Neurotransmitter release in the accessory olfactory bulb during and after the formation of an olfactory memory in mice

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.

The Bruce effect: Representational stability and memory formation in the accessory olfactory bulb of the female mouse

In the Bruce effect, a mated female mouse becomes resistant to the pregnancy-blocking effect of the stud. Various lines of evidence suggest that this form of behavioral imprinting results from reduced sensitivity of the female's accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) to the stud's chemosignals. However, the AOB's combinatorial code implies that diminishing responses to one individual will distort representations of other stimuli. Here, we record extracellular responses of AOB neurons in mated and unmated female mice while presenting urine stimuli from the stud and from other sources. We find that, while initial sensory responses in the AOB (within a timescale required to guide social interactions) remain stable, responses to extended stimulation (as required for eliciting the pregnancy block) display selective attenuation of stud-responsive neurons. Such temporal disassociation could allow attenuation of slow-acting endocrine processes in a stimulus-specific manner without compromising ongoing representations that guide behavior.

The Neurotransmitter Receptor Architecture of the Mouse Olfactory System

The uptake, transmission and processing of sensory olfactory information is modulated by inhibitory and excitatory receptors in the olfactory system. Previous studies have focused on the function of individual receptors in distinct brain areas, but the receptor architecture of the whole system remains unclear. Here, we analyzed the receptor profiles of the whole olfactory system of adult male mice. We examined the distribution patterns of glutamatergic (AMPA, kainate, mGlu_2/3, and NMDA), GABAergic (GABA_A, GABA_A(BZ), and GABA_B), dopaminergic (D_1/5) and noradrenergic (α₁ and α₂) neurotransmitter receptors by quantitative in vitro receptor autoradiography combined with an analysis of the cyto- and myelo-architecture. We observed that each subarea of the olfactory system is characterized by individual densities of distinct neurotransmitter receptor types, leading to a region- and layer-specific receptor profile. Thereby, the investigated receptors in the respective areas and strata showed a heterogeneous expression. Generally, we detected high densities of mGlu_2/3Rs, GABA_A(BZ)Rs and GABA_BRs. Noradrenergic receptors revealed a highly heterogenic distribution, while the dopaminergic receptor D_1/5 displayed low concentrations, except in the olfactory tubercle and the dorsal endopiriform nucleus. The similarities and dissimilarities of the area-specific multireceptor profiles were analyzed by a hierarchical cluster analysis. A three-cluster solution was found that divided the areas into the (1) olfactory relay stations (main and accessory olfactory bulb), (2) the olfactory cortex (anterior olfactory cortex, dorsal peduncular cortex, taenia tecta, piriform cortex, endopiriform nucleus, entorhinal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex) and the (3) olfactory tubercle, constituting its own cluster. The multimodal receptor-architectonic analysis of each component of the olfactory system provides new insights into its neurochemical organization and future possibilities for pharmaceutic targeting.

Paradoxically Sparse Chemosensory Tuning in Broadly Integrating External Granule Cells in the Mouse Accessory Olfactory Bulb

The accessory olfactory bulb (AOB), the first neural circuit in the mouse accessory olfactory system, is critical for interpreting social chemosignals. Despite its importance, AOB information processing is poorly understood compared with the main olfactory bulb (MOB). Here, we sought to fill gaps in the understanding of AOB interneuron function. We used 2-photon GCaMP6f Ca2+ imaging in an ex vivo preparation to study chemosensory tuning in AOB external granule cells (EGCs), interneurons hypothesized to broadly inhibit activity in excitatory mitral cells (MCs). In ex vivo preparations from mice of both sexes, we measured MC and EGC tuning to natural chemosignal blends and monomolecular ligands, finding that EGC tuning was sparser, not broader, than upstream MCs. Simultaneous electrophysiological recording and Ca2+ imaging showed no differences in GCaMP6f-to-spiking relationships in these cell types during simulated sensory stimulation, suggesting that measured EGC sparseness was not due to cell type-dependent variability in GCaMP6f performance. Ex vivo patch-clamp recordings revealed that EGC subthreshold responsivity was far broader than indicated by GCaMP6f Ca2+ imaging, and that monomolecular ligands rarely elicited EGC spiking. These results indicate that EGCs are selectively engaged by chemosensory blends, suggesting different roles for EGCs than analogous interneurons in the MOB.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The mouse accessory olfactory system (AOS) interprets social chemosignals, but we poorly understand AOS information processing. Here, we investigate the functional properties of external granule cells (EGCs), a major class of interneurons in the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB). We hypothesized that EGCs, which are densely innervated by excitatory mitral cells (MCs), would show broad chemosensory tuning, suggesting a role in divisive normalization. Using ex vivo GCaMP6f imaging, we found that EGCs were instead more sparsely tuned than MCs. This was not due to weaker GCaMP6f signaling in EGCs than in MCs. Instead, we found that many MC-activating chemosignals caused only subthreshold EGC responses. This indicates a different role for AOB EGCs compared with analogous cells in the main olfactory bulb.

Signal Detection and Coding in the Accessory Olfactory System

In many mammalian species, the accessory olfactory system plays a central role in guiding behavioral and physiological responses to social and reproductive interactions. Because of its relatively compact structure and its direct access to amygdalar and hypothalamic nuclei, the accessory olfactory pathway provides an ideal system to study sensory control of complex mammalian behavior. During the last several years, many studies employing molecular, behavioral, and physiological approaches have significantly expanded and enhanced our understanding of this system. The purpose of the current review is to integrate older and newer studies to present an updated and comprehensive picture of vomeronasal signaling and coding with an emphasis on early accessory olfactory system processing stages. These include vomeronasal sensory neurons in the vomeronasal organ, and the circuitry of the accessory olfactory bulb. Because the overwhelming majority of studies on accessory olfactory system function employ rodents, this review is largely focused on this phylogenetic order, and on mice in particular. Taken together, the emerging view from both older literature and more recent studies is that the molecular, cellular, and circuit properties of chemosensory signaling along the accessory olfactory pathway are in many ways unique. Yet, it has also become evident that, like the main olfactory system, the accessory olfactory system also has the capacity for adaptive learning, experience, and state-dependent plasticity. In addition to describing what is currently known about accessory olfactory system function and physiology, we highlight what we believe are important gaps in our knowledge, which thus define exciting directions for future investigation.

Neural circuits regulating sexual behaviors via the olfactory system in mice

Reproduction is essential for any animal species. Reproductive behaviors, or sexual behaviors, are largely shaped by external sensory cues exchanged during sexual interaction. In many animals, including rodents, olfactory cues play a critical role in regulating sexual behavior. What exactly these olfactory cues are and how they impact animal behavior have been a central question in the field. Over the past few decades, many studies have dedicated to identifying an active compound that elicits sexual behavior from crude olfactory components. The identified substance has served as a tool to dissect the sensory processing mechanisms in the olfactory systems. In addition, recent advances in genetic engineering, and optics and microscopic techniques have greatly expanded our knowledge of the neural mechanisms underlying the control of sexual behavior in mice. This review summarizes our current knowledge about how sexual behaviors are controlled by olfactory cues.

