scholarly journals An update on anatomy and function of the teleost olfactory system

PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e7808 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesús Olivares ◽  
Oliver Schmachtenberg
Keyword(s):  
Olfactory System ◽  
Olfactory Receptor Neurons ◽  
Odorant Receptors ◽  
Odor Coding ◽  
Animal Group ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Olfactory Systems ◽  
Receptor Neurons ◽  
Olfactory Organs ◽  
And Function

About half of all extant vertebrates are teleost fishes. Although our knowledge about anatomy and function of their olfactory systems still lags behind that of mammals, recent advances in cellular and molecular biology have provided us with a wealth of novel information about the sense of smell in this important animal group. Its paired olfactory organs contain up to five types of olfactory receptor neurons expressing OR, TAAR, VR1- and VR2-class odorant receptors associated with individual transduction machineries. The different types of receptor neurons are preferentially tuned towards particular classes of odorants, that are associated with specific behaviors, such as feeding, mating or migration. We discuss the connections of the receptor neurons in the olfactory bulb, the differences in bulbar circuitry compared to mammals, and the characteristics of second order projections to telencephalic olfactory areas, considering the everted ontogeny of the teleost telencephalon. The review concludes with a brief overview of current theories about odor coding and the prominent neural oscillations observed in the teleost olfactory system.

scholarly journals Interpreting the Spatial-Temporal Structure of Turbulent Chemical Plumes Utilized in Odor Tracking by Lobsters

Fluids ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 82
Author(s):  
Kyle W. Leathers ◽  
Brenden T. Michaelis ◽  
Matthew A. Reidenbach
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Information ◽  
Temporal Structure ◽  
Spiny Lobster ◽  
Search Time ◽  
The Body ◽  
Olfactory Receptor Neurons ◽  
Olfactory Systems ◽  
Receptor Neurons ◽  
Information Problem ◽  
Odor Signal

Olfactory systems in animals play a major role in finding food and mates, avoiding predators, and communication. Chemical tracking in odorant plumes has typically been considered a spatial information problem where individuals navigate towards higher concentration. Recent research involving chemosensory neurons in the spiny lobster, Panulirus argus, show they possess rhythmically active or ‘bursting’ olfactory receptor neurons that respond to the intermittency in the odor signal. This suggests a possible, previously unexplored olfactory search strategy that enables lobsters to utilize the temporal variability within a turbulent plume to track the source. This study utilized computational fluid dynamics to simulate the turbulent dispersal of odorants and assess a number of search strategies thought to aid lobsters. These strategies include quantification of concentration magnitude using chemosensory antennules and leg chemosensors, simultaneous sampling of water velocities using antennule mechanosensors, and utilization of antennules to quantify intermittency of the odorant plume. Results show that lobsters can utilize intermittency in the odorant signal to track an odorant plume faster and with greater success in finding the source than utilizing concentration alone. However, the additional use of lobster leg chemosensors reduced search time compared to both antennule intermittency and concentration strategies alone by providing spatially separated odorant sensors along the body.

scholarly journals Odorant Receptors Signaling Instructs the Development and Plasticity of the Glomerular Map

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pablo Valle-Leija
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Olfactory System ◽  
Neural Circuits ◽  
Odorant Receptors ◽  
Great Opportunity ◽  
Essential Information ◽  
Olfactory Information ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
And Function

The olfactory system provides a great opportunity to explore the mechanisms that underlie the formation and function of neural circuits because of the simplicity of its structure. Olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) located in the peripheral olfactory epithelium (OE) take part in the initial formation and function of glomeruli in the olfactory bulb (OB) inside the central nervous system. Glomeruli are key in the process of transduction of olfactory information, as they constitute a map in the OB that sorts the different types of odorant inputs. This odorant categorization allows proper olfactory perception, and it is achieved through the anatomical organization and function of the different glomerular circuits. Once formed, glomeruli keep the capacity to undergo diverse plasticity processes, which is unique among the different neural circuits of the central nervous system. In this context, through the expression and function of the odorant receptors (ORs), OSNs perform two of the most important roles in the olfactory system: transducing odorant information to the nervous system and initiating the development of the glomerular map to organize olfactory information. This review addresses essential information that has emerged in recent years about the molecular basis of these processes.

