Resolving different presynaptic activity patterns within single olfactory glomeruli of Xenopus laevis larvae

2021 | journal article. A publication with affiliation to the University of Göttingen.

Jump to: Cite & Linked | Documents & Media | Details | Version history

Cite this publication

​Resolving different presynaptic activity patterns within single olfactory glomeruli of Xenopus laevis larvae​
Topci, R.; Alevra, M.; Rauf, E. H. U. & de Jong-Bolm, D.​ (2021) 
Scientific Reports11(1) art. 14258​.​ DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-93677-9 

Documents & Media

document.pdf6.76 MBAdobe PDF

License

GRO License GRO License

Details

Authors
Topci, Rodi; Alevra, Mihai; Rauf, Erik H. U.; de Jong-Bolm, Daniëlle
Abstract
Abstract Olfactory sensing is generally organized into groups of similarly sensing olfactory receptor neurons converging into their corresponding glomerulus, which is thought to behave as a uniform functional unit. It is however unclear to which degree axons within a glomerulus show identical activity, how many converge into a glomerulus, and to answer these questions, how it is possible to visually separate them in live imaging. Here we investigate activity of olfactory receptor neurons and their axon terminals throughout olfactory glomeruli using electrophysiological recordings and rapid 4D calcium imaging. While single olfactory receptor neurons responsive to the same odor stimulus show a diversity of responses in terms of sensitivity and spontaneous firing rate on the level of the somata, their pre-synaptic calcium activity in the glomerulus is homogeneous. In addition, we could not observe the correlated spontaneous calcium activity that is found on the post-synaptic side throughout mitral cell dendrites and has been used in activity correlation imaging. However, it is possible to induce spatio-temporal presynaptic response inhomogeneities by applying trains of olfactory stimuli with varying amino acid concentrations. Automated region-of-interest detection and correlation analysis then visually distinguishes at least two axon subgroups per glomerulus that differ in odor sensitivity.
Abstract Olfactory sensing is generally organized into groups of similarly sensing olfactory receptor neurons converging into their corresponding glomerulus, which is thought to behave as a uniform functional unit. It is however unclear to which degree axons within a glomerulus show identical activity, how many converge into a glomerulus, and to answer these questions, how it is possible to visually separate them in live imaging. Here we investigate activity of olfactory receptor neurons and their axon terminals throughout olfactory glomeruli using electrophysiological recordings and rapid 4D calcium imaging. While single olfactory receptor neurons responsive to the same odor stimulus show a diversity of responses in terms of sensitivity and spontaneous firing rate on the level of the somata, their pre-synaptic calcium activity in the glomerulus is homogeneous. In addition, we could not observe the correlated spontaneous calcium activity that is found on the post-synaptic side throughout mitral cell dendrites and has been used in activity correlation imaging. However, it is possible to induce spatio-temporal presynaptic response inhomogeneities by applying trains of olfactory stimuli with varying amino acid concentrations. Automated region-of-interest detection and correlation analysis then visually distinguishes at least two axon subgroups per glomerulus that differ in odor sensitivity.
Issue Date
2021
Journal
Scientific Reports 
eISSN
2045-2322
Language
English

Reference

Citations


Social Media