Chemosensory convergence on primary olfactory cortex.
Chemosensory convergence on primary olfactory cortex.
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DOI：
10.1523/jneurosci.3540-12.2012
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发表时间：
2012-11-28
期刊：
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
Katz DB
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Maier JX;Wachowiak M;Katz DB
食物感知和偏好的形成依赖于整合味觉和嗅觉系统信息的能力。因此，对人类的心理物理学研究以及对动物的行为研究表明，味觉系统在气味处理中起着不可或缺的作用。然而，味觉对嗅觉影响的神经基础在很大程度上仍然未知。在此，我们检验了这样一个假设：味觉对嗅觉处理的影响发生在初级嗅觉皮层层面。我们在清醒大鼠的后嗅（梨状）皮层（pPC）记录单个神经元的活动，同时将基本的味觉溶液直接作用于舌头。很大一部分pPC神经元被证明对味觉刺激有选择性反应。通过阻断味觉上皮，这些味觉反应显著降低，不受嗅觉上皮阻断的影响，并且与呼吸行为无关。相比之下，从同一区域记录到的对嗅觉刺激的反应，因鼻上皮去纤毛而降低，并与呼吸周期锁相。这些结果表明pPC可能是味觉影响嗅觉处理的一个位点，这在食物感知和偏好形成中起着重要作用。
Food perception and preference formation relies on the ability to combine information from both the taste and olfactory systems. Accordingly, psychophysical investigations in humans and behavioral work in animals has shown that the taste system plays an integral role in odor processing. However, the neural basis for the influence of taste (gustation) on odor (olfaction) remains largely unknown. Here we tested the hypothesis that gustatory influence on olfactory processing occurs at the level of primary olfactory cortex. We recorded activity from single neurons in posterior olfactory (piriform) cortex (pPC) of awake rats while presenting basic taste solutions directly to the tongue. A significant portion of pPC neurons proved to respond selectively to taste stimuli. These taste responses were significantly reduced by blockade of the gustatory epithelium, were unaffected by blockade of the olfactory epithelium and were independent of respiration behavior. In contrast, responses to olfactory stimuli, recorded from the same area, were reduced by nasal epithelial deciliation and phase-locked to the respiration cycle. These results identify pPC as a likely site for gustatory influences on olfactory processing, which play an important role in food perception and preference formation.