Botzinger complex

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Group of neurons located in rostral ventrolateral medulla, and ventral respiratory column

title: "Botzinger complex" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["brainstem", "neuroanatomy", "respiration"] description: "Group of neurons located in rostral ventrolateral medulla, and ventral respiratory column" topic_path: "science/biology" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botzinger_complex" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Group of neurons located in rostral ventrolateral medulla, and ventral respiratory column ::

In mammals, the Bötzinger complex (BötC) is a group of mainly expiratory neurons located within the ventral respiratory column in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (immediately caudal to the facial nucleus and ventral to the compact formation of the nucleus ambiguus).

Function

The Bötzinger complex plays an important role in controlling breathing and response to hypoxia. It consists primarily of glycinergic neurons which inhibit the activity of inspiratory neurons. In the respiratory cycle, Bötzinger neurons show mainly E-augmenting or E-decrementing activity.

Name

The Bötzinger complex was named by the participants of a scientific meeting held in Hirschhorn in 1980 after a bottle of white wine named Botzinger present at the dinner table during the conference dinner.

Connections

The Bötzinger Complex has projections to:

Phrenic pre-motor neurons in the medulla
Phrenic motor neurons in the cervical spinal cord
The dorsal respiratory group (DRG)
Ventral respiratory group (VRG)
Pre-Bötzinger complex
Bötzinger complex itself
Parabrachial Kolliker-Fuse nucleus Only augmenting expiratory neurons of BötC, which are exclusively glycinergic, project to the phrenic nucleus.

Projections to the Bötzinger complex include the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) and VRG.

Physiology

These neurons may act as intrinsic pacemakers. E-decrementing neurons display an initial burst of activity followed by decrease towards the end of expiration. Aug-E neurons begin firing during the E2 phase and end before the phrenic nerve burst.

References

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(1987). "Morphology of expiratory neurons of the Bötzinger complex: an HRP study in the cat.". J Comp Neurol.
(1991). "Reciprocal connections between rostral ventrolateral medulla and inspiration-related medullary areas in the cat.". Brain Res.
Guyenet PG. (2000). "Neural structures that mediate sympathoexcitation during hypoxia.". Respir Physiol.
(1997). "Hypoxia-induced Fos expression in neurons projecting to the pressor region in the rostral ventrolateral medulla.". Neuroscience.
(1999). "The distribution of FOS-immunoreactive neurons in the brainstem, midbrain and diencephalon of fetal sheep in response to acute hypoxia in mid and late gestation.". Brain Res Dev Brain Res.
(2009). "Glycinergic interneurons are functionally integrated into the inspiratory network of mouse medullary slices.". Pflügers Arch.
(1986). "[Respiratory emergency in the newborn infant: extreme laryngotracheo-esophageal cleft (esophagotrachea)].". Monatsschr Kinderheilkd.
Richter DW. (1982). "Generation and maintenance of the respiratory rhythm.". J Exp Biol.
Merrill EG. (1981). "Where are the real respiratory neurons?". Fed Proc.
"What's so inspiring about respiration? {{!}} UCLA Health".
(1990). "Extensive monosynaptic inhibition of ventral respiratory group neurons by augmenting neurons in the Bötzinger complex in the cat.". Exp Brain Res.
(1988). "Axonal projections from Bötzinger expiratory neurons to contralateral ventral and dorsal respiratory groups in the cat.". Exp Brain Res.
(1998). "Bötzinger-complex expiratory neurons monosynaptically inhibit phrenic motoneurons in the decerebrate rat.". Exp Brain Res.
(1980). "Electrophysiological demonstration of the projection from expiratory neurones in rostral medulla to contralateral dorsal respiratory group.". Brain Res.
(1993). "Expiratory neurons of the Bötzinger Complex in the rat: a morphological study following intracellular labeling with biocytin.". J Comp Neurol.
(2014). "Respiratory rhythm generation in vivo.". Physiology.
(2003). "Inhibitory connections among rostral medullary expiratory neurones detected with cross-correlation in the decerebrate rat.". Pflügers Arch.
(2007). "Spatial and functional architecture of the mammalian brain stem respiratory network: a hierarchy of three oscillatory mechanisms.". J Neurophysiol.
(2003). "Brainstem and spinal projections of augmenting expiratory neurons in the rat.". Neurosci Res.
(1999). "Evidence for glycinergic respiratory neurons: Bötzinger neurons express mRNA for glycinergic transporter 2.". J Comp Neurol.
(2009). "Are L-glutamate and ATP cotransmitters of the peripheral chemoreflex in the rat nucleus tractus solitarius?". Exp Physiol.
(1975). "[Regional distribution of pulmonary perfusion during fluid overload in man].". Ann Anesthesiol Fr.
(1992). "Projections to Bötzinger expiratory neurons by dorsal and ventral respiratory group neurons.". NeuroReport.
(2014). "Intrinsic properties of rostral ventrolateral medulla presympathetic and bulbospinal respiratory neurons of juvenile rats are not affected by chronic intermittent hypoxia.". Exp Physiol.
(2014). "Short-term sustained hypoxia induces changes in the coupling of sympathetic and respiratory activities in rats.". J Physiol.

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