Cellular and synaptic mechanisms of cortical taste coding in awake-behaving mice

清醒小鼠皮质味觉编码的细胞和突触机制

• 批准号: 8775827
• 负责人: DUSTIN M GRAHAM
• 金额: $ 4.14万
• 依托单位: STATE UNIVERSITY NEW YORK STONY BROOK
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-09-15 至 2015-09-14
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/8775827
• 关键词: Cellular; synaptic; mechanisms; cortical; taste

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Mammalian taste perception is complex, requiring the transformation and integration of multiple sensory and cognitive signals. The circuitry and neural processing underlying taste perception reflect this complexity. Recent data from cortical extracellular recordings in behaving rats suggest taste coding is a dynamic and distributed process, with taste perception arising not only from the specific neural populations that are activated, but the temporal order in which neural activation occurs1-3. In addition, there is abundant evidence that taste coding is an active process, dependent on the animal's current behavioral state and previous experience4-6. Despite this wealth of data, there is a glaring gap in our knowledge regarding the neural processing of taste: the cellular and synaptic mechanisms that control neural activity during active tasting. The neurons that are activated during taste perception operate within complex networks, and a complete understanding of taste coding and taste perception will require knowledge about these networks and their microcircuitry at the synaptic level. To this end, we developed and adapted techniques for in vivo whole-cell patch- clamp recording in gustatory cortex from awake-behaving mice as they engage in various taste behaviors. The specific aims of this proposal are: Specific Aim 1: Delineate the synaptic mechanisms of taste responses in gustatory cortex during active tasting. Specific Aim 2: Study the effects of associative-learning on cortical synaptic dynamics during active tasting. Accomplishing these aims will increase our knowledge of the synaptic basis for taste responses in gustatory cortex during taste perception, as well as provide important training as I pursue my goal of becoming an independent scientist, running a lab as a tenured faculty member at a research university.

描述(申请人提供)：哺乳动物的味觉是复杂的，需要多种感觉和认知信号的转换和整合。味觉背后的电路和神经处理反映了这种复杂性。行为大鼠皮层细胞外记录的最新数据表明，味觉编码是一个动态和分布的过程，味觉感知不仅来自被激活的特定神经群体，而且来自神经激活发生的时间顺序1-3。此外，有大量证据表明，味觉编码是一个活跃的过程，取决于动物目前的行为状态和以前的经验。尽管有如此丰富的数据，但在我们对味觉的神经处理方面的知识存在一个明显的缺口：在主动品尝过程中控制神经活动的细胞和突触机制。在味觉感知过程中激活的神经元在复杂的网络中运作，完全理解味觉编码和味觉感知需要了解这些网络及其突触水平的微电路。为此，我们开发并采用了体内全细胞膜片钳记录技术，在清醒行为的小鼠进行各种味觉行为时，在味觉皮质进行全细胞膜片钳记录。这项建议的具体目的是：具体目标1：描绘主动品尝过程中味觉皮质味觉反应的突触机制。具体目标2：研究联想学习对主动品尝过程中皮层突触动力学的影响。实现这些目标将增加我们在味觉感知过程中味觉皮质味觉反应的突触基础的知识，并在我追求成为一名独立科学家的目标时提供重要的培训，作为研究型大学的终身教员管理一个实验室。