Glomeruli are the structures around which neurons are organized in the olfactory bulb. Each glomerulus carries information about a single odorant receptor in the nose, and has a specific population of glutamatergic mitral cells (MCs) and tufted cells (TCs) associated with it. The broad objective of this proposal is to build on provocative recent results from a variety of labs, including our own, pertaining to the cellular connectivity within a glomerulus. These studies suggest that most signaling between olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) and MCs occurs through a multi-step path involving intermediary glutamatergic TCs (OSN-to-TC-to-MC), differing from the canonical model of direct OSN-to-MC excitation. In addition, glutamatergic signals from TCs are unusual, being mediated by long-range extrasynaptic transmission. These results are however controversial, as limited ultrastructural data suggest that OSNs are at least capable of making direct morphological contacts on MCs. In this application, we propose in Aim 1 to apply new approaches, including quantitative ultrastructural analyses, to establish whether the multi-step path is indeed the dominant signaling mechanism between OSNs and MCs.
Aims 2 and 3 will then examine possible functional implications of a multi-step path for MCs using electrophysiological recordings in brain slices and awake behaving mice. The extrasynaptic nature of glutamate signaling from TCs, in particular, predicts that excitation of MCs should be highly non-linear, reflecting the accumulation of glutamate. For odor responses, this could, mean, for example, that MC responses to different odors are exceptionally sparse and display a steep dependence on odor concentration. A key tool in our functional studies will be connexin-36 knockout mice. Because OSN signaling onto MCs in these mice appears to be converted from multi-step to monosynaptic, they provide a potentially direct way to assess whether the multi-step activation path for MCs is causally related to specific functional properties. Taken together, our studies wil lead to important new information about the relationship between the structure and function of an olfactory circuit.

Public Health Relevance

In humans, deficits in the sense of smell are encountered in many neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia. Our studies of fundamental circuit mechanisms in the olfactory bulb will provide the basis for understanding specific disease-associated olfactory deficits and also potential treatments.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01DC006640-14
Application #
9591756
Study Section
Somatosensory and Chemosensory Systems Study Section (SCS)
Program Officer
Sullivan, Susan L
Project Start
2004-04-01
Project End
2020-11-30
Budget Start
2018-12-01
Budget End
2019-11-30
Support Year
14
Fiscal Year
2019
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Colorado Denver
Department
Physiology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
041096314
City
Aurora
State
CO
Country
United States
Zip Code
80045
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Bourne, Jennifer N; Schoppa, Nathan E (2017) Three-dimensional synaptic analyses of mitral cell and external tufted cell dendrites in rat olfactory bulb glomeruli. J Comp Neurol 525:592-609
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Zak, Joseph D; Whitesell, Jennifer D; Schoppa, Nathan E (2015) Metabotropic glutamate receptors promote disinhibition of olfactory bulb glomeruli that scales with input strength. J Neurophysiol 113:1907-20
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Luna, Victor M; Schoppa, Nathan E (2008) GABAergic circuits control input-spike coupling in the piriform cortex. J Neurosci 28:8851-9

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