PHYSIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE OLFACTORY PROJECTIONS

描述：（改编自研究者摘要）：大量的 编码假定的嗅觉受体蛋白的基因已经被鉴定，但是 如果没有合适的表达系统，激活每一个人的气味， 这些受体仍然是未知的。 作为一种将气味与特定的 受体，提出了一系列实验来识别气味， 最大限度地激活受体细胞在不同的表达区， 通过原位杂交研究鉴定嗅上皮，然后 确定气味的分子特征， 应答 来自嗅觉局部区域的眼电图记录 将使用上皮细胞而不是从单个受体细胞记录 因为找到具有相同反应的细胞的概率很低 特性. 每个表达区内的受体多样性问题 将通过使用交叉适应来选择性地抑制 由某些受体介导的反应。 局部刺激 上皮将用于确定是否存在 刺激或抑制嗅球中特定类型的神经元。 的 延髓神经元的反应将通过细胞内记录来评估， 通过染料标记在形态学上鉴定细胞。 这些实验将 提供深入了解化学结构和气味之间的关系， 在食欲、社会行为和内分泌中重要的感觉形式 功能

DESCRIPTION: (Adapted From The Investigator's Abstract): A large number of genes coding putative olfactory receptor proteins have been identified, but without a suitable system for expression, the odors which activate each of these receptors remain unknown. As a means of relating odorants to specific receptors, a series of experiments are proposed to identify odors that maximally activate receptor cells in the various expression zones in the olfactory epithelium identified by in situ hybridization studies and then to define the molecular characteristics of the odors that determine the responses. EOG recordings from localized regions of the olfactory epithelium will be used instead of recording from single receptor cells because of the low probability of finding cells with identical response properties. The issue of receptor diversity within each expression zone will be approached by using cross-adaptation to selectively depress responses mediated by some receptors. Localized stimulation of the epithelium will be used to determine if there are regions of epithelium that excite or inhibit particular types of neurons in the olfactory bulb. The responses of bulbar neurons will be assessed by intracellular recording and the cells morphologically identified by dye marking. These experiments will offer insights into the relationship between chemical structure and smell, a sensory modality important in appetite, social behavior and endocrine function.