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

描述（由申请人提供）：哺乳动物的味觉感知是复杂的，需要多种感觉和认知信号的转换和整合。味觉感知的神经回路和神经处理反映了这种复杂性。最近的数据表明，从皮层细胞外记录行为大鼠味觉编码是一个动态的和分布式的过程，味觉不仅从特定的神经群体被激活，但神经激活发生的时间顺序1 -3。此外，有大量证据表明，味觉编码是一个积极的过程，取决于动物当前的行为状态和以前的经验4 -6。尽管有如此丰富的数据，但我们对味觉神经处理的认识仍存在明显的差距：在主动品尝期间控制神经活动的细胞和突触机制。在味觉感知过程中被激活的神经元在复杂的网络中运行，对味觉编码和味觉感知的完整理解将需要了解这些网络及其突触水平的微电路。为此，我们开发并调整了用于清醒行为小鼠味觉皮层中的体内全细胞膜片钳记录技术，因为它们参与各种味觉行为。具体目标1：阐明主动味觉过程中味觉皮层味觉反应的突触机制。具体目标2：研究主动味觉过程中联想学习对皮层突触动力学的影响。实现这些目标将增加我们对味觉感知过程中味觉皮层味觉反应的突触基础的了解，并为我追求成为一名独立科学家的目标提供重要的培训，在一所研究型大学担任终身教职。

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.