α2-Adrenergic receptor activation promotes long-term potentiation at excitatory synapses in the mouse accessory olfactory bulb

The formation of mate recognition memory in mice is associated with neural changes at the reciprocal dendrodendritic synapses between glutamatergic mitral cell (MC) projection neurons and GABAergic granule cell (GC) interneurons in the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB). Although noradrenaline (NA) plays a critical role in the formation of the memory, the mechanism by which it exerts this effect remains unclear. Here we used extracellular field potential and whole-cell patch-clamp recordings to assess the actions of bath-applied NA (10 µM) on the glutamatergic transmission and its plasticity at the MC-to-GC synapse in the AOB. Stimulation (400 stimuli) of MC axons at 10 Hz but not at 100 Hz effectively induced N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-dependent long-term potentiation (LTP), which exhibited reversibility. NA paired with subthreshold 10-Hz stimulation (200 stimuli) facilitated the induction of NMDA receptor-dependent LTP via the activation of α₂-adrenergic receptors (ARs). We next examined how NA, acting at α₂-ARs, facilitates LTP induction. In terms of acute actions, NA suppressed GC excitatory postsynaptic current (EPSC) responses to single pulse stimulation of MC axons by reducing glutamate release from MCs via G-protein coupled inhibition of calcium channels. Consequently, NA reduced recurrent inhibition of MCs, resulting in the enhancement of evoked EPSCs and spike fidelity in GCs during the 10-Hz stimulation used to induce LTP. These results suggest that NA, acting at α₂-ARs, facilitates the induction of NMDA receptor-dependent LTP at the MC-to-GC synapse by shifting its threshold through disinhibition of MCs.

Experience-Dependent Plasticity in Accessory Olfactory Bulb Interneurons following Male-Male Social Interaction

Chemosensory information processing in the mouse accessory olfactory system guides the expression of social behavior. After salient chemosensory encounters, the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) experiences changes in the balance of excitation and inhibition at reciprocal synapses between mitral cells (MCs) and local interneurons. The mechanisms underlying these changes remain controversial. Moreover, it remains unclear whether MC-interneuron plasticity is unique to specific behaviors, such as mating, or whether it is a more general feature of the AOB circuit. Here, we describe targeted electrophysiological studies of AOB inhibitory internal granule cells (IGCs), many of which upregulate the immediate-early gene Arc after male-male social experience. Following the resident-intruder paradigm, Arc-expressing IGCs in acute AOB slices from resident males displayed stronger excitation than nonexpressing neighbors when sensory inputs were stimulated. The increased excitability of Arc-expressing IGCs was not correlated with changes in the strength or number of excitatory synapses with MCs but was instead associated with increased intrinsic excitability and decreased HCN channel-mediated I_H currents. Consistent with increased inhibition by IGCs, MCs responded to sensory input stimulation with decreased depolarization and spiking following resident-intruder encounters. These results reveal that nonmating behaviors drive AOB inhibitory plasticity and indicate that increased MC inhibition involves intrinsic excitability changes in Arc-expressing interneurons.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) is a site of experience-dependent plasticity between excitatory mitral cells (MCs) and inhibitory internal granule cells (IGCs), but the physiological mechanisms and behavioral conditions driving this plasticity remain unclear. Here, we report studies of AOB neuronal plasticity following male-male social chemosensory encounters. We show that the plasticity-associated immediate-early gene Arc is selectively expressed in IGCs from resident males following the resident-intruder assay. After behavior, Arc-expressing IGCs are more strongly excited by sensory input stimulation and MC activation is suppressed. Arc-expressing IGCs do not show increased excitatory synaptic drive but instead show increased intrinsic excitability. These data indicate that MC-IGC plasticity is induced after male-male social chemosensory encounters, resulting in enhanced MC suppression by Arc-expressing IGCs.

Neural mechanisms of social learning in the female mouse

Social interactions are often powerful drivers of learning. In female mice, mating creates a long-lasting sensory memory for the pheromones of the stud male that alters neuroendocrine responses to his chemosignals for many weeks. The cellular and synaptic correlates of pheromonal learning, however, remain unclear. We examined local circuit changes in the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) using targeted ex vivo recordings of mating-activated neurons tagged with a fluorescent reporter. Imprinting led to striking plasticity in the intrinsic membrane excitability of projection neurons (mitral cells, MCs) that dramatically curtailed their responsiveness, suggesting a novel cellular substrate for pheromonal learning. Plasticity was selectively expressed in the MC ensembles activated by the stud male, consistent with formation of memories for specific individuals. Finally, MC excitability gained atypical activity-dependence whose slow dynamics strongly attenuated firing on timescales of several minutes. This unusual form of AOB plasticity may act to filter sustained or repetitive sensory signals.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.25421.001

To navigate social situations, humans and other animals need to remember who they have interacted with and how it went, and adjust their behavior in future encounters accordingly. For example, your physical actions, and even your body’s physiological responses, will be very different when you encounter the last person you kissed instead of the last person you fought with (assuming this is not the same person!).

Memories of social interactions can have dramatic consequences. For instance, male mice often kill the offspring of other males. Female mice appear to have adopted a countermeasure to avoid losing a litter of pups to such aggression: they will spontaneously abort a pregnancy when exposed to chemicals called pheromones from unfamiliar males. However, when the female mouse is exposed to the pheromones of the male she mated with she maintains her pregnancy. Exactly how the memories of previous social interactions with the males affect the female’s pheromone responses is not fully understood.

To investigate how the female is able to respond differently to different males, Gao et al. recorded the activity of individual neurons taken from the brain tissue of female mice who had recently mated. The recordings showed that previous social experiences produce learning-related changes in the brain of the female mouse that reduce how sensitively pheromone-detecting neurons respond to the chemical cues of the male mate. This suppresses the signals that the neurons would otherwise send to trigger an abortion in response to male pheromones.

Gao et al. also used fluorescent tags to identify which neurons in the female’s brain had been activated during mating. This revealed that only those neurons that had been activated by the mate become unresponsive when the cells again encountered his pheromones. This suggests that a set of neurons in the female’s brain records the chemical ‘fingerprint’ of the mate, and can then selectively filter out that mate’s pheromone signals.

Many other social interactions, such as parenting, are also strongly shaped by experience. The results presented by Gao et al. may therefore offer wider lessons for understanding how the brain targets different behaviors toward specific individuals. It will also be important to investigate how highly arousing experiences cause such powerful memories to form. This could ultimately help us to better understand – and potentially treat – conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.25421.002

Heterogeneous effects of norepinephrine on spontaneous and stimulus-driven activity in the male accessory olfactory bulb

Norepinephrine (NE) release has been linked to experience-dependent plasticity in many model systems and brain regions. Among these is the rodent accessory olfactory system (AOS), which is crucial for detecting and processing socially relevant environmental cues. The accessory olfactory bulb (AOB), the first site of chemosensory information processing in the AOS, receives dense centrifugal innervation by noradrenergic fibers originating in the locus coeruleus. Although NE release has been linked to behavioral plasticity through its actions in the AOB, the impacts of noradrenergic modulation on AOB information processing have not been thoroughly studied. We made extracellular single-unit recordings of AOB principal neurons in ex vivo preparations of the early AOS taken from adult male mice. We analyzed the impacts of bath-applied NE (10 μM) on spontaneous and stimulus-driven activity. In the presence of NE, we observed overall suppression of stimulus-driven neuronal activity with limited impact on spontaneous activity. NE-associated response suppression in the AOB came in two forms: one that was strong and immediate (21%) and one other that involved gradual, stimulus-dependent monotonic response suppression (47%). NE-associated changes in spontaneous activity were more modest, with an overall increase in spontaneous spike frequency observed in 25% of neurons. Neurons with increased spontaneous activity demonstrated a net decrease in chemosensory discriminability. These results reveal that noradrenergic signaling in the AOB causes cell-specific changes in chemosensory tuning, even among similar projection neurons.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Norepinephrine (NE) is released throughout the brain in many behavioral contexts, but its impacts on information processing are not well understood. We studied the impact of NE on chemosensory tuning in the mouse accessory olfactory bulb (AOB). Electrophysiological recordings from AOB neurons in ex vivo preparations revealed that NE, on balance, inhibited mitral cell responses to chemosensory cues. However, NE's effects were heterogeneous, indicating that NE signaling reshapes AOB output in a cell- and stimulus-specific manner.

