Potentiation of late components in olfactory bulb and piriform cortex requires activation of cortical association fibers

In vivo spontaneous activity and coital-evoked inhibition of mouse accessory olfactory bulb output neurons

Little is known about estrous effects on brain microcircuits. We examined the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) in vivo, in anesthetized naturally cycling females, as model microcircuit receiving coital somatosensory information. Whole-cell recordings demonstrate that output neurons are relatively hyperpolarized in estrus and unexpectedly fire high frequency bursts of action potentials. To mimic coitus, a calibrated artificial vagino-cervical stimulation (aVCS) protocol was devised. aVCS evoked stimulus-locked local field responses in the interneuron layer independent of estrous stage. The response is sensitive to α1-adrenergic receptor blockade, as expected since aVCS increases norepinephrine release in AOB. Intriguingly, only in estrus does aVCS inhibit AOB spike output. Estrus-specific output reduction coincides with prolonged aVCS activation of inhibitory interneurons. Accordingly, in estrus the AOB microcircuit sets the stage for coital stimulation to inhibit the output neurons, possibly via high frequency bursting-dependent enhancement of reciprocal synapse efficacy between inter- and output neurons.

High beta rhythm amplitude in olfactory learning signs a well-consolidated and non-flexible behavioral state

Beta rhythm (15-30 Hz) is a major candidate underlying long-range communication in the brain. In olfactory tasks, beta activity is strongly modulated by learning but its condition of expression and the network(s) responsible for its generation are unclear. Here we analyzed the emergence of beta activity in local field potentials recorded from olfactory, sensorimotor and limbic structures of rats performing an olfactory task. Rats performed successively simple discrimination, rule transfer, memory recall tests and contingency reversal. Beta rhythm amplitude progressively increased over learning in most recorded areas. Beta amplitude reduced to baseline when new odors were introduced, but remained high during memory recall. Intra-session analysis showed that even expert rats required several trials to reach a good performance level, with beta rhythm amplitude increasing in parallel. Notably, at the beginning of the reversal task, beta amplitude remained high while performance was low and, in all tested animals, beta amplitude decreased before rats were able to learn the new contingencies. Connectivity analysis showed that beta activity was highly coherent between all structures where it was expressed. Overall, our results suggest that beta rhythm is expressed in a highly coherent network when context learning - including both odors and reward - is consolidated and signals behavioral inflexibility.

Long-term plasticity in the regulation of olfactory bulb activity by centrifugal fibers from piriform cortex

Olfactory bulb granule cells are activated synaptically via two main pathways. Mitral/tufted (M/T) cells form dendrodendritic synapses on granule cells that can be activated by antidromic stimulation of the lateral olfactory tract (LOT). Centrifugal fibers originating from the association fiber (AF) system in piriform cortex (PC) make axodendritic synapses on granule cells within the granule cell layer (GCL) that can be activated by orthodromic stimulation of AF axons in the PC. We explored functional plasticity in the AF pathway by recording extracellularly from individual M/T cells and presumed granule cells in male Long-Evans rats under urethane anesthesia while testing their response to LOT and AF stimulation. Presumed granule cells driven synaptically by LOT stimulation (type L cells) were concentrated in the superficial half of the GCL and were activated at short latencies, whereas those driven synaptically by AF stimulation (type A cells) were concentrated in the deep half of the GCL and were activated at longer latencies. Type A cells were readily detected only in animals in which the AF input to the GCL had been previously potentiated by repeated high-frequency stimulation. An additional bout of high-frequency stimulation administered under urethane caused an immediate increase in the number of action potentials evoked in type A cells by AF test stimulation and a concomitant increase in inhibition of M/T cells. These results underscore the importance of the role played in olfactory processing by PC regulation of OB activity and document the long-lasting potentiation of that regulation by repeated high-frequency AF activation.

