical and divergent in vivo role of pontine glutamate and spinal cord GABA/glycine in the regulation of REM sleep and atonia and suggest a possible etiological basis for REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD).Keywords
This publication has 34 references indexed in Scilit:
- Reassessment of the structural basis of the ascending arousal systemJournal of Comparative Neurology, 2010
- Brainstem Circuitry Regulating Phasic Activation of Trigeminal Motoneurons during REM SleepPLOS ONE, 2010
- Orexin/Hypocretin and Histamine: Distinct Roles in the Control of Wakefulness Demonstrated Using Knock-Out Mouse ModelsJournal of Neuroscience, 2009
- Medullary Circuitry Regulating Rapid Eye Movement Sleep and Motor AtoniaJournal of Neuroscience, 2009
- Hypocretin-2 Saporin Lesions of the Ventrolateral Periaquaductal Gray (vlPAG) Increase REM Sleep in Hypocretin Knockout MicePLOS ONE, 2009
- Localization of the Brainstem GABAergic Neurons Controlling Paradoxical (REM) SleepPLOS ONE, 2009
- Synaptic release of GABA by AgRP neurons is required for normal regulation of energy balanceNature Neuroscience, 2008
- REM sleep behavior disorder in a patient with pontine strokeSleep Medicine, 2008
- The pontine REM switch: past and presentThe Journal of Physiology, 2007
- Synaptic Glutamate Release by Ventromedial Hypothalamic Neurons Is Part of the Neurocircuitry that Prevents HypoglycemiaCell Metabolism, 2007