Activation of arginine vasopressin receptor 1a facilitates the induction of long-term potentiation in the accessory olfactory bulb of male mice

Olfaction plays an important role in social recognition in most mammals. Central arginine vasopressin (AVP) plays a role in this olfaction-based recognition. The high level of expression of AVP receptors in the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) at the first relay of the vomeronasal system highlights the importance of AVP signaling at this stage. We therefore analyzed the effects of AVP on the synaptic plasticity of glutamatergic transmission from mitral cells to granule cells in AOB slices from male mice. To monitor the strength of the glutamatergic transmission, we measured the maximal initial slope of the lateral olfactory tract-evoked field potential, which represents the granule cell response to mitral cell activation. AVP paired with 100-Hz stimulation that only produced short-term potentiation enhanced the induction of long-term potentiation (LTP) in a dose-dependent manner. AVP-paired LTP was blocked by the selective AVP receptor 1a (AVPR1a) antagonist, d(CH₂)₅[Tyr(Me)²]AVP (Manning compound), but not by the AVPR1b antagonist SSR149415, and it was mimicked by the selective AVPR1a agonist [Phe², Ile³, Orn⁸]-vasopressin. We further examined the effect of AVP on the reciprocal transmission between mitral and granule cells by stimulating a mitral cell and recording the evoked inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) from the same cell using conventional whole-cell patch-clamp techniques. AVP reduced the reciprocal IPSCs triggered by endogenous glutamate release from the excited mitral cell. These results suggest that AVP promotes the induction of LTP at the mitral-to-granule cell synapse via the activation of AVPR1a through an as-yet-to-be-determined mechanism in the AOB of male mice.

Plasticity in the Olfactory System: Lessons for the Neurobiology of Memory

We are rapidly advancing toward an understanding of the molecular events underlying odor transduction, mechanisms of spatiotemporal central odor processing, and neural correlates of olfactory perception and cognition. A thread running through each of these broad components that define olfaction appears to be their dynamic nature. How odors are processed, at both the behavioral and neural level, is heavily dependent on past experience, current environmental context, and internal state. The neural plasticity that allows this dynamic processing is expressed nearly ubiquitously in the olfactory pathway, from olfactory receptor neurons to the higher-order cortex, and includes mechanisms ranging from changes in membrane excitability to changes in synaptic efficacy to neurogenesis and apoptosis. This review will describe recent findings regarding plasticity in the mammalian olfactory system that are believed to have general relevance for understanding the neurobiology of memory.

Roles for learning in mammalian chemosensory responses

This article is part of a Special Issue "Chemosignals and Reproduction". A rich variety of chemosignals have been identified that influence mammalian behaviour, including peptides, proteins and volatiles. Many of these elicit innate effects acting either as pheromones within species or allelochemicals between species. However, even innate pheromonal responses in mammals are not as hard-wired as the original definition of the term would suggest. Many, if not most mammalian pheromonal responses are only elicited in certain behavioural or physiological contexts. Furthermore, certain pheromones are themselves rewarding and act as unconditioned stimuli to link non-pheromonal stimuli to the pheromonal response, via associative learning. The medial amygdala, has emerged as a potential site for this convergence by which learned chemosensory input is able to gain control over innately-driven output circuits. The medial amygdala is also an important site for associating social chemosensory information that enables recognition of conspecifics and heterospecifics by association of their complex chemosensory signatures both within and across olfactory chemosensory systems. Learning can also influence pheromonal responses more directly to adapt them to changing physiological and behavioural context. Neuromodulators such as noradrenaline and oxytocin can plasticise neural circuits to gate transmission of chemosensory information. More recent evidence points to a role for neurogenesis in this adaptation, both at the peripheral level of the sensory neurons and via the incorporation of new neurons into existing olfactory bulb circuits. The emerging picture is of integrated and flexible responses to chemosignals that adapt them to the environmental and physiological context in which they occur.

A comparative study of the effect of some nutritional medicinal plants effect on lead accumulation in the liver following different modes of administration

Context and Objectives:

Lead (Pb) toxicity leads to cell damage in many organs of the body. Using different treatment interventions and modes of administration we comparatively examined the protective ability of some medicinal plants on liver Pb accumulation.

Materials and Methods:

Rats were fed on either 7% w/w Zingiber officinale, 7% w/w Allium sativum, 10% w/w Lycopersicon esculentum, 5%, w/w Garcinia kola (all in rat chow), while Pb (100 ppm) was given in drinking water. The additives were administered together with (mode 1), a week after exposure to (mode 2) or a week before metal exposure to (mode 3) the metal for a period of 6 weeks. The metal accumulations in the liver were determined using atomic absorption spectrometry and compared using analysis of variance.

Results:

Some additives significantly (P < 0.05) reduced, while others enhanced Pb accumulation. Mode 2 yielded the highest mean % protection and mode 3 the lowest, no significant interaction between modes of administration and time of measurement in their relationships to percentage protection, but there was statistically significant (P < 0.05) interaction between modes of administration and additive used in their relationships to percentage protection.

Conclusion:

Protective effects of medicinal plants are varied and depend on the nature of lead exposure.

Female bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus) recognition: preference for the stud male

Pregnant and nursing bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus) females were investigated for their ability to recognize their mated male on the basis of chemical cues. In a two-choice test pregnant females showed a strong preference, manifested by higher frequency of sniffs and time spent sniffing, to the odour of a stud male over that of unfamiliar male, but only during the days after insemination and around implantation. As gestation proceeds females exhibited no affinity for either of these two kinds of males. Olfactory bulbectomy abolished a pregnant females preference for her stud male. A lactating female chose the odour of her sexual partner untill the time of weaning of her young. Separation of the female from her pups during the early post partum period shortens the time of memory for the scent of the stud male. The results indicate that bank vole females form olfactory memory to the odour of stud males and its duration depends on physiological state of the females.

Olfactory bulb encoding during learning under anesthesia

Neural plasticity changes within the olfactory bulb are important for olfactory learning, although how neural encoding changes support new associations with specific odors and whether they can be investigated under anesthesia, remain unclear. Using the social transmission of food preference olfactory learning paradigm in mice in conjunction with in vivo microdialysis sampling we have shown firstly that a learned preference for a scented food odor smelled on the breath of a demonstrator animal occurs under isofluorane anesthesia. Furthermore, subsequent exposure to this cued odor under anesthesia promotes the same pattern of increased release of glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the olfactory bulb as previously found in conscious animals following olfactory learning, and evoked GABA release was positively correlated with the amount of scented food eaten. In a second experiment, multiarray (24 electrodes) electrophysiological recordings were made from olfactory bulb mitral cells under isofluorane anesthesia before, during and after a novel scented food odor was paired with carbon disulfide. Results showed significant increases in overall firing frequency to the cued-odor during and after learning and decreases in response to an uncued odor. Analysis of patterns of changes in individual neurons revealed that a substantial proportion (>50%) of them significantly changed their response profiles during and after learning with most of those previously inhibited becoming excited. A large number of cells exhibiting no response to the odors prior to learning were either excited or inhibited afterwards. With the uncued odor many previously responsive cells became unresponsive or inhibited. Learning associated changes only occurred in the posterior part of the olfactory bulb. Thus olfactory learning under anesthesia promotes extensive, but spatially distinct, changes in mitral cell networks to both cued and uncued odors as well as in evoked glutamate and GABA release.

Plasticity of the human olfactory system: the olfactory bulb

In the last years, an increasing interest has been paid to the olfactory system, particularly to its abilities of plasticity and its potential continuous neurogenesis throughout adult life. Although mechanisms underlying adult neurogenesis have been largely investigated in animals, to some degree they remain unclear in humans. Based on human research findings, the present review will focus on the olfactory bulb as an evidence of the astonishing plasticity of the human olfactory system.