Immunocytochemical localization of reelin in the olfactory bulb of the heterozygous reeler mouse: An animal model for schizophrenia

Because heterozygous reeler (HR) mice share some abnormal traits with schizophrenic patients, and schizophrenia is often accompanied by impairment of olfactory function, this study examines reelin in the olfactory bulb of the HR mouse. In the WT mouse, reelin immunoreactivity is found in the extracellular matrix, and in the cytoplasm of olfactory nerve fibers, GABAergic interneurons, and glutamatergic mitral cells. Western blot analysis reveals that reelin immunoreactivity in the HR mouse is reduced by 45% compared to WT mouse. This is especially evident in the glomerular GABAergic interneurons. In WT mitral cells, reelin is found in discrete clumps near the axon hillock and within the axon. In the HR mouse, reelin axonal staining is diffuse and densely packed. In the rostral migratory stream of the HR mouse, immunolabeling shows an accumulation of reelin-containing neuronal precursors, apparently unable to shift from tangential to radial migration. These observations indicate that there is a downregulation of reelin in the HR mouse and suggest that secretion of reelin may be compromised. Further studies of the HR mouse may provide a new basis for understanding the role of reelin in the adult CNS, especially as it may relate to schizophrenia.

Alteration of sensory-evoked metabolic and oscillatory activities in the olfactory bulb of GLAST-deficient mice

Astrocytes are key cellular elements in both the tripartite synapse and the neurovascular unit. To fulfill this dual role in synaptic activity and metabolism, they express a panel of receptors and transporters that sense glutamate. Among them, the GLT-1 and GLAST transporters are known to regulate extracellular glutamate concentrations at excitatory synapses and consequently modulate glutamate receptor signaling. These major uptake systems are also involved in energy supply to neurons. However, the functional role of GLAST in concurrent regulation of metabolic and neuronal activity is currently unknown. We took advantage of the attractive structural and functional features of the main olfactory bulb to explore the impact of GLAST on sensory information processing while probing both glutamate uptake and neuronal activity in glomeruli and deeper cellular layers, respectively. Using odor-evoked 2-deoxyglucose imaging and local field potential recordings in GLAST knockout mice, we show in vivo that deletion of GLAST alters both glucose uptake and neuronal oscillations in olfactory bulb networks.

A beta oscillation network in the rat olfactory system during a 2-alternative choice odor discrimination task

We previously showed that in a two-alternative choice (2AC) task, olfactory bulb (OB) gamma oscillations (approximately 70 Hz in rats) were enhanced during discrimination of structurally similar odorants (fine discrimination) versus discrimination of dissimilar odorants (coarse discrimination). In other studies (mostly employing go/no-go tasks) in multiple labs, beta oscillations (15-35 Hz) dominate the local field potential (LFP) signal in olfactory areas during odor sampling. Here we analyzed the beta frequency band power and pairwise coherence in the 2AC task. We show that in a task dominated by gamma in the OB, beta oscillations are also present in three interconnected olfactory areas (OB and anterior and posterior pyriform cortex). Only the beta band showed consistently elevated coherence during odor sniffing across all odor pairs, classes (alcohols and ketones), and discrimination types (fine and coarse), with stronger effects in first than in final criterion sessions (>70% correct). In the first sessions for fine discrimination odor pairs, beta power for incorrect trials was the same as that for correct trials for the other odor in the pair. This pattern was not repeated in coarse discrimination, in which beta power was elevated for correct relative to incorrect trials. This difference between fine and coarse odor discriminations may relate to different behavioral strategies for learning to differentiate similar versus dissimilar odors. Phase analysis showed that the OB led both pyriform areas in the beta frequency band during odor sniffing. We conclude that the beta band may be the means by which information is transmitted from the OB to higher order areas, even though task specifics modify dominance of one frequency band over another within the OB.

