Synaptic Organization of Anterior Olfactory Nucleus Inputs to Piriform Cortex
9414 • The Journal of Neuroscience, December 2, 2020 • 40(49):9414–9425 Systems/Circuits Synaptic Organization of Anterior Olfactory Nucleus Inputs to Piriform Cortex Marco J. Russo,1 Kevin M. Franks,1 Roxanne Oghaz,1 Richard Axel,2 and Steven A. Siegelbaum3 1Department of Neuroscience, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York, 2Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York, and 3Department of Neuroscience, Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Department of Pharmacology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York Odors activate distributed ensembles of neurons within the piriform cortex, forming cortical representations of odor thought to be essential to olfactory learning and behaviors. This odor response is driven by direct input from the olfactory bulb, but is also shaped by a dense network of associative or intracortical inputs to piriform, which may enhance or constrain the cort- ical odor representation. With optogenetic techniques, it is possible to functionally isolate defined inputs to piriform cortex and assess their potential to activate or inhibit piriform pyramidal neurons. The anterior olfactory nucleus (AON) receives direct input from the olfactory bulb and sends an associative projection to piriform cortex that has potential roles in the state-dependent processing of olfactory behaviors. Here, we provide a detailed functional assessment of the AON afferents to piriform in male and female C57Bl/6J mice. We confirm that the AON forms glutamatergic excitatory synapses onto piriform pyramidal neurons; and while these inputs are not as strong as piriform recurrent collaterals, they are less constrained by disynaptic inhibition.
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