Pheromones from males of different familiarity exert divergent effects on adult neurogenesis in the female accessory olfactory bulb

Pheromones from urine of unfamiliar conspecific male animals can reinitiate a female's estrus cycle to cause pregnancy block through the vomeronasal organ (VNO)-accessory olfactory bulb (AOB)-hypothalamic pathway. This phenomenon is called the Bruce effect. Pheromones from the mate of the female, however, do not trigger re-entrance of the estrus cycle because an olfactory memory toward its mate is formed. The activity of the VNO-AOB-hypothalamic pathway is negatively modulated by GABAergic granule cells in the AOB. Since these cells are constantly replenished by neural stem cells in the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the lateral ventricle throughout adulthood and adult neurogenesis is required for mate recognition and fertility, we tested the hypothesis that pheromones from familiar and unfamiliar males may have different effects on adult AOB neurogenesis in female mice. When female mice were exposed to bedding used by a male or lived with one, cell proliferation and neuroblast production in the SVZ were increased. Furthermore, survival of newly generated cells in the AOB was enhanced. This survival effect was transient and mediated by norepinephrine. Interestingly, male bedding-induced newborn cell survival in the AOB but not cell proliferation in the SVZ was attenuated when females were subjected to bedding from an unfamiliar male. Our results indicate that male pheromones from familiar and unfamiliar males exert different effects on neurogenesis in the adult female AOB. Given that adult neurogenesis is required for reproductive behaviors, these divergent pheromonal effects may provide a mechanism for the Bruce effect. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 73: 632-645, 2013.

Regulation of synaptic currents by mGluR2 at reciprocal synapses in the mouse accessory olfactory bulb

The throughput of information from the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) to downstream structures is controlled by reciprocal dendrodendritic inhibition of mitral cells by granule cells. Given the high expression levels of mGluR2, a metabotropic glutamate receptor, in the AOB and the fact that the activation of mGluR2 permits the formation of a specific olfactory memory, we reasoned that mGluR2 might play an important role in regulating dendrodendritic inhibition. To test this hypothesis, we examined the effects of pharmacological and genetic manipulations of mGluR2 on synaptic responses measured from mitral or granule cells in slice preparations from 23- to 36-day-old Balb/c mice. To evoke dendrodendritic inhibition, a depolarizing voltage step from -70 to 0 mV or a threshold current stimulus adjusted to elicit action potential(s) was applied to a mitral cell using either a nystatin-perforated or conventional whole-cell configuration. We found that an agonist for group II metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR2/mGluR3), DCG-IV [(2S,1'R,2'R,3'R)-2-(2,3-dicarboxycyclopropyl)glycine], suppressed, whereas the mGluR2/mGluR3 antagonist LY341495 [(αS)-α-amino-α-[(1S,2S)-2-carboxycyclopropyl]-9H-xanthine-9-propanoic acid] enhanced dendrodendritic inhibition. Genetic ablation of mGluR2 markedly impaired the effects of DCG-IV and LY341495 on dendrodendritic inhibition. DCG-IV reduced both the frequency and the amplitude of spontaneous miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents recorded from granule cells. Additionally, DCG-IV inhibited high-voltage-activated calcium currents in both mitral and granule cells. These results suggest that mGluR2 reduces dendrodendritic inhibition by inhibiting synaptic transmission between mitral cells and granule cells in the AOB.

Enhanced synaptic integration of adult-born neurons in the olfactory bulb of lactating mothers

One of the most dramatic events during the life of adult mammals is the transition into motherhood. This transition is accompanied by specific maternal behaviors, displayed by the mother, that ensure the survival and the well-being of her offspring. The execution of these behaviors is most likely accompanied by plastic changes in specific neuronal circuits, but these are still poorly defined. In this work, we studied the mammalian olfactory bulb (OB), which has been shown to be an essential brain region for maternal behaviors in mice. In the OB, we focused on adult-born neurons, which are continuously incorporated into the circuit during adulthood, thus providing a potential substrate for heightened plasticity after parturition. We analyzed the dynamics and morphological characteristics of adult-born granule cells (abGCs), innervating the OB of primiparous lactating mothers, shortly after parturition as well as in naive females. In vivo time-lapse imaging of abGCs revealed that dendritic spines were significantly more stable in lactating mothers compared with naive virgins. In contrast, spine stability of resident GCs remained unchanged after parturition. In addition, while spine size distribution of abGCs was approximately similar between mothers and naive virgins, the spine density of abGCs was lower in lactating mothers and the density of their presynaptic components was higher. These structural features are indicative of enhanced integration of adult-born neurons into the bulbar circuitry of lactating mothers. This enhanced integration may serve as a cellular mechanism, supporting changes in olfactory coding of new mothers during their first days following parturition.

Age-dependent adrenergic actions in the main olfactory bulb that could underlie an olfactory-sensitive period

Many sensory systems are endowed with mechanisms of neural plasticity that are restricted to a sensitive period in the young developing animal. In this study, we performed experiments in slices of the main olfactory bulb (OB) from rats to examine possible age-dependent cellular mechanisms of plasticity in the olfactory system. We focused on the neurotransmitter norepinephrine (NE), shown to be important in different forms of olfactory learning, examining whether two specific cellular effects of NE previously observed in rats less than P14 extended to older animals. These included an acute reduction in GABAergic synaptic transmission from granule cells (GCs) onto output mitral cells (MCs) and an enhancement in gamma frequency (30-70 Hz) oscillations that persists long after removal of NE. We found that NE failed to reduce GC-to-MC transmission or enhance gamma oscillations in older rats at P18-23. The loss of NE actions on both phenomena appeared to reflect an age-dependent loss of function of α(2)-adrenergic receptors. In addition, we found that NE induced an age-dependent enhancement of transient excitation in MCs, providing a mechanism to link the acute decrease in GC-to-MC inhibition to the long-term increase in gamma oscillations through increases in intracellular calcium. The age-dependent cellular mechanisms that we describe could underlie an olfactory-sensitive period in newborn rodents.

Differential plasticity of microglial cells in the rostrocaudal neuraxis of the accessory olfactory bulb of female mice following mating and stud male exposure

The formation of an olfactory recognition memory by female mice for the stud male pheromones requires two fundamental conditions: incidence of mating and retention of the stud male with the female for a critical 6h interval following mating. This biologically critical recognition memory results from plasticity of reciprocal dendrodendritic synapses in the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB). In this study, a microglia marker antibody (ionized calcium-binding adaptor protein, Iba1) was used to determine how mating and stud pheromones affect microglia in the AOB rostrocaudal axis in female mice. The results showed that compared with estrus and mating only, mating and pheromone exposure significantly increased Iba1 immunoreactivity in the AOB evidenced by increased complexity of ramified microglial processes characteristic of resting microglial morphological phenotype, particularly in the rostral AOB. The density of Iba1 staining after mating and stud pheromone exposure was higher in the rostral - compared to caudal - AOB and was most prevalent in the external plexiform layer, the site of reciprocal mitral-granule dendrodendritic synapses. While cells with activated phenotype were observed in caudal AOB during estrus, mating/pheromone exposure appeared to induce a morphological transformation to the resting microglia phenotype. Since previous evidence implicate the rostral AOB in processing pheromonal signals and microglial cells monitor active synapses, these observations have important functional implications for a potential role for microglia in processing pheromonal signals in the AOB during the formation of olfactory memory.

