Jeffrey T. Potts, PhD

Email: PottsJT@missouri.edu

Research Interests: Research in my laboratory examines how individual neurons and interconnected populations of neurons encode information in the central nervous system, particularly as it relates to reflex control of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. The general goal of this research is to identify causal relationships between cellular/molecular processes and systems level function. To bridge these levels of analyses, we use a variety of electrophysiological techniques (extracellular, intracellular and patch-clamp recording), neuroanatomical tracing and neurochemical studies in conjunction with in vivo, in situ and in vitro preparations to examine the connectivity of neurons in the pontomedullary axis. Currently, we are investigating the cellular mechanisms underlying short-term changes in synaptic strength (ie. synaptic plasticity) and the consequences of these changes on function of the arterial baroreflex system. We have found that peripheral neurogenic feedback alters the excitability of barosensitive medullary neurons via local GABAergic circuits. These findings suggest that activation of GABA neurons modulates neurotransmission in central baroreceptor circuits. This, in turn, contributes to the induction of short-term plasticity in central barorereflex circuits. In addition, we are interested in examining the neural pathways and synaptic mechanisms responsible for establishing breathing rhythms during locomotion. In the future, we will incorporate knockout mice lacking NMDA and neurokinin receptors to examine their role in the generation of breathing rhythm. Our overall goal is to better understand how sensory feedback induces synaptic plasticity in pontomedullary neural networks in a physiologically-relevant context and determine the role for short-term and long-term changes in synaptic strength in cardiorespiratory homeostasis.

Publications:
J.T. Potts, K.M. Spyer and J.F.R. Paton. (2000) Somatosympathetic reflex in the working heart-brainstem preparation of the rat. Brain Res. Bull. 53(1): 59-67.

Leshnower, B.G., J.T. Potts, M.G. Garry and J.H. Mitchell (2001) Reflex cardiovascular responses evoked by selective activation of skeletal muscle ergoreceptors. J. Appl. Physiol. 90:308-316.

J.T. Potts and I. E. Fuchs. (2001) Naturalistic activation of barosensitive afferents release substance P in the commissural NTS of the cat. Brain Res. 893:155-164.

J. Li and J.T. Potts. (2001) Attenuation of the pressor response to activation of skeletal muscle afferents by increasing nitric oxide formation with L-arginine in the nucleus tractus solitarii. Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol. 280:H2371-H2379.

Li, J., J.T. Potts, G.L. Kramer, F. Petty and J.H. Mitchell. (2001) Activation of skeletal muscle afferents evokes release of glutamate in the subretrofacial nucleus of cats. Brain Res. 894:249-254.

J.T. Potts. (2001) Exercise and sensory integration: Role of the nucleus tractus solitarius. NY Acad. Sci., 940:221-236.

J.T. Potts. (2001) Neural circuits controlling cardiorespiratory responses: Baroreceptor and somatic afferents in the nucleus tractus solitarius. Clin. Expt. Pharmacol. Physiol. 29:103-111.

J.T. Potts, S.M. Lee and P.T. Anguelov. (2002) Tracing projection neurons from the cervical dorsal horn to the medulla with the anterograde tracer biotinylated dextran amine. Auton. Neurosci.: Clin. Basic 98:64-69.

J.T. Potts, J.F.R. Paton, J.H. Mitchell, M.G. Garry, G. Kline, P.T. Anguelov and S.M. Lee. (2003) Contraction-sensitive skeletal muscle afferents inhibit arterial baroreceptor signalling in the nucleus of the solitary tract: Role of intrinsic GABA interneurons. Neuroscience 119:201-214. (Journal Cover)

J.T. Potts, I.A. Rybak and J.F.R. Paton. (2005) Respiratory rhythm entrainment by somatic afferents stimulation. J. Neuroscience 25:1965-1978.

J.T. Potts and T.G. Waldrop. (2005) Discharge properties of somatosensitive neurons in nucleus tractus solitarii of the cat. Neuroscience 132:1123-1134. (Journal Cover)

A. Fong, R.L. Stornetta, C.M. Foley and J.T. Potts. (2005) Immunohistochemical localization of GAD67 in the rat medulla: subregional distribution in the nucleus tractus solitarii. J. Comp. Neurol. 493:274-290.

J.T. Potts. (2006) Inhibitory neurotransmission in NTS: Implications for baroreflex resetting during exercise. Expt. Physiol. 91:59-72. (Journal Cover)

J.T. Potts and J.F.R. Paton. (2006) Optical imaging of medullary ventral respiratory activity during eupnea and gasping in situ. Eur J. Neurosci. 23:3025-3033. (Journal Cover)

A.Y. Fong and J.T. Potts (2006) Neurokinin-1 receptor activation in Botzinger Complex evokes bradypnea. J. Physiol. (Lond) 575:869-885.

J.T. Potts, A.Y. Fong, P.I. Anguelov, S. Lee, D. McGovern and I. Grias (2007) Targeted deletion of NK1 receptor expressing NTS neurons prevents somatosensory depression of arterial-cardiac baroreflex. Neuroscience 468:000-000 (In Press)