scholarly journals Differential effects of adaptation on odor discrimination

2018 ◽  
Vol 120 (1) ◽  
pp. 171-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seth Haney ◽  
Debajit Saha ◽  
Baranidharan Raman ◽  
Maxim Bazhenov
Keyword(s):  
Olfactory Receptor ◽  
Olfactory Receptor Neurons ◽  
Neural Responses ◽  
Complex Environments ◽  
Peripheral Neurons ◽  
Neural Representations ◽  
Complex Stimuli ◽  
Olfactory Systems ◽  
Receptor Neurons ◽  
Distinguishing Features

Adaptation of neural responses is ubiquitous in sensory systems and can potentially facilitate many important computational functions. Here we examined this issue with a well-constrained computational model of the early olfactory circuits. In the insect olfactory system, the responses of olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) on the antennae adapt over time. We found that strong adaptation of sensory input is important for rapidly detecting a fresher stimulus encountered in the presence of other background cues and for faithfully representing its identity. However, when the overlapping odorants were chemically similar, we found that adaptation could alter the representation of these odorants to emphasize only distinguishing features. This work demonstrates novel roles for peripheral neurons during olfactory processing in complex environments. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Olfactory systems face the problem of distinguishing salient information from a complex olfactory environment. The neural representations of specific odor sources should be consistent regardless of the background. How are olfactory representations robust to varying environmental interference? We show that in locusts the extraction of salient information begins in the periphery. Olfactory receptor neurons adapt in response to odorants. Adaptation can provide a computational mechanism allowing novel odorant components to be highlighted during complex stimuli.

scholarly journals Biochemical Evidence for a Putative Inositol 1,3,4,5-Tetrakisphosphate Receptor in the Olfactory System of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar)

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Jiongdong Pang ◽  
Dennis E. Rhoads
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Salmon ◽  
Salmo Salar ◽  
Binding Sites ◽  
Microsomal Fraction ◽  
Rank Order ◽  
Olfactory Receptor Neurons ◽  
Odorant Receptors ◽  
Inositol Polyphosphates ◽  
Putative Receptor ◽  
Receptor Neurons

Olfactory receptor neurons in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) appear to use a phosphoinositide-directed phospholipase C (PLC) in odorant signal transduction. The consequences of odor-activated PLC depend on its product, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3). Therefore, a plasma membrane rich (PMR) fraction, previously characterized from salmon olfactory rosettes, was used to study binding sites for IP3 and its phosphorylation product, inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate (IP4). Binding sites for IP3 were present at the lower limit for detection in the PMR fraction but were abundant in a microsomal fraction. Binding sites for IP4 were abundant in the PMR fraction and thus colocalized in the same subcellular fraction with odorant receptors for amino acids and bile acids. Binding of IP4 was saturable and high affinity (Kd = 83 nM). The rank order for potency of inhibition of IP4 by other inositol polyphosphates (InsPx) followed the phosphorylation number with InsP6 > InsP5 > other InsP4 isomers > InsP3 isomers > InsP2 isomers, with the latter showing no activity. The consequences of PLC activity in this system may be dictated in part by a putative receptor for IP4.

scholarly journals Concentration-Invariant Odor Representation in the Olfactory System by Presynaptic Inhibition

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danke Zhang ◽  
Yuanqing Li ◽  
Si Wu
Keyword(s):  
Olfactory Receptor ◽  
Olfactory System ◽  
Olfactory Receptor Neurons ◽  
Projection Neurons ◽  
Invariant Representation ◽  
Odor Concentration ◽  
Presynaptic Site ◽  
Divisive Normalization ◽  
Receptor Neurons ◽  
Parameter Condition

The present study investigates a network model for implementing concentration-invariant representation for odors in the olfactory system. The network consists of olfactory receptor neurons, projection neurons, and inhibitory local neurons. Receptor neurons send excitatory inputs to projection neurons, which are modulated by the inhibitory inputs from local neurons. The modulation occurs at the presynaptic site from a receptor neuron to a projection one, leading to the operation of divisive normalization. The responses of local interneurons are determined by the total activities of olfactory receptor neurons. We find that with a proper parameter condition, the responses of projection neurons become effectively independent of the odor concentration. Simulation results confirm our theoretical analysis.