Noradrenaline-induced enhancement of oscillatory local field potentials in the mouse accessory olfactory bulb does not depend on disinhibition of mitral cells

The olfactory bulb differs from other brain regions by its use of bidirectional synaptic transmission at dendrodendritic reciprocal synapses. These reciprocal synapses provide tight coupling of inhibitory feedback from granule cell interneurons to mitral cell projection neurons in the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB), at the first stage of vomeronasal processing. It has been proposed that both the mGluR2 agonist DCG-IV and noradrenaline promote mate recognition memory formation by reducing GABAergic feedback on mitral cells. The resultant mitral cell disinhibition is thought to induce a long-lasting enhancement in the gain of inhibitory feedback from granule to mitral cells, which selectively gates the transmission of the learned chemosensory information. However, we found that local infusions of both noradrenaline and DCG-IV failed to disinhibit AOB neural activity in urethane-anaesthetised mice. DCG-IV infusion had similar effects to the GABA(A) agonist isoguvacine, suggesting that it increased GABAergic inhibition in the AOB rather than reducing it. Noradrenaline infusion into the AOB also failed to disinhibit mitral cells in awake mice despite inducing long-term increases in power of AOB local field potentials, similar to those observed following memory formation. These results suggest that mitral cell disinhibition is not essential for the neural changes in the AOB that underlie mate recognition memory formation in mice.

Elucidation of mechanisms underlying the protective effects of olive leaf extract against lead-induced neurotoxicity in Wistar rats

Recently, we identified that olive leaf extract (OLE) prevents lead (Pb)-induced abnormalities in behavior and neurotransmitters production in chronic Pb exposure in rats. The aim of the present study was to provide additional evidence that OLE acts as an anti-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant mediator in Pb exposed rats. 4-weeks old Wistar rats were exposed or not to 250 mg/l Pb for 13-weeks and then exposed to tap water containing or not 0.1% OLE for additional 2-weeks. Atomic absorption spectrophotometry showed significantly elevated Pb levels in the hippocampus and serum and reaches 5 and 42 µg/mg tissue, respectively. In the hippocampus, the examination of markers of apoptosis and inflammation revealed an increase in caspase-3 activity and DNA fragmentation as well as tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-1 beta and prostaglandin E2 in Pb-exposed rats. In addition, our findings showed that Pb induced 4-hydroxynonenal production and inhibited antioxidant-related enzyme activity, such as glutathione-S-transferase as wells as energy metabolism-related enzyme activity, such as NADP-isocitrate dehydrogenase and glucose transporter. Upon examination of signaling pathways involved in apoptosis process, we found that Pb induced p38 mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) and Akt phosphorylation, but in contrast, inhibited that of ERK(1/2). Interestingly, OLE administration diminished tissue Pb deposition and prevented all Pb effects. In the frontal cortex, our data also showed that OLE-abolished Pb-induced caspase-3 activity and DNA fragmentation. Collectively, these data support the use of OLE by traditional medicine to counter Pb neurotoxicity.

Expression profiling reveals differential gene induction underlying specific and non-specific memory for pheromones in mice

Memory for the mating male's pheromones in female mice is thought to require synaptic changes in the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB). Induction of this memory depends on release of glutamate in response to pheromonal exposure coincident with release of norepinephrine (NE) in the AOB following mating. A similar memory for pheromones can also be induced artificially by local infusion of the GABA(A) receptor antagonist bicuculline into the AOB. The natural memory formed by exposure to pheromones during mating is specific to the pheromones sensed by the female during mating. In contrast, the artificial memory induced by bicuculline is non-specific and results in the female mice recognizing all pheromones as if they were from the mating male. Although protein synthesis has been shown to be essential for development of pheromone memory, the gene expression cascades critical for memory formation are not known. We investigated changes in gene expression in the AOB using oligonucleotide microarrays during mating-induced pheromone memory (MIPM) as well as bicuculline-induced pheromone memory (BIPM). We found the set of genes induced during MIPM and BIPM are largely non-overlapping and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis revealed that the signaling pathways in MIPM and BIPM also differ. The products of genes induced during MIPM are associated with synaptic function, indicating the possibility of modification at specific synapses, while those induced during BIPM appear to possess neuron-wide functions, which would be consistent with global cellular changes. Thus, these results begin to provide a mechanistic explanation for specific and non-specific memories induced by pheromones and bicuculline infusion respectively.

Neural correlates of olfactory learning: Critical role of centrifugal neuromodulation

The mammalian olfactory system is well established for its remarkable capability of undergoing experience-dependent plasticity. Although this process involves changes at multiple stages throughout the central olfactory pathway, even the early stages of processing, such as the olfactory bulb and piriform cortex, can display a high degree of plasticity. As in other sensory systems, this plasticity can be controlled by centrifugal inputs from brain regions known to be involved in attention and learning processes. Specifically, both the bulb and cortex receive heavy inputs from cholinergic, noradrenergic, and serotonergic modulatory systems. These neuromodulators are shown to have profound effects on both odor processing and odor memory by acting on both inhibitory local interneurons and output neurons in both regions.

Protein kinase Calpha mediates a novel form of plasticity in the accessory olfactory bulb

Modification of synapses in the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) is believed to underlie pheromonal memory that enables mate recognition in mice. The memory, which is acquired with single-trial learning, forms only with coincident noradrenergic and glutamatergic inputs to the AOB. The mechanisms by which glutamate and norepinephrine (NE) alter the AOB synapses are not well understood. Here we present results that not only reconcile the earlier, seemingly contradictory, observations on the role of glutamate and NE in changing the AOB synapses, but also reveal novel mechanisms of plasticity. Our studies suggest that initially, glutamate acting at Group II metabotropic receptors and NE acting at alpha(2)-adrenergic receptors inhibit N-type and R-type Ca(2+) channels in mitral cells via a G-protein. The N-type and R-type Ca(2+) channel inhibition is reversed by activation of alpha(1)-adrenergic receptors and protein kinase Calpha (PKCalpha). Based on these results, we propose a hypothetical model for a new kind of synaptic plasticity in the AOB that accounts for the previous behavioral data on pheromonal memory. According to this model, initial inhibition of the Ca(2+) channels suppresses the GABAergic inhibitory feedback to mitral cells, causing disinhibition and Ca(2+) influx. NE also activates phospholipase C (PLC) through alpha(1)-adrenergic receptors generating inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and diacylglycerol (DAG). Calcium and DAG together activate PKCalpha which switches the disinhibition to increased inhibition of mitral cells. Thus, PKCalpha is likely to be a coincidence detector integrating glutamate and NE input in the AOB and bridging the short-term signaling to long-term structural changes resulting in enhanced inhibition of mitral cells that is thought to underlie memory formation.

Excitatory actions of noradrenaline and metabotropic glutamate receptor activation in granule cells of the accessory olfactory bulb

Modulation of dendrodendritic synapses by the noradrenergic system in the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) plays a key role in the formation of memory in olfactory-mediated behaviors. We have recently shown that noradrenaline (NA) inhibits mitral cells by increasing gamma-aminobutyric acid inhibitory input onto mitral cells in the AOB, suggesting an excitatory action of NA on granule cells (GCs). Here, we show that NA (10 microM) elicits a long-lasting depolarization of GCs. This effect is mediated by activation of alpha(1)-adrenergic receptors as the depolarization is mimicked by phenylephrine (PE, 30 microM) and completely blocked by the alpha(1)-adrenergic receptor antagonist prazosin (300 nM). In addition to this depolarization, application of NA induced the appearance of a slow afterdepolarization (sADP) following a stimulus-elicited train of action potentials. Similarly, the group I metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR1) agonist DHPG (10-30 microM) also produced a depolarization of GCs and the appearance of a stimulus-induced sADP. The ionic and voltage dependence and sensitivity to blockers of the sADP suggest that it is mediated by the nonselective cationic conductance I(CAN). Thus the excitatory action resulting from the activation of these receptors could be mediated by a common transduction target. Surprisingly, the excitatory effect of PE on GCs was completely blocked by the mGluR1 antagonist LY367385 (100 microM). Conversely, the effect of DHPG was not antagonized by the alpha(1)-adrenergic receptor antagonist prazosin (300 nM). These results suggest that most of the noradrenergic effect on GCs in the AOB is mediated by potentiation of a basal activity of mGluR1s.