Differential potentiation of early and late components evoked in olfactory cortex by stimulation of cortical association fibers

The present study examined in detail the development and decay of potentiation induced in vivo by repeated high-frequency stimulation of cortical association fibers (AF) in piriform cortex (PC). Male Long-Evans rats with chronically-implanted stimulating and recording electrodes were administered potentiating AF stimulation (thirty 10-pulse 100-Hz trains) on 8 consecutive days, followed by a ninth administration after an 8-day layoff. The time course of potentiation was monitored by local field potentials evoked in the PC and olfactory bulb (OB) by 0.1 Hz single-pulse AF test stimulation before, during, and following each potentiating treatment. AF test stimulation evoked two distinct components in the PC, an early component (EC) and a late component (LC). High-frequency AF stimulation produced potentiation of each component, but with very different characteristics. EC potentiation consisted of a brief augmentation during each bout of potentiating stimulation that persisted <2 min after the last high-frequency train and showed no cumulative effects following repeated induction across days. In contrast, LC potentiation developed gradually, requiring several daily potentiation treatments to reach maximum amplitude, and decayed more slowly each time it was induced. Furthermore, LC potentiation persisted in latent form for at least 8 days following its apparent decay and could be reinstated by repeated test stimulation that was without effect at the beginning of the experiment. Potentiation in the OB resembled LC potentiation in its characteristics, but with less latent potentiation. These results indicate that the potentiation reported here is distinctly different from the long-term potentiation previously demonstrated in vitro in the PC, and suggest that this potentiation represents an increase in excitability within the cortical association fiber system that can be stored in latent form and retrieved at a later time. These characteristics make this potentiation a suitable candidate for participation in long-term functional changes within olfactory cortex.

Imaging of phosphatidylcholines in the adult rat brain using MALDI-TOF MS

Phosphatidylcholines (PCs) are the most abundant constituents of lipid in the brain. PCs function as major structural components of cell membranes and as important sources for signaling molecules. In the brain, three kinds of PCs, dipalmitoyl PC, palmitoyloleoyl PC, and stearoyloleoyl PC have been reported to be major species. They have different chemical and biological characteristics depending on the length of alkyl chains and the degree of saturation, suggesting that the abundance of PCs might be important to keep specialized membrane structures in the brain, such as myelin and synaptic membranes. However, detailed imaging of PCs in the total rat brain has not done yet. Thus, using imaging technology by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS), we investigated the total distribution of PC32:0, PC34:1, and PC36:1 in the rat brain. PC32:0 and PC34:1 were more abundantly observed in the gray matter areas than in the white matter areas throughout the central nervous system (CNS), while PC36:1 was evenly seen at low levels in both areas. In addition, we found that PC32:0 and PC34:1 were detected at very high levels in the granular layer of the olfactory bulb, piriform cortex, insular cortex, and molecular layer of the cerebellum, which are known for areas showing high neuronal plasticity. The present imaging data clearly show that various PCs are differentially distributed throughout the rat CNS, and suggest that these differential distributions of various PCs are necessary to keep normal brain functions.

Olfactory learning-induced long-lasting enhancement of descending and ascending synaptic transmission to the piriform cortex

Learning of a particularly difficult olfactory-discrimination (OD) task results in acquisition of rule learning. This remarkable enhancement in learning capability is accompanied by long-term enhancement of synaptic connectivity between piriform cortex (PC) pyramidal neurons. Because successful performance in the OD task requires integration of information about the identity and also about the reward value of odors, it is likely that a higher-order brain area would also be involved in rule learning acquisition and maintenance. The anterior PC (APC) receives a strong ascending input from the olfactory bulb, carrying information regarding olfactory cues in the environment. It also receives substantial descending input from the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), which is thought to play an important role in encoding the predictive value of odor stimuli. Using in vivo recordings of evoked field postsynaptic potentials, we characterized the physiological properties of projections to APC from the OFC and examined whether descending and ascending synaptic inputs to the piriform cortex are modified after OD learning. We show that enhanced learning capability is accompanied by long-term enhancement of synaptic transmission in both the descending and ascending inputs. Long-term synaptic enhancement is not accompanied by modifications in paired-pulse facilitation, indicating that such modifications are likely postsynaptic. Predisposition for long-term potentiation induction was affected by previous learning, and surprisingly also by previous exposure to the odors and training apparatus. These data suggest that enhanced connectivity between the APC and its input sources is required for OD rule learning.

