Network processing of olfactory mixtures in the brain

大脑中嗅觉混合物的网络处理

• 批准号: 7693706
• 负责人: Joshua Pierce Martin
• 金额: $ 3.68万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-01-01 至 2010-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/7693706
• 关键词: Affect; Animal Model; Animals; Behavior; Biological Neural Networks; Brain; Brain Diseases; Characteristics; Chemicals; Complex; Complex Mixtures; Conflict (Psychology); Data; Datura; Devices; Disease; Electronics; Equilibrium; Exhibits; Experimental Animal Model; Flowers; Food; Human; Individual; Inhibitory Synapse; Insecta; Instinct; Knowledge; Lead; Lobe; Manduca; Manduca sexta; Mediating; Methods; Modeling; Monitor; Moths; Neurons; Nose; Odors; Olfactory Learning; Olfactory Receptor Neurons; Output; Partner in relationship; Pharmaceutical Preparations; Play; Population; Process; Property; Relative (related person); Research; Role; Shapes; Signal Transduction; Simulate; Smell Perception; Staging; Symptoms; Synapses; System; Testing; Time; Vertebrates; Weight; Work; base; extracellular; interest; mimetics; network models; neural circuit; olfactory bulb; olfactory stimulus; receptor; research study; response; sensory system

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The olfactory signals that an animal must use to find food, to find a mate, or to avoid danger consist of complex, variable mixtures of volatile chemicals. Little is yet known about the neural networks that underlie the processing of these complex odors. The experiments in this proposal take advantage of the relationship between the moth Manduca sexta and the innately attractive odor of Datura wrightii flowers, to investigate how the network of neurons in the primary olfactory center, the antennal lobe, processes this complex odor signal. As a model animal, this moth offers both well-established innate and learned olfactory-based behaviors and a brain that is accessible to multi-unit recording methods. Our preliminary results show that neurons in the antennal lobe respond maximally to a synthetic floral odor when the appropriate components are present in the proportions emitted by the natural flower. The firing rates of responding neurons decrease when the concentration of a component in the mixture is either raised or lowered. Thus, these neurons are luned" to the natural proportions of the components. We propose to investigate the role of the antennal lobe network, specifically the inhibitory interconnections among glomeruli, in producing the observed tuning. The results of these experiments can reveal a mechanism for the processing of complex, behaviorally significant olfactory stimuli at the first level of central processing. The presence of this mechanism may also clarify some conflicting models of odor mixture processing. Practically, a deeper understanding of odor processing in Manduca can inform our understanding of human olfaction, and the subtle ways in which disease can affect this sense. Finally, a mechanism for identifying complex odors can be used to create bio- mimetic devices to detect odors. Relevance: This project uses a simple experimental model animal with an interesting innate behavior to investigate how a neural circuit in the brain detects and identifies complex odors. The results of this work may demonstrate not only principles of the olfactory system, but general mechanisms that may play a role in other sensory systems. Knowledge of the subtle processes that give animals their sense of smell can lead to a better understanding of the olfactory symptoms of many brain diseases, as well as aid in developing "electronic noses" to detect harmful or noxious chemicals.

描述（由申请人提供）：动物必须用来寻找食物，找到伴侣或避免危险的嗅觉信号，包括复杂的，可变的挥发性化学物质混合物。关于这些复杂气味的处理的神经网络知之甚少。该提案中的实验利用了蛾甘达·塞克斯塔（Moth Manduca Sexta）与datura wrightii花的天生有吸引力的气味之间的关系，以研究主要嗅觉中心触角叶的神经元网络如何处理这种复杂的气味信号。作为模型动物，这种飞蛾既提供了良好的先天和学识渊博的基于嗅觉的行为，又提供了可用于多单元记录方法的大脑。我们的初步结果表明，当适当的成分以天然花的比例存在时，触角叶中的神经元对合成的花香的反应最大。当混合物中组件的浓度升高或降低时，响应神经元的发射速率降低。因此，这些神经元被“与组件的自然比例”感到困惑。我们建议研究触角叶网络的作用，特别是肾小球之间的抑制性互连，在产生观察到的调音中。这些经验的结果可以揭示出一种在某些中的复杂，行为上重要的旋转刺激性的机制，即在某些机制中的处理机制，这是一种较重要的刺激性，这是在这种情况下的第一个融合级别的冲突层面上的层次层面。在曼杜氏症中，对甘达的气味加工的更深入的理解可以告知我们对人类嗅觉的理解，疾病最终会影响这种意义的微妙方式。 相关性：该项目使用具有有趣的先天行为的简单实验模型动物，以研究大脑中的神经回路如何检测和识别复杂的气味。这项工作的结果不仅可以证明嗅觉系统的原理，而且可能在其他感觉系统中发挥作用的一般机制。了解使动物闻起来的微妙过程的知识可以更好地理解许多脑部疾病的嗅觉症状，并有助于开发“电子鼻子”以检测有害或有害化学物质。