Noradrenergic induction of odor-specific neural habituation and olfactory memories

For many mammals, individual recognition of conspecifics relies on olfactory cues. Certain individual recognition memories are thought to be stored when conspecific odor cues coincide with surges of noradrenaline (NA) triggered by intensely arousing social events. Such familiar stimuli elicit reduced behavioral responses, a change likely related to NA-dependent plasticity in the olfactory bulb (OB). In addition to its role in these ethological memories, NA signaling in the OB appears to be relevant for the discrimination of more arbitrary odorants as well. Nonetheless, no NA-gated mechanism of long-term plasticity in the OB has ever been directly observed in vivo. Here, we report that NA release from locus ceruleus (LC), when coupled to odor presentation, acts locally in the main OB to cause a specific long-lasting suppression of responses to paired odors. These effects were observed for both food odors and urine, an important social recognition cue. Moreover, in subsequent behavioral tests, mice exhibited habituation to paired urine stimuli, suggesting that this LC-mediated olfactory neural plasticity, induced under anesthesia, can store an individual recognition memory that is observable after recovery.

Profound context-dependent plasticity of mitral cell responses in olfactory bulb

On the basis of its primary circuit it has been postulated that the olfactory bulb (OB) is analogous to the retina in mammals. In retina, repeated exposure to the same visual stimulus results in a neural representation that remains relatively stable over time, even as the meaning of that stimulus to the animal changes. Stability of stimulus representation at early stages of processing allows for unbiased interpretation of incoming stimuli by higher order cortical centers. The alternative is that early stimulus representation is shaped by previously derived meaning, which could allow more efficient sampling of odor space providing a simplified yet biased interpretation of incoming stimuli. This study helps place the olfactory system on this continuum of subjective versus objective early sensory representation. Here we show that odor responses of the output cells of the OB, mitral cells, change transiently during a go-no-go odor discrimination task. The response changes occur in a manner that increases the ability of the circuit to convey information necessary to discriminate among closely related odors. Remarkably, a switch between which of the two odors is rewarded causes mitral cells to switch the polarity of their divergent responses. Taken together these results redefine the function of the OB as a transiently modifiable (active) filter, shaping early odor representations in behaviorally meaningful ways.

Signal transduction and gene expression in cultured accessory olfactory bulb neurons

Glutamate and norepinephrine (NE) are believed to mediate the long-lasting synaptic plasticity in the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) that underlies pheromone recognition memory. The mechanisms by which these neurotransmitters bring about the synaptic changes are not clearly understood. In order to study signals that mediate synaptic plasticity in the AOB, we used AOB neurons in primary culture as a model system. Because induction of pheromone memory requires coincident glutamatergic and noradrenergic input to the AOB, and requires new protein synthesis, we reasoned that glutamate and NE must induce gene expression in the AOB. We used a combination of agonists that stimulate alpha1 and alpha2 adrenergic receptors in combination with N-methyl-d-aspartic acid and tested expression of the immediate-early gene (IEG) c-Fos. We found that the glutamatergic and noradrenergic stimulation caused significant induction of c-Fos mRNA and protein. Induction of c-Fos was significantly reduced in the presence of inhibitors of protein kinase C, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and phospholipase C. These results suggest that glutamate and NE induce gene expression in the AOB through a signaling pathway mediated by protein kinase C and MAPK.

Oxytocin facilitates the induction of long-term potentiation in the accessory olfactory bulb

When female mice are mated, they form a memory to the pheromonal signal of their male partner. Several lines of evidence indicate that the neural changes underlying this memory occur in the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) at the first stage of the vomeronasal system. The formation of this memory depends on the mating-induced release of noradrenaline in the AOB. In addition to noradrenaline, the neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) is also released within the central nervous system during mating. Because OT has been implicated in social memory and its receptors are expressed in the AOB, we hypothesized that OT might promote the strength of synaptic transmission from mitral to granule cells in the AOB. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed the lateral olfactory tract-evoked field potential that represents the granule cell response to mitral cell activation and its plasticity in parasagittal slices of the AOB. Of the 10-, 20-, 50-, and 100-Hz stimulations tested, the 100-Hz stimulation was optimal for inducing long-term potentiation (LTP). OT paired with 100-Hz stimulation that only produced short-term potentiation enhanced LTP induction in a dose-dependent manner. OT-paired LTP was blocked by both the selective OT antagonist desGly-NH(2),d(CH(2))(5)[Tyr(Me)(2),Thr(4)]-ornithine vasotocin and the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist dl-2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid. These results indicate that OT can function as a gate to modulate the establishment of NMDA receptor-dependent LTP at the mitral-to-granule cell synapse in the AOB.

Neuronal replacement in microcircuits of the adult olfactory system

The local-circuit inhibitory interneurons containing gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) are continuously replaced in the adult olfactory bulb. Here, we describe how the production of new GABAergic interneurons is adapted to experience-induced plasticity. In particular, we discuss how such an adaptation is sensitive to the level of sensory inputs and how, in turn, neurogenesis may adjust the neural network functioning to optimize processing of sensory information. Finally, this review brings together recently described properties of interneurons as well as emerging principles of their functions that indicate a much more complex role for these cells than just that of gatekeepers providing inhibition.

Mammalian social odours: attraction and individual recognition

Mammalian social systems rely on signals passed between individuals conveying information including sex, reproductive status, individual identity, ownership, competitive ability and health status. Many of these signals take the form of complex mixtures of molecules sensed by chemosensory systems and have important influences on a variety of behaviours that are vital for reproductive success, such as parent-offspring attachment, mate choice and territorial marking. This article aims to review the nature of these chemosensory cues and the neural pathways mediating their physiological and behavioural effects. Despite the complexities of mammalian societies, there are instances where single molecules can act as classical pheromones attracting interest and approach behaviour. Chemosignals with relatively high volatility can be used to signal at a distance and are sensed by the main olfactory system. Most mammals also possess a vomeronasal system, which is specialized to detect relatively non-volatile chemosensory cues following direct contact. Single attractant molecules are sensed by highly specific receptors using a labelled line pathway. These act alongside more complex mixtures of signals that are required to signal individual identity. There are multiple sources of such individuality chemosignals, based on the highly polymorphic genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) or lipocalins such as the mouse major urinary proteins. The individual profile of volatile components that make up an individual odour signature can be sensed by the main olfactory system, as the pattern of activity across an array of broadly tuned receptor types. In addition, the vomeronasal system can respond highly selectively to non-volatile peptide ligands associated with the MHC, acting at the V2r class of vomeronasal receptor. The ability to recognize individuals or their genetic relatedness plays an important role in mammalian social behaviour. Thus robust systems for olfactory learning and recognition of chemosensory individuality have evolved, often associated with major life events, such as mating, parturition or neonatal development. These forms of learning share common features, such as increased noradrenaline evoked by somatosensory stimulation, which results in neural changes at the level of the olfactory bulb. In the main olfactory bulb, these changes are likely to refine the pattern of activity in response to the learned odour, enhancing its discrimination from those of similar odours. In the accessory olfactory bulb, memory formation is hypothesized to involve a selective inhibition, which disrupts the transmission of the learned chemosignal from the mating male. Information from the main olfactory and vomeronasal systems is integrated at the level of the corticomedial amygdala, which forms the most important pathway by which social odours mediate their behavioural and physiological effects. Recent evidence suggests that this region may also play an important role in the learning and recognition of social chemosignals.

