Odor Information Processing by the Olfactory Bulb Analyzed in Gene-Targeted Mice

In mammals, olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) expressing a specific odorant receptor (OR) gene project with precise stereotypy onto mitral/tufted (M/T) cells in the main olfactory bulb (MOB). It remains challenging to understand how incoming olfactory signals are transformed into outputs of M/T cells...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Neuron (Cambridge, Mass.) Mass.), 2010-03, Vol.65 (6), p.912-926
Main Authors: Tan, Jie, Savigner, Agnès, Ma, Minghong, Luo, Minmin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Female
Gene Targeting - methods
Genes
Insects
Ligands
Lymphocytes
Male
Mammals
Mice
Mice, Transgenic
Neurons
Odorants
Olfactory Bulb - physiology
Olfactory Pathways - physiology
Olfactory Receptor Neurons - physiology
Smell - physiology
Studies
SYSNEURO
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Summary:In mammals, olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) expressing a specific odorant receptor (OR) gene project with precise stereotypy onto mitral/tufted (M/T) cells in the main olfactory bulb (MOB). It remains challenging to understand how incoming olfactory signals are transformed into outputs of M/T cells. By recording from OSNs expressing mouse I7 receptor and their postsynaptic neurons in the bulb, we found that I7 OSNs and their corresponding M/T cells exhibit similarly selective tuning profiles at low concentrations. Increasing the concentration significantly reduces response selectivity for both OSNs and M/T cells, although the tuning curve of M/T cells remains comparatively narrow. By contrast, interneurons in the MOB are broadly tuned, and blocking GABAergic neurotransmission reduces selectivity of M/T cells at high odorant concentrations. Our results indicate that olfactory information carried by an OR is channeled to its corresponding M/T cells and support the role of lateral inhibition via interneurons in sharpening the tuning of M/T cells. [Display omitted] ► Recordings were made from M/T cells and OSNs associated with a specific glomerulus ► 4M/T cells respond selectively to odorants that activate their presynaptic OSNs 4Interneurons are broadly tuned ► Lateral inhibition sharpens the tuning of M/T cells at high odorant concentrations
ISSN:0896-6273
1097-4199
DOI:10.1016/j.neuron.2010.02.011