The level of glycogen phosphorylase, the controlling enzyme in the mobilization of glucose from glycogen, is extremely high in the olfactory bulb. This suggests that glycogen metabolism may play an important role in the functioning of this brain area. Dr. Coopersmith will develop new techniques necessary for an integrative study of the relationship between neural activity and glycogen metabolism in the olfactory bulb. An in vitro olfactory bulb slice preparation will be used to follow incorporation or radioactively labelled glucose into glycogen and subsequent loss of label following various manipulations, such as application of neurotransmitters. By combining this in vitro method with autoradiography, localization of the action of specific glycogenolytic agents will also be studied. An in vivo preparation for measuring glycogen metabolism will be further developed. This model will include both isotope incorporation into glycogen and direct measurement of olfactory bulb glycogen after various experimental conditions. A new quantitative histochemical technique will be further developed, which will allow more precise measurements of glycogen phosphorylase activity within individual olfactory bulb cells. These studies will provide valuable new information into the cellular metabolic activity of nervous tissue and will offer new experimental techniques to evaluate this metabolic activity.
