SYNAPTIC INTEGRATION IN THE ACCESSORY OLFACTORY BULB

描述（由申请人提供）：本项目的长期目标是了解树突和回路的性质如何影响哺乳动物辅助嗅觉系统中信息素诱发活动的整合。到达树突树上数千个位点的突触输入的整合是影响所有神经元类型的功能特性的基本机制。在特定类型的神经元中，突触整合的机制被认为是高度专门化的，以处理某些类型的输入，例如检测听觉系统中的短时间延迟。副嗅球（AOB）僧帽细胞的树突树具有复杂和高度特化的形态。这些细胞似乎被设计成对到达多个位置（肾小球）的输入进行采样，然后将有关这种活动的一些信息传递到二尖瓣细胞索马，从那里它可以传递到更高的大脑区域。我们建议使用生理和计算技术，以提高我们的理解，在副嗅球的细胞和电路的突触整合。特别是，我们将研究AOB二尖瓣细胞树突的主动和被动特性对突触活动从簇到这些细胞的胞体的传播的影响。我们还将研究如何输入到多个簇的集成，并确定如何在一个簇的活动是由信号到达其他簇的影响。总的来说，提出的实验将提供更多的了解突触和树突处理神经元的许多基本问题，特别是他们将提供有价值的信息，在辅助嗅觉系统的化学感觉信息的整合。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The long-term goal of this project is to understand how the properties of dendrites and circuits influence the integration of pheromone-evoked activity in the mammalian accessory olfactory system. Integration of synaptic inputs arriving at thousands of sites across the dendritic tree is a basic mechanism that influences the functional properties of all neuronal types. In particular types of neurons the mechanisms of synaptic integration are thought to be highly specialized to process certain types of inputs, for example to detect short time delays in the auditory system. The dendritic trees of accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) mitral cells have a complicated and highly specialized morphology. These cells seem to be designed to sample inputs arriving at multiple locations (glomeruli), and then to convey some information about this activity to the mitral cell soma from which it can be passed on to higher brain areas. We propose to use physiological and computational techniques to improve our understanding of synaptic integration in the cells and circuits of the accessory olfactory bulb. In particular we will examine the influence of active and passive properties of AOB mitral cell dendrites on the propagation of synaptic activity from the tufts to the somata of these cells. We also will examine how inputs to multiple tufts are integrated, and determine how activity at one tuft is influenced by signals arriving at other tufts. Overall the experiments proposed will provide increased understanding of many basic issues of synaptic and dendritic processing in neurons, and in particular they will provide valuable information on the integration of chemosensory information in the accessory olfactory system.