Structure-Function relationship of identified insect olfactory projection neurones

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The projection (output) neurones of the antennal lobe are key components of the central olfactory pathway in insects. They have multiple functions, including 1) integrating olfactory information inside the antennal lobe, 2) conveying information to the protocerebrum, and 3) specifically distributing processed olfactory information to specific sites inside the protocerebrum. Using the 3-D reconstruction and modelling tool AMIRA we aim to deduct functional neurone and network properties from quantitative reconstructions of single neurones in the context of the host network. The work will be performed on large robust insects (Periplaneta americana) which are excellent preparations for physiological studies of central olfactory information processing. The study will focus on three levels of analysis: 1) The inter-microcircuit level (interface between first- and higher-order olfactory centres), 2) the microcircuit level (inside the first- and higher-order olfactory centres) and 3) the subcellular level (morphological and functional compartmentalisation inside a single neurone). To achieve these goals we will construct a digital 3-D reference atlas of the central olfactory pathway that is inlaid in a standard brain. This reference atlas will serve as a computational framework in which detailed reconstructions of single neurones will be implemented. The goal on the cellular and subcellular level is to build 3-D reconstructions of olfactory projection neurones to provide high-resolution structural data for building quantitative/functional multicompartment models that are correlated to the neighbouring input and output neurones.