Olfactory bulb networks revealed by lateral olfactory tract stimulation in the in vitro isolated guinea-pig brain

Olfactory information processing is mediated by synaptic connections between the olfactory bulbs (OBs) and piriform-limbic cortices. Limited accessibility using common in vivo and in vitro preparations has hindered previous attempts to define these synaptic interactions. We utilized the isolated guinea-pig brain preparation to overcome these experimental limitations. Previous studies demonstrated extensive functional preservation in this preparation maintained in vitro by arterial perfusion. Field potential laminar profiles were performed with multi-channel probes in the OB following stimulation of both the lateral olfactory tract (LOT) and the anterior piriform cortex (APC). Current-source density analysis was carried out on laminar profiles to reconstruct current sinks/sources associated with intrinsic synaptic activities. LOT stimulation induced sequentially i) an antidromic population spike (at 2.66+/-0.39 ms) located in the mitral cell layer that was resistant to 100 Hz high-frequency stimulation (HFS) and 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX) (10 microM), ii) a component located in the external plexiform layer at 3.85+/-0.63 ms that was unaffected by HFS, iii) a large amplitude potential (peak amplitude at 5.84+/-0.58 ms) generated in the external plexiform layer, abolished by HFS and CNQX, but not by bicuculline (50 microM), iv) a late response (onset at 20.00+/-2.94 ms) abolished by CNQX and enhanced by bicuculline. Stimulation of the APC also induced a late potential abolished by HFS and CNQX. Both APC-evoked and late LOT-evoked responses were abolished by a transverse cut to separate OB from APC. These results demonstrate in an isolated mammalian brain preparation the presence of reciprocal synaptic interactions between the OB and piriform cortical structures.

Long-term potentiation and olfactory memory formation in the carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) olfactory bulb

Long-term potentiation of synaptic transmission is considered to be an elementary process underlying the cellular mechanism of memory formation. In the present study we aimed to examine whether or not the dendrodendritic mitral-to-granule cell synapses in the carp olfactory bulb show plastic changes after their repeated activation. It was found that: (1) the dendrodendritic mitral-to-granule cell synapses showed three types of plasticity after tetanic electrical stimulation applied to the olfactory tract-long-term potentiation (potentiation lasting >1 h), short-term potentiation (potentiation lasting <1 h) and post-tetanic potentiation (potentiation lasting <10 min); (2) Long-term potentiation was generally induced when both the dendrodendritic mitral-to-granule cell synapses and centrifugal fiber-to-granule cell synapses were repeatedly and simultaneously activated; (3) long-term enhancement (>1 h) of the odor-evoked bulbar response accompanied the electrically-induced LTP, and; (4) repeated olfactory stimulation enhanced dendrodendritic mitral-to-granule cell transmission. Based on these results, it was proposed that long-term potentiation (as well as olfactory memory) occurs at the dendrodendritic mitral-to-granule cell synapses after strong and long-lasting depolarization of granule cells, which follows repeated and simultaneous synaptic activation of both the peripheral and deep dendrites (or somata).

Variable coupling between olfactory system activity and respiration in ketamine/xylazine anesthetized rats

In this study, we have characterized slow and fast oscillations at several stages of olfactory processing under light and deep ketamine/xylazine anesthesia in the albino rat. While monitoring the animal's respiration, we also obtained field potentials from the olfactory bulb and piriform (olfactory) cortex and simultaneously recorded membrane potentials in piriform cortex pyramidal cells. Our results demonstrate that oscillations are generally found at higher frequencies under lighter and lower frequencies under deeper anesthesia. In previous studies of cerebral cortex, similar results in ketamine/xylazine anesthetized animals have been interpreted to correspond with the higher frequencies found during waking and lower frequencies found in the sleep state. Correlation and coherence analysis between data obtained in the bulb and cortex reveals a clear difference in coupling depending on the anesthetic state of the animal. Specifically, activity recorded in the whole system is highly correlated with respiration during deep anesthesia, whereas only the olfactory bulb, and not the cortex, is correlated with respiration during light anesthesia. These data suggest that global activity in the piriform cortex is actually more directly tied to peripheral slow respiratory input during slow wave than fast wave states and that the coupling between olfactory structures can be dynamically modulated by the level of anesthesia and therefore presumably by different brain states as well.

