In an environment cluttered with competing information, animals are faced with the challenge of detecting stimuli critical for their survival and reproductive success. Neural mechanisms such as center-surround, orientation selectivity and color opponency promote feature extraction in the early visual system. Less is understood, however, about how perceptual saliency is achieved in the olfactory system. We hypothesize that gain control by synaptic modulation is an important mechanism to prune irrelevant olfactory information and accentuate neural response to behaviorally relevant cues in the environment. Olfactory systems exhibit similar design principles across many species in the animal kingdom, including insects and mammals. Insect odorant receptor neurons (ORNs) relay odor information to glomeruli in the antennal lobe (AL), a structure that resembles the vertebrate olfactory bulb. Excitatory and inhibitory local interneurons (LNs) in the antennal lobe play an important role in controlling antennal lobe output. Axons of second order projection neurons (PNs) innervate two higher brain centers - the mushroom body (MB) and the lateral horn (LH). The anatomical simplicity and the power of genetics make Drosophila a particularly amenable system to study the neural circuit for feature extraction in the olfactory system. Experiments in Aims 1 are designed to probe the modulatory mechanism of dopamine in a context-dependent olfactory behavior.
In Aims 2 and 3, we will test the hypothesis that serotonin, a neuromodulator associated with arousal and wakefulness, promotes contrast enhancement and functions to enhance feature in a noisy odor environment. Behavioral experiments are aimed to test the role of serotonin in this context (Specific Aim 2). Physiological experiments are designed to better understand the antennal lobe circuitry mediating serotonin's effects on odor representation (Specific Aim 3). Neuromodulators play key roles in flexibly altering synaptic processing in local circuits in response to both internal and external cues. The proposed projects address the role of serotonin and dopamine in a fundamental problem in olfactory processing: how does olfactory context influence the saliency of certain olfactory features? Understanding basic principles about how neuromodulators exert their actions on simple olfactory circuits will provide insight into understanding how different therapeutic agents targeting serotonin or dopamine signaling shape information processing in neural systems.

Public Health Relevance

The proposed projects address the role of serotonin and dopamine in a fundamental problem in sensory processing: how does olfactory context influence the saliency of certain olfactory features? Understanding basic principles about how neuromodulators exert their actions on simple olfactory circuits will provide insight into understanding how different therapeutic agents targeting serotonin or dopamine signaling shape information processing in neural systems.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01DC009597-10
Application #
9272863
Study Section
Molecular Neurogenetics Study Section (MNG)
Program Officer
Sullivan, Susan L
Project Start
2008-06-20
Project End
2018-05-31
Budget Start
2017-06-01
Budget End
2018-05-31
Support Year
10
Fiscal Year
2017
Total Cost
$314,957
Indirect Cost
$102,457
Name
University of California San Diego
Department
Biology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
804355790
City
La Jolla
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
92093
Sethi, Sachin; Wang, Jing W (2017) A versatile genetic tool for post-translational control of gene expression in Drosophila melanogaster. Elife 6:
Tao, Xiaodong; Lin, Hui-Hao; Lam, Tuwin et al. (2017) Transcutical imaging with cellular and subcellular resolution. Biomed Opt Express 8:1277-1289
Kim, Susy M; Su, Chih-Ying; Wang, Jing W (2017) Neuromodulation of Innate Behaviors in Drosophila. Annu Rev Neurosci 40:327-348
Ng, Renny; Lin, Hui-Hao; Wang, Jing W et al. (2017) Electrophysiological Recording from Drosophila Trichoid Sensilla in Response to Odorants of Low Volatility. J Vis Exp :
Lin, Hui-Hao; Cao, De-Shou; Sethi, Sachin et al. (2016) Hormonal Modulation of Pheromone Detection Enhances Male Courtship Success. Neuron 90:1272-1285
Kim, Susy M; Wang, Jing W (2016) Hygrosensation: Feeling Wet and Cold. Curr Biol 26:R408-10
Ko, Kang I; Root, Cory M; Lindsay, Scott A et al. (2015) Starvation promotes concerted modulation of appetitive olfactory behavior via parallel neuromodulatory circuits. Elife 4:
Su, Chih-Ying; Wang, Jing W (2014) Modulation of neural circuits: how stimulus context shapes innate behavior in Drosophila. Curr Opin Neurobiol 29:9-16
Sen, Sonia; Cao, Deshou; Choudhary, Ramveer et al. (2014) Genetic transformation of structural and functional circuitry rewires the Drosophila brain. Elife 3:
Chihara, Takahiro; Kitabayashi, Aki; Morimoto, Michie et al. (2014) Caspase inhibition in select olfactory neurons restores innate attraction behavior in aged Drosophila. PLoS Genet 10:e1004437

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