A fundamental step in understanding sensation is understanding how neural circuits in the brain transform patterns of sensory neuron activity into robust and efficient representations of the external world. Sensation is an active process in which the detection and initial encoding of sensory information is dynamically modulated by sampling behavior and behavioral state. Understanding how central circuits process sensory information in the context of active sampling is critical for understanding the neural basis of sensation in the behaving animal. The goals of this project are to understand how neural circuits in the mammalian olfactory bulb transform sensory inputs in vivo and in the context of active odor sampling. We will ask how certain bulb networks - in particular those mediating interactions between glomerular modules (interglomerular circuits) and those mediating inhibition within a glomerulus (intraglomerular circuits) shape the patterns of olfactory bulb output that are transmitted to cortex as a neural code for odor information. We will also ask how active 'sniffing' of odors at high frequency changes the operation of these circuits. We will use an innovative toolbox of genetic, optical and electrophysiological approaches that we have optimized for the in vivo dissection of circuit function, applied primarily in the awake, head-fixed mouse. There are two broad Aims designed to generate an understanding of the how the olfactory bulb network transforms sensory inputs acquired by the behaving animal.
The first Aim focuses on interglomerular circuits and will map how these circuits influence mitral cell output from olfactor bulb glomeruli and how they are organized with respect to the glomerular odor map. We will use optogenetic activation of sensory input to genetically-tagged glomeruli expressing different odorant receptors, combined with selective imaging of excitation and inhibition from mitral cells innervating these glomeruli.
The second Aim focuses on intraglomerular inhibition and will ask what role this inhibition plays in shaping the input-output functions of mitral cells during natura odor sampling. We will quantitatively compare responses of periglomerular versus mitral cells to optogenetically- and odorant-evoked inputs using imaging in the awake mouse, and perform whole-cell recordings from mitral cells during selective optogenetic suppression of intra- (but not inter-) glomerular inhibition. The overall impact of this project will be to advance a mechanistic understanding of how central circuits transform sensory inputs into the neural patterns of activity that underlie perception and an understanding of how these circuits function during behavior.

Public Health Relevance

The sense of smell presents unique problems to the nervous system in terms of stimulus detection, neural encoding and recognition of complex stimuli; understanding how the brain solves these problems will likely lead to general insights into how the brain processes information. This project investigates how neural circuits in the mammalian olfactory bulb transform olfactory sensory inputs in the intact animal and in the context of active odor sampling. Understanding how neural circuits function during the active sampling of sensory information is fundamental to understanding the neural basis of sensation in any modality including vision, audition or somatosensation. These insights could be important in developing improved prosthetic sensory organs and point towards more successful therapeutic approaches to sensory system deficits.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01DC006441-14
Application #
9013399
Study Section
Somatosensory and Chemosensory Systems Study Section (SCS)
Program Officer
Sullivan, Susan L
Project Start
2004-01-22
Project End
2019-02-28
Budget Start
2016-03-01
Budget End
2017-02-28
Support Year
14
Fiscal Year
2016
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Utah
Department
Neurosciences
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
009095365
City
Salt Lake City
State
UT
Country
United States
Zip Code
84112
Díaz-Quesada, Marta; Youngstrom, Isaac A; Tsuno, Yusuke et al. (2018) Inhalation Frequency Controls Reformatting of Mitral/Tufted Cell Odor Representations in the Olfactory Bulb. J Neurosci 38:2189-2206
Eiting, Thomas P; Wachowiak, Matt (2018) Artificial Inhalation Protocol in Adult Mice. Bio Protoc 8:
Economo, Michael N; Hansen, Kyle R; Wachowiak, Matt (2016) Control of Mitral/Tufted Cell Output by Selective Inhibition among Olfactory Bulb Glomeruli. Neuron 91:397-411
Gee, J Michael; Smith, Nathan A; Fernandez, Fernando R et al. (2014) Imaging activity in neurons and glia with a Polr2a-based and cre-dependent GCaMP5G-IRES-tdTomato reporter mouse. Neuron 83:1058-72
Rothermel, Markus; Wachowiak, Matt (2014) Functional imaging of cortical feedback projections to the olfactory bulb. Front Neural Circuits 8:73
Cenier, Tristan; McGann, John P; Tsuno, Yusuke et al. (2013) Testing the sorption hypothesis in olfaction: a limited role for sniff strength in shaping primary odor representations during behavior. J Neurosci 33:79-92
Rothermel, Markus; Brunert, Daniela; Zabawa, Christine et al. (2013) Transgene expression in target-defined neuron populations mediated by retrograde infection with adeno-associated viral vectors. J Neurosci 33:15195-206
Wachowiak, Matt; Economo, Michael N; Diaz-Quesada, Marta et al. (2013) Optical dissection of odor information processing in vivo using GCaMPs expressed in specified cell types of the olfactory bulb. J Neurosci 33:5285-300
Carey, Ryan M; Wachowiak, Matt (2011) Effect of sniffing on the temporal structure of mitral/tufted cell output from the olfactory bulb. J Neurosci 31:10615-26
Wachowiak, Matt (2011) All in a sniff: olfaction as a model for active sensing. Neuron 71:962-73

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