Figure 4

Severe impairment of the overall network activity and of inhibitory and excitatory synaptic transmission in pre-Bötzinger-complex (preBötC) neurons of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β2 knock-out (KO) mice. (a-c)Representative recordings (a), mean frequency (b) and amplitude (c) of spontaneous network activity (total spontaneous postsynaptic currents (sPSCs)) in brainstem preBötC neurons. (d-f) Representative recordings (d), mean frequency (e) and amplitude (f) of pharmacologically isolated spontaneous GABA/glycinergic postsynaptic currents (sIPSCs) in brainstem preBötC neurons. (g-i) Representative recordings (g), mean frequency (h) and amplitude (i) of spontaneous glutamatergic postsynaptic current (sEPSCs) in brainstem preBötC neurons. (j-l) Representative recordings (j), mean frequency (k) and amplitude (l) of pharmacologically isolated miniature GABA/glycinergic postsynaptic current (mIPSCs) in brainstem preBötC neurons. (m-o) Representative recordings (m), mean frequency (n) and amplitude (o) of pharmacologically isolated miniature glutamatergic postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs) in brainstem preBötC neurons. (p) Representative traces of mISPCs (p) in response to application of 300 mM sucrose (arrow) in wild-type (WT) and KO mice. (q) Time-frequency relationship of mIPSCs evoked by hyperosmotic sucrose stimulation. Results are given as mean ± standard error of the mean and numbers in bars indicate the number of tested neurons/mice for each genotype. CON, control.