Experience-dependent activation of extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) in the olfactory bulb

Protein kinase-mediated signaling cascades play a fundamental role in translating extracellular signals into cellular responses in CNS neurons. The mitogen-activated protein kinase / extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK) pathway participates in regulating diverse neuronal processes such as proliferation, differentiation, survival, synaptic efficacy, and long-term potentiation by inducing cAMP-response element (CRE)-mediated gene transcription. Central olfactory structures show plasticity throughout the lifespan, but the role of the MAPK/ERK pathway in odor-evoked activity has yet to be determined. Therefore, we examined the effect of odorant exposure and early postnatal deprivation on ERK activity. We found that odor stimulation induced ERK phosphorylation, that activation of the ERK pathway was decreased with early postnatal deprivation, and that ERK phosphorylation was subsequently increased by restoring stimulation. Further, locations of ERK activation in bulbar neurons after exposure to single odorants corresponded to odor-evoked activity patterns found with other measures of activity in the bulb. Finally, due to the cytoplasmic location of pERK, activated dendrites belonging to the primary excitatory output neurons of the bulb were observed following a single odor exposure. The results indicate that the MAPK/ERK pathway is activated by odorant stimulation and may play an important role in developmental sensory plasticity in the olfactory bulb.

Coordinate synaptic mechanisms contributing to olfactory cortical adaptation

Anterior piriform cortex (aPCX) neurons rapidly filter repetitive odor stimuli despite relatively maintained input from mitral cells. This cortical adaptation is correlated with short-term depression of afferent synapses, in vivo. The purpose of this study was to elucidate mechanisms underlying this nonassociative neural plasticity using in vivo and in vitro preparations and to determine its role in cortical odor adaptation. Lateral olfactory tract (LOT)-evoked responses were recorded in rat aPCX coronal slices. Extracellular and intracellular potentials were recorded before and after simulated odor stimulation of the LOT. Results were compared with in vivo intracellular recordings from aPCX layer II/III neurons and field recordings in urethane-anesthetized rats stimulated with odorants. The onset, time course, and extent of LOT synaptic depression during both in vitro electrical and in vivo odorant stimulation methods were similar. Similar to the odor specificity of cortical odor adaptation in vivo, there was no evidence of heterosynaptic depression between independent inputs in vitro. In vitro evidence suggests at least two mechanisms contribute to this activity-dependent synaptic depression: a rapidly recovering presynaptic depression during the initial 10-20 sec of the post-train recovery period and a longer lasting (approximately 120 sec) depression that can be blocked by the metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) II/III antagonist (RS)-alpha-cyclopropyl-4-phosphonophenylglycine (CPPG) and by the beta-adrenergic receptor agonist isoproterenol. Importantly, in line with the in vitro findings, both adaptation of odor responses in the beta (15-35 Hz) spectral range and the associated synaptic depression can also be blocked by intracortical infusion of CPPG in vivo.

Postsynaptic metabotropic glutamate receptor mGluR1 mediates the late component of signal propagation in the guinea pig piriform cortex: optical imaging study

Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) were previously shown to mediate a postsynaptic late propagation component elicited by layer Ib stimulation in guinea pig piriform cortex slices. In the present study, the effects of some group specific or subtype specific mGluR antagonists on the late propagation component were investigated using an optical imaging method, in order to identify mGluR subtypes mediating it. A selective mGluR1 antagonist (RS)-1-aminoindan-1,5-dicarboxylic acid most effectively suppressed the late component whereas a selective mGluR5 antagonist, selective group II or group III antagonists showed little or no suppressive effect. These results suggest that the late propagation component is mediated by mGluR1.

