In a new study, researchers from multiple institutions in the United States found evidence that a protein called Piezo2 plays a role in controlling the breathing process of mice. The relevant research results were published in the journal Nature, and the title of the paper is "Piezo2sensesairwaystretchandmediateslunginflation-ductiveapnoea". Christo Goridis of the Institute of Biology at the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris, France, published news and opinion-based articles about the research.
As Goridis noted, previous studies have confirmed that many animals, including humans, have Herringbroiler flex (also known as Herringbruer flex or Herringwhite reflex). When the lungs are full of gas, this is an automatic mechanism that prevents gas inhalation and overfilling the lungs. Overfilling the lungs may cause damage. However, so far, little is known about the mechanisms involved in this process. To learn more, researchers have begun to study vagus neurons in the respiratory tract of mice. Previous studies have confirmed that they play a role in breathing: they have information about lung diseases. To the brain. Previous studies have confirmed that the protein Piezo2 is also involved in this process, but it is not clear how it participates in this process. In this new study, researchers are trying to learn more about the location of protein expression in the lung system and its role. The researchers conducted a series of experiments to confirm that Piezo2 is expressed in nodular ganglia, cervical ganglia, some spinal sensory neurons, and most importantly in the lungs. In order to clarify the role of the protein in different regions, they no longer function as genes related to the expression of the protein. They found that lack of Piezo2 in the dorsal root and cervical neurons caused newborn mice to die of breathing difficulties. Turning off the production of this protein in nodular neurons only allowed these mice to grow into adults, but prevented the activation of the Hebrew reflex-these mice showed abnormal amounts of air during normal breathing. Inhale. They also modified the nerves involved in the light response so that Piezo2 expression can be activated and inhibited as needed. This allows you to activate Hebrew reflection by simply turning on the light.
The researchers pointed out that Piezo2 is obviously an important part of the breathing process, but more research is needed to better understand the working principle of the entire breathing process.