scholarly journals Comparison of the Nasal Olfactory Organs of Various Species of Lizardfishes (Teleostei: Aulopiformes: Synodontidae) with Additional Remarks on the Brain

2010 ◽  
Vol 2010 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Fishelson ◽  
D. Golani ◽  
B. Galil ◽  
M. Goren
Keyword(s):  
Olfactory Epithelium ◽  
Olfactory Receptor ◽  
Olfactory Receptor Neurons ◽  
Adult Fish ◽  
Supporting Cells ◽  
Receptor Neurons ◽  
Olfactory Organs ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
The Brain

The olfactory organs of lizardfishes (Synodontidae) are situated in two capsules connected to the outside by incurrent and excurrent openings. The olfactory epithelium is in form of petal rosettes each composed of lamellae and a rephe, and bear olfactory receptor neurons, supporting cells and cells with kinocillia. The dimension of rosettes and lamellae, as well as the number of lamellae, increase with growth of the fish; until in adult fish these parameters remaine constant, species specific. In adultSynodusspp. andTrachinocephalus myopsthe rosettes are 3.5–4.0 mm long, with 5–8 lamellae, whereas inSauridaspp. they are 8.0 mm and possess up tp 22 lamellae. The number of ORN ranges from 2,600 on the smaller lamellae to 20,000 on the largest ones. The number of ORN/m of olfactory is ca. 30,000 inSauridaspp. Thus the rosettes ofS. macrolepiswith 20 lamellae possess a total of ca. 170,000 ORN, whereas those ofSy. variegatusandT. myopswith the average of six lamellae possess only ca. 50,000–65,000 ORN. The olfactory nerves lead from the rosettes to the olfactory balbs situated on the olfactory lobes. The differences among the species in olfactory organs are discussed in correlation with their distribution.

scholarly journals Front-end Weber-Fechner gain control enhances the fidelity of combinatorial odor coding

eLife ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nirag Kadakia ◽  
Thierry Emonet
Keyword(s):  
Gain Control ◽  
Feedback Mechanism ◽  
Olfactory Receptor Neurons ◽  
Receptor Sensitivity ◽  
Adaptation Mechanism ◽  
Odor Coding ◽  
Front End ◽  
Receptor Neurons ◽  
Odor Classification ◽  
Odor Signals

We showed previously (Gorur-Shandilya et al., 2017) that Drosophila olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) expressing the co-receptor Orco scale their gain inversely with mean odor intensity according to Weber-Fechner’s law. Here, we show that this front-end adaptation promotes the reconstruction of odor identity from dynamic odor signals, even in the presence of confounding background odors and rapid intensity fluctuations. These enhancements are further aided by known downstream transformations in the antennal lobe and mushroom body. Our results, which are applicable to various odor classification and reconstruction schemes, stem from the fact that this adaptation mechanism is not intrinsic to the identity of the receptor involved. Instead, a feedback mechanism adjusts receptor sensitivity based on the activity of the receptor-Orco complex, according to Weber-Fechner’s law. Thus, a common scaling of the gain across Orco-expressing ORNs may be a key feature of ORN adaptation that helps preserve combinatorial odor codes in naturalistic landscapes.

scholarly journals Single-cell transcriptomes of developing and adult olfactory receptor neurons in Drosophila

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colleen N. McLaughlin ◽  
Maria Brbić ◽  
Qijing Xie ◽  
Tongchao Li ◽  
Felix Horns ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Single Cell ◽  
Olfactory Receptor ◽  
Developmental Stages ◽  
Sensory Modality ◽  
Antennal Segment ◽  
Olfactory Receptors ◽  
Olfactory Receptor Neurons ◽  
Receptor Neurons ◽  
Sensory Responses ◽  
And Function

AbstractRecognition of environmental cues is essential for the survival of all organisms. Precise transcriptional changes occur to enable the generation and function of the neural circuits underlying sensory perception. To gain insight into these changes, we generated single-cell transcriptomes of Drosophila olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs), thermosensory and hygrosensory neurons from the third antennal segment at an early developmental and adult stage. We discovered that ORNs maintain expression of the same olfactory receptors across development. Using these receptors and computational approaches, we matched transcriptomic clusters corresponding to anatomically and physiologically defined neuronal types across multiple developmental stages. Cell-type-specific transcriptomes, in part, reflected axon trajectory choices in early development and sensory modality in adults. Our analysis also uncovered type-specific and broadly expressed genes that could modulate adult sensory responses. Collectively, our data reveal important transcriptomic features of sensory neuron biology and provides a resource for future studies of their development and physiology.

