FUNCTIONAL ORGANIZATION OF NEURAL CIRCUITS IN THE MOUSE ACCESSORY OLFACTORY BULB

描述(申请人提供)：本次研究和培训计划的总体目标是更好地了解鼠标辅助嗅觉系统(AOS)的组织和功能。AOS是一条紧凑的神经通路，直接与管理所谓的“内在”社会和生殖行为的大脑区域进行交流。通过增加对小鼠AOS的感觉处理的知识，这个项目将阐明哺乳动物嗅觉的原理，并将提高我们对感觉和行为之间的联系的理解。研究人员Julian Meek博士将在平面照明显微镜和转基因小鼠的设计和实施方面获得长达两年的高级博士后培训，以支持使用实时神经元钙成像来研究小鼠副嗅球中的抑制性中间神经元的创新方法。本次培训选择了两位赞助商，蒂莫西·索里特博士和丹尼尔·克申斯泰纳博士，他们分别在光学设计和转基因小鼠生产领域拥有丰富的经验。在该奖项的指导和独立阶段，将检验几个假设。一种主要的假说将感觉“感受野”与大脑中的轴突投射模式联系起来。测试其他几个假说将确定副嗅球中不同中间神经元群体的特定感觉处理角色。验证这些假说将建立哺乳动物社会气味处理的原理，并将帮助我们理解抑制性神经元为感觉神经回路提供的功能。通过这项研究和有指导的培训计划，米克斯博士将产生有关AOS感觉处理的有价值的新数据，并将建立新的实验工具和方法，为独立科学家的职业生涯奠定基础。 与公共健康相关：这项研究和培训计划将提供活神经元成像和转基因动物设计方面的高级培训，以支持尖端感觉神经科学的职业生涯。用于研究小鼠副嗅球中不同数量的中间神经元的创新方法将为研究哺乳动物的嗅觉提供新的见解，并将对哺乳动物大脑中的感觉处理产生更好的理解。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The overall goal of this research and training plan is to gain better understanding of the organization and function of the mouse accessory olfactory system (AOS). The AOS is a compact neural pathway that communicates directly with brain regions that govern so-called "intrinsic" social and reproductive behaviors. By increasing knowledge about sensory processing in the mouse AOS, this project will shed light on principles of mammalian olfaction, and will improve our understanding of links between sensation and behavior. The investigator, Dr. Julian Meeks, will gain up to two years of advanced postdoctoral training in the design and implementation of planar illumination microscopy and transgenic mice in support of an innovative approach using live neuronal calcium imaging to study inhibitory interneurons in the mouse accessory olfactory bulb. Two sponsors for this training were chosen, Dr. Timothy Holy and Dr. Daniel Kerschensteiner that have strong experience in the fields of optical design and transgenic mouse production, respectively. Several hypotheses will be tested during the mentored and independent phases of this award. One main hypothesis links sensory "receptive fields" to axonal projection patterns in the brain. Testing several other hypotheses will identify specific sensory processing roles for the various interneuron populations in the accessory olfactory bulb. Testing these hypotheses will establish principles of mammalian social odor processing, and will help us to understand the functions that inhibitory neurons provide for sensory neural circuits. Through this research and mentored training plan, Dr. Meeks will produce valuable new data on AOS sensory processing, and will establish new experimental tools and approaches that will form a foundation for a career as an independent scientist. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This research and training plan will provide advanced training in live neuronal imaging and transgenic animal design that will support a career in cutting-edge sensory neuroscience. The innovative approaches used to study distinct populations of interneurons in the mouse accessory olfactory bulb will provide new insight into mammalian olfaction, and will produce greater understanding of sensory processing in the mammalian brain.