Intraglomerular Lateral Inhibition in the Olfactory Bulb

描述（由申请人提供）：本项目的总体目标是确定如何通过该结构的局部电路调节主嗅球的输出。特别是，这项建议的重点是研究侧抑制，神经元回路的一个普遍存在的特征，被认为在确定刺激诱发反应的特异性和调节包括嗅球在内的许多大脑区域的网络动力学方面发挥着核心作用。更好地了解神经回路的功能特性，如侧抑制，对神经科学的许多领域都具有重要意义，嗅球提供了一个有趣且易于处理的模型系统，用于研究有关回路调节神经活动的基本问题。这些实验的目的是解决这一假设，即在嗅球中连接与不同肾小球模块相关的主要神经元的抑制电路的一个功能是介导功能性侧抑制。具体来说，我们使用成对的记录从二尖瓣细胞研究突触电路与不同肾小球相关的二尖瓣细胞之间的功能连接的属性。使用这种方法，我们将测试是否对个别二尖瓣细胞之间的横向抑制发生时，二尖瓣细胞的活动是类似的频率，从体内记录在气味刺激过程中所报告的。我们还将研究侧抑制连接的短时程可塑性，以及侧抑制和复发抑制的相互作用。结合这些结果将提供重要的见解所发挥的作用，抑制电路在塑造感觉表征，特别是在嗅球和理解如何异常的抑制可能导致功能缺陷的嗅球和其他大脑网络。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The overall goal of this project is to determine how the output of the main olfactory bulb regulated by is the local circuitry of this structure. In particular, this proposal focuses on studying lateral inhibition, a ubiquitous feature of neuronal circuits thought to play a central role in determining the specificity of stimulus-evoked responses and in regulating network dynamics in many brain regions, including the olfactory bulb. Gaining a better understanding of functional properties of neural circuitry such as lateral inhibition is of central importance to many areas of neuroscience and the olfactory bulb presents an interesting and tractable model system in which to study fundamental questions about the regulation of neural activity by circuitry. These experiments are designed to address the hypothesis that one function of inhibitory circuitry connecting principal neurons associated with different glomerular modules in the olfactory bulb is to mediate a functional lateral inhibition. Specifically we use paired recordings from mitral cells to study the properties of synaptic circuits making functional connections between mitral cells associated with different glomeruli. Using this approach we will test whether lateral inhibition between pairs of individual mitral cells occurs when mitral cell activity is similar in frequency to what has been reported from in vivo recordings made during odor stimulation. We also will investigate short- term plasticity of lateral inhibitory connections, and study the interaction of recurrent and lateral inhibition. In conjunction these results will provide important insights into the role played by inhibitory circuits in shaping sensory representations, especially in the olfactory bulb and in understanding how abnormalities of inhibition can lead to functional deficits in the olfactory bulb and other brain networks.