scholarly journals Olfactory coding in the turbulent realm

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent Jacob ◽  
Christelle Monsempès ◽  
Jean-Pierre Rospars ◽  
Jean-Baptiste Masson ◽  
Philippe Lucas
Keyword(s):  
White Noise ◽  
Firing Rate ◽  
Olfactory Receptor ◽  
Olfactory System ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Temporal Structure ◽  
Olfactory Receptor Neurons ◽  
Odor Source ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Receptor Neurons

AbstractLong-distance olfactory search behaviors depend on odor detection dynamics. Due to turbulence, olfactory signals travel as bursts of variable concentration and spacing and are characterized by long-tail distributions of odor/no-odor events, challenging the computing capacities of olfactory systems. How animals encode complex olfactory scenes to track the plume far from the source remains unclear. Here we focus on the coding of the plume temporal dynamics in moths. We compare responses of olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) and antennal lobe projection neurons (PNs) to sequences of pheromone stimuli either with white-noise patterns or with realistic turbulent temporal structures simulating a large range of distances (8 to 64 m) from the odor source. For the first time, we analyze what information is extracted by the olfactory system at large distances from the source. Neuronal responses are analyzed using linear–nonlinear models fitted with white-noise stimuli and used for predicting responses to turbulent stimuli. We found that neuronal firing rate is less correlated with the dynamic odor time course when distance to the source increases because of improper coding during long odor and no-odor events that characterize large distances. Rapid adaptation during long puffs does not preclude however the detection of puff transitions in PNs. Individual PNs but not individual ORNs encode the onset and offset of odor puffs for any temporal structure of stimuli. A higher spontaneous firing rate coupled to an inhibition phase at the end of PN responses contributes to this coding property. This allows PNs to decode the temporal structure of the odor plume at any distance to the source, an essential piece of information moths can use in their tracking behavior.Author SummaryLong-distance olfactory search is a difficult task because atmospheric turbulence erases global gradients and makes the plume discontinuous. The dynamics of odor detections is the sole information about the position of the source. Male moths successfully track female pheromone plumes at large distances. Here we show that the moth olfactory system encodes olfactory scenes simulating variable distances from the odor source by characterizing puff onsets and offsets. A single projection neuron is sufficient to provide an accurate representation of the dynamic pheromone time course at any distance to the source while this information seems to be encoded at the population level in olfactory receptor neurons.

scholarly journals Zonal organization of the mammalian main and accessory olfactory systems

2000 ◽  
Vol 355 (1404) ◽  
pp. 1801-1812 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kensaku Mori ◽  
Harald von Campenhausen ◽  
Yoshihiro Yoshihara
Keyword(s):  
Olfactory Bulb ◽  
Sensory Neurons ◽  
Olfactory System ◽  
Expression Patterns ◽  
Odorant Receptors ◽  
Accessory Olfactory Bulb ◽  
Basal Zone ◽  
Olfactory Systems ◽  
Tufted Cells ◽  
Zonal Organization

Zonal organization is one of the characteristic features observed in both main and accessory olfactory systems. In the main olfactory system, most of the odorant receptors are classified into four groups according to their zonal expression patterns in the olfactory epithelium. Each group of odorant receptors is expressed by sensory neurons distributed within one of four circumscribed zones. Olfactory sensory neurons in a given zone of the epithelium project their axons to the glomeruli in a corresponding zone of the main olfactory bulb. Glomeruli in the same zone tend to represent similar odorant receptors having similar tuning specificity to odorants. Vomeronasal receptors (or pheromone receptors) are classified into two groups in the accessory olfactory system. Each group of receptors is expressed by vomeronasal sensory neurons in either the apical or basal zone of the vomeronasal epithelium. Sensory neurons in the apical zone project their axons to the rostral zone of the accessory olfactory bulb and form synaptic connections with mitral–tufted cells belonging to the rostral zone. Signals originated from basal zone sensory neurons are sent to mitral–tufted cells in the caudal zone of the accessory olfactory bulb. We discuss functional implications of the zonal organization in both main and accessory olfactory systems.

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