Pheromonal communication in vertebrates

Recent insights have revolutionized our understanding of the importance of chemical signals in influencing vertebrate behaviour. Previously unknown families of pheromonal signals have been identified that are expanding the traditional definition of a pheromone. Although previously regarded as functioning independently, the main olfactory and vomeronasal systems have been found to have considerable overlap in terms of the chemosignals they detect and the effects that they mediate. Studies using gene-targeted mice have revealed an unexpected diversity of chemosensory systems and their underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms. Future developments could show how the functions of the different chemosensory systems are integrated to regulate innate and learned behavioural and physiological responses to pheromones.

Adrenergic enhancement of inhibitory transmission in the accessory olfactory bulb

Noradrenergic modulation of dendrodendritic synapses between the mitral and granule cells in the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) is postulated to play a key role in the formation of memory in olfactory-mediated behaviors. Current models propose that noradrenaline (NA) increases excitation of mitral/tufted cells (M/TCs) by decreasing the release of GABA from granule cells. However, surprisingly little is known about the actions of NA at the cellular level in the AOB. Here, in recordings from AOB slices, we show that NA decreases the firing frequency of M/TCs in response to stimulation. This effect is attributable to an increase in the GABA inhibitory input to M/TCs. Application of NA (10 microM) produced an approximately 20-fold increase in the frequency of GABA-induced miniature IPSCs (mIPSCs) without changing their amplitude. A pharmacological analysis indicated that the increase in mIPSCs frequency results from activation of alpha1 adrenergic receptors. In addition to increasing the mIPSC frequency, NA also potentiated GABA inhibitory currents induced by direct stimulation of granule cells. Together, our results suggest that NA increases the release of GABA from granule cells by acting on presynaptic receptors. Thus, the role of the noradrenergic activity in the AOB may be opposite than suggested previously: we find that the overall effect of NA in the AOB is inhibition of M/TCs.

Neural encoding of olfactory recognition memory

Our work with both sheep and mouse models has revealed many of the neural substrates and signalling pathways involved in olfactory recognition memory in the main olfactory system. A distributed neural system is required for initial memory formation and its short-term retention-the olfactory bulb, piriform and entorhinal cortices and hippocampus. Following memory consolidation, after 8 h or so, only the olfactory bulb and piriform cortex appear to be important for effective recall. Similarly, whereas the glutamate-NMDA/AMPA receptor-nitric oxide (NO)-cyclic GMP signalling pathway is important for memory formation it is not involved in recall post-consolidation. Here, within the olfactory bulb, up-regulation of class 1 metabotropic glutamate receptors appears to maintain the enhanced sensitivity at the mitral to granule cell synapses required for effective memory recall. Recently we have investigated whether fluctuating sex hormone levels during the oestrous cycle modulate olfactory recognition memory and the different neural substrates and signalling pathways involved. These studies have used two robust models of social olfactory memory in the mouse which either involve social or non social odours (habituation-dishabituation and social transmission of food preference tasks). In both cases significant improvement of learning retention occurs when original learning takes place during the proestrus phase of the ovarian cycle. This is probably the result of oestrogen changes at this time since transgenic mice lacking functional expression of oestrogen receptors (ERalpha and ERbeta, the two main oestrogen receptor sub-types) have shown problems in social recognition. Therefore, oestrogen appears to act at the level of the olfactory bulb by modulating both noradrenaline and the glutamate/NO signalling pathway.

Changes in electrophysiological activity in the accessory olfactory bulb and medial amygdala associated with mate recognition in mice

The ability of female mice to recognize their mate's pheromonal identity is critical for the maintenance of their pregnancy and is hypothesized to involve increases in the inhibitory control of mitral/tufted projection neurons in the accessory olfactory bulb. Local field potential recordings from this region of freely behaving female mice showed oscillating neural activity over a wide range of frequencies, which was affected by chemosensory input and prior experience. Mating caused lasting increases in the baseline neural activity in the accessory olfactory bulb, with large increases in the amplitude of local field potential oscillations across a range of frequencies. Exposure to the mate's urinary cues remained effective in increasing the power of these oscillations following mating, but urinary cues from an unfamiliar male were ineffective. A differential response to the familiar and unfamiliar chemosignals was also observed at the level of the amygdala following mating. Individual neurons in the medial amygdala responded more strongly to urine from an unfamiliar male than from the mating male. These findings are consistent with the selective enhancement of inhibition of the familiar pheromonal signal at the level of the accessory olfactory bulb, which is proposed to underlie recognition of the mating male.

Cortical and medial amygdala are both involved in the formation of olfactory offspring memory in sheep

Ewes form a selective olfactory memory for their lambs after 2 h of mother-young interaction following parturition. Once this recognition is established, ewes will subsequently reject any strange lamb approaching the udder (i.e. maternal selectivity). The present study tested the functional contribution of different amygdala nuclei to lamb olfactory memory formation. Using the anaesthetic lidocaine, cortical, medial or basolateral nuclei of the amygdala were transiently inactivated during lamb odour memory formation. Reversible inactivation of either cortical or medial amygdala during the first 8 h postpartum impaired lamb olfactory recognition, whereas inactivation of the basolateral nucleus or infusion of artificial cerebrospinal fluid did not. Control experiments indicate that inactivation of the cortical and medial nuclei of the amygdala specifically disrupt memory formation rather than olfactory perception or memory retrieval. These findings show that both nuclei of the amygdala are required for the formation of a lamb olfactory memory and suggest functional interaction between these two nuclei.

The nose knows who's who: chemosensory individuality and mate recognition in mice

Individual recognition is an important component of behaviors, such as mate choice and maternal bonding that are vital for reproductive success. This article highlights recent developments in our understanding of the chemosensory cues and the neural pathways involved in individuality discrimination in rodents. There appear to be several types of chemosensory signal of individuality that are influenced by the highly polymorphic families of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) proteins or major urinary proteins (MUPs). Both have the capability of binding small molecules and may influence the individual profile of these chemosignals in biological fluids such as urine, skin secretions, or saliva. Moreover, these proteins, or peptides associated with them, can be taken up into the vomeronasal organ (VNO) where they can potentially interact directly with the vomeronasal receptors. This is particularly interesting given the expression of major histocompatibility complex Ib proteins by the V2R class of vomeronasal receptor and the highly selective responses of accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) mitral cells to strain identity. These findings are consistent with the role of the vomeronasal system in mediating individual discrimination that allows mate recognition in the context of the pregnancy block effect. This is hypothesized to involve a selective increase in the inhibitory control of mitral cells in the accessory olfactory bulb at the first level of processing of the vomeronasal stimulus.

Remodeling of reciprocal synapses associated with persistence of long-term memory

We investigated a model of long-term memory in which the female mouse establishes pheromonal memory of its partner at mating. We examined the reciprocal synapses of the accessory olfactory bulb and found that pheromonal memory was associated with morphological changes in excitatory synapses in the early phase of memory acquisition and by changes in inhibitory synapses in the late phases of memory persistence. After extinction of pheromonal memory, these morphological changes were no longer present. These findings suggest that the persistence of pheromonal memory is associated with continuous and dynamic changes in the morphological plasticity of reciprocal synapses in the accessory olfactory bulb.