Ketamine-xylazine-induced slow (< 1.5 Hz) oscillations in the rat piriform (olfactory) cortex are functionally correlated with respiration

The occurrence of low frequency (<1.5 Hz) cerebral cortical oscillations during slow-wave sleep has recently lead to the suggestion that this pattern of activity is specifically associated with conditions in which the brain is mostly closed to external inputs and running on its own. In the current experiments, we used a combination of in vivo intracellular and extracellular field potential recordings obtained under conditions of ketamine-xylazine anesthesia to examine slow-wave behavior in the olfactory system. We demonstrate the occurrence of low-frequency oscillations in field potentials of both the olfactory bulb and cortex and in the membrane potentials of cortical pyramidal cells. By monitoring ongoing breathing, we also show that these oscillations are all correlated with the natural breathing cycle. Using a tracheotomized preparation, we demonstrate that slow oscillatory patterns could occasionally be produced even when air is no longer entering the nose, supporting the view that the olfactory system has an intrinsic propensity to oscillate. However, in the case of tracheotomized rats, the amplitude and regularity of the oscillations as well as their patterns of correlation are disrupted. All temporal relationships were restored when air was pulsed into the nostrils. We conclude that, in the olfactory system of freely breathing rats, there is a strong relationship between the occurrence and timing of slow oscillations and the ongoing periodic sensory input resulting from respiration. This coupling between olfactory cortex slow oscillations and respiration may result from the interaction between respiratory-related rhythmic input and the tendency for olfactory structures to oscillate intrinsically. We believe this finding has important functional as well as evolutionary implications.

A postnatal sensitive period for plasticity of cortical afferents but not cortical association fibers in rat piriform cortex

Male and female rats underwent unilateral naris occlusion or sham surgery on either post-natal day (PN) 1 or after PN30. Following at least 30 days of unilateral olfactory deprivation, rats were urethane anesthetized and recordings were made from anterior piriform cortex (aPCX). Shock stimulation of afferent fibers (lateral olfactory tract) and association/commissural fibers evoked field potentials in aPCX that were analyzed across groups and between ages. The results demonstrate that early-onset unilateral olfactory deprivation depresses field potentials evoked by stimulation of the deprived cortical afferent, while late-onset deprivation did not. In contrast, intracortical association fiber mediated field potentials in the deprived cortex were enhanced after both early-onset and late-onset deprivation. These results suggest differential developmental plasticity of afferent and association fiber pathways in paleocortex that mirrors that previously described in neocortical sensory systems.

Polysynaptic potentiation at different levels of rat olfactory pathways following learning

This study was aimed at investigating the consequences of learning on late polysynaptic components of evoked field potential signals recorded in parallel at different levels of the olfactory pathways. For this, evoked field potentials induced by electrical stimulation of the olfactory bulb were recorded simultaneously in the anterior piriform cortex, the posterior piriform cortex, the lateral entorhinal cortex, and the dentate gyrus. The different parameters of late components were measured in each site before and after completion of associative learning in anesthetized rats. In the learning task, rats were trained to associate electrical stimulation of one olfactory bulb electrode with the delivery of sucrose (positive reward) and stimulation of a second olfactory bulb electrode with the delivery of quinine (negative reward). In this way, stimulation of the same olfactory bulb electrodes used for inducing field potentials served as a discriminative cue in the learning paradigm. The data confirmed previous observation that learning was associated with a lowering in late-component-1 intensity of induction in the posterior piriform cortex. The use of simultaneous recording allowed us to further specify the consequences of learning on late-component distribution in the studied network. Indeed the data showed that whereas before learning, late component 1 was rather uniformly distributed among the recorded sites; following learning, its expression was facilitated preferentially in the posterior piriform cortex and lateral entorhinal cortex. Furthermore, learning was accompanied by the emergence of a new late component (late component 2), which occurred simultaneously in the four recording sites. The possible involvement of potentiation of polysynaptic components in recognition and/or consolidation processes will be discussed.