Bicuculline infusion into the accessory olfactory bulb facilitates the induction of maternal behavior in rats

The GABAA antagonist bicuculline, intracranially infused into the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB), facilitated the expression of maternal behavior (MB) in virgin Wistar female rats. Behavioral effects were observed 24 hours after infusion and were injection dependent. Pheromonal stimuli, generated by the pups, are thought to exert an inhibitory effect on vomeronasal nuclei involved in MB in virgin rats. The present study investigated the possibility that a decrement in AOB output, resulting from long-term compensatory synaptic changes to chronic bicuculline infusion, would facilitate the expression of MB. The implications of our findings for the mechanisms involved in the induction of MB and the maternal experience effect are discussed.

Properties of reciprocal synapses in the mouse accessory olfactory bulb

Reciprocal dendrodendritic synapses between mitral and granule cells in the accessory olfactory bulb have been implicated in a specialized form of olfactory learning in mice, in which a female forms a memory to the pheromonal signal of the male that mates with her. Relatively little is known, however, about the mechanism of synaptic transmission at the reciprocal synapses. We analyzed synaptic currents generated in accessory olfactory bulb mitral cells in slice preparations with the patch-clamp technique in nystatin-perforated whole-cell configuration. A brief (5-20-ms) depolarizing voltage step from -70 to 0 mV applied to a single mitral cell evoked GABA(A) receptor-mediated inhibitory postsynaptic currents. The inhibitory postsynaptic currents persisted in the presence of tetrodotoxin, indicating that the inhibitory postsynaptic current in mitral cells can be elicited through purely dendritic interactions. The inhibitory postsynaptic currents were greatly enhanced by washout of extracellular Mg(2+). In Mg(2+)-free solution, the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist D,L-2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid greatly reduced the inhibitory postsynaptic currents, whereas the non-NMDA receptor antagonist 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-(1H,4H)-dione (CNQX) slightly reduced them. These data demonstrate that NMDA receptors play an important role in the generation of dendrodendritic inhibition in mitral cells of the mouse accessory olfactory bulb.

GABA, taurine and learning: release of amino acids from slices of chick brain following filial imprinting

The intermediate and medial hyperstriatum ventrale (IMHV) is a forebrain region in the domestic chick that is a site of information storage for the learning process of imprinting. We enquired whether imprinting is associated with learning-related increases in calcium-dependent, potassium-stimulated release of neurotransmitter amino acids from the IMHV. Chicks were hatched and reared in darkness until 15-30 h after hatching. They then either remained in darkness or were trained for 2 h by exposure to an imprinting stimulus. One hour later, the chicks were given a preference test and a preference score was calculated from the results of this test, as a measure of imprinting. Chicks were killed 2 h after training. Slices from the left and right IMHV of trained and untrained chicks were superfused with Krebs' solution either with or without calcium and the superfusate assayed for arginine, aspartate, citrulline, GABA, glutamate, glycine and taurine using high-performance liquid chromatography. For calcium-containing superfusates from the left IMHV, preference score was significantly correlated with potassium-stimulated release of (i) GABA (r=0.51, 23 d.f., P=0.008) and (ii) taurine (r=0.77, 23 d.f., P<0.0001). There was no significant difference between the mean values of trained and untrained chicks for either compound. However, examination of the variance of the data indicated that release of both GABA and taurine increased as a result of learning. No significant correlation between preference score and release was found for any of the amino acids from the right IMHV, nor for control tissue from the left IMHV superfused with calcium-free solution. These results demonstrate that the learning process of imprinting is associated with increases in releasable pools of GABA and taurine and/or membrane excitability in the left IMHV.

Oxytocin in the medial amygdala is essential for social recognition in the mouse

Oxytocin (OT) knock-out mice fail to recognize familiar conspecifics after repeated social exposures, despite normal olfactory and spatial learning abilities. OT treatment fully restores social recognition. Here we demonstrate that OT acts in the medial amygdala during the initial exposure to facilitate social recognition. OT given before, but not after, the initial encounter restores social recognition in OT knock-out mice. Using c-Fos immunoreactivity (Fos-IR) as a marker of neuronal activation in this initial encounter, we found similar neuronal activation in the wild-type (WT) and OT knock-out mouse in olfactory bulbs, piriform cortex, cortical amygdala, and the lateral septum. Wild-type, but not OT knock-out mice exhibited an induction of Fos-IR in the medial amygdala. Projections sites of the medial amygdala also failed to show a Fos-IR induction in the OT knock-out mice. OT knock-out, but not WT, mice showed dramatic increases in Fos-IR in the somatosensory cortex and the hippocampus, suggesting alternative processing of social cues in these animals. With site-specific injections of OT and an OT antagonist, we demonstrate that OT receptor activation in the medial amygdala is both necessary and sufficient for social recognition in the mouse.

Nisoxetine infusion into the olfactory bulb enhances the capacity for male rats to identify conspecifics

In the present report, the norepinephrine uptake inhibitor nisoxetine as well as a cocktail of nisoxetine and the alpha-adrenergic receptor antagonist phentolamine were infused unilaterally into the olfactory bulb during microdialysis to assess their effects upon the capacity of male rats to identify conspecifics. A social discrimination test was conducted while simultaneously measuring olfactory bulb norepinephrine output in the dialysate before, during, and after behavioral testing. Nisoxetine significantly increased norepinephrine levels in the olfactory bulb compared with the Ringer's solution control group. Following such increases in olfactory bulb norepinephrine, identification responses were enhanced compared with that observed in the Ringer's control. In the presence of phentolamine, nisoxetine elevated olfactory bulb norepinephrine to levels similar to that obtained in the nisoxetine alone group, however, investigatory responses directed to the conspecifics indicated an absence of identification capacity similar to that observed in the Ringer's control group. These results reveal a direct link between norepinephrine transmission in the olfactory bulb and enhanced identification via its activation of postsynaptic alpha-adrenergic receptors. These results also show that inhibition of norepinephrine uptake may represent an important mechanism involved with the enhancement of social identification and suggest a possible novel effect for the antidepressant nisoxetine.

Modulation of dendrodendritic interactions and mitral cell excitability in the mouse accessory olfactory bulb by vaginocervical stimulation

When female mice are mated, they form a memory to the pheromonal signal of their male partner. The neural changes underlying this memory occur in the accessory olfactory bulb, depend upon vaginocervical stimulation at mating and involve changes at the reciprocal synapses between mitral and granule cells. However, the action of vaginocervical stimulation on the reciprocal interactions between mitral and granule cells remains to be elucidated. We have examined the effects of vaginocervical stimulation on paired-pulse depression of amygdala-evoked field potentials recorded in the external plexiform layer of the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) and the single-unit activity of mitral cells antidromically stimulated from the amygdala in urethane-anaesthetized female mice. Artificial vaginocervical stimulation reduced paired-pulse depression (considered to be due to feedback inhibition of the mitral cell dendrites from the granule cells via reciprocal dendrodendritic synapses) recorded in the AOB external plexiform layer. As would be expected from this result, vaginocervical stimulation also enhanced the spontaneous activity of a proportion of the mitral cells tested. These results suggest that vaginocervical stimulation reduces dendrodendritic feedback inhibition to mitral cells and enhances their activity.

Activation of GABA(A) receptors in the accessory olfactory bulb does not prevent the formation of an olfactory memory in mice

When female mice are mated, they form a memory to the pheromonal signal of their male partner. The neural mechanisms underlying this memory involve changes at the reciprocal dendrodendritic synapses between glutamatergic mitral cells and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic granule cells in the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB). Blockade of GABA(A) receptors in the AOB leads to the formation of an olfactory memory. In an attempt to disrupt memory formation at mating, we used local infusions of the GABA(A) receptor agonist muscimol into the AOB during the critical period for memory formation. Muscimol across a wide range of doses (1-1000 pmol) did not prevent memory formation. The resistance of this memory to GABA(A) receptor activation may reflect the complexity of synaptic microcircuits in the AOB.