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Gumaste A, Baker KL, Izydorczak M, True AC, Vasan G, Crimaldi JP, Verhagen J. Behavioral discrimination and olfactory bulb encoding of odor plume intermittency. eLife 2024; 13:e85303. [PMID: 38441541 PMCID: PMC11001298 DOI: 10.7554/elife.85303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
In order to survive, animals often need to navigate a complex odor landscape where odors can exist in airborne plumes. Several odor plume properties change with distance from the odor source, providing potential navigational cues to searching animals. Here, we focus on odor intermittency, a temporal odor plume property that measures the fraction of time odor is above a threshold at a given point within the plume and decreases with increasing distance from the odor source. We sought to determine if mice can use changes in intermittency to locate an odor source. To do so, we trained mice on an intermittency discrimination task. We establish that mice can discriminate odor plume samples of low and high intermittency and that the neural responses in the olfactory bulb can account for task performance and support intermittency encoding. Modulation of sniffing, a behavioral parameter that is highly dynamic during odor-guided navigation, affects both behavioral outcome on the intermittency discrimination task and neural representation of intermittency. Together, this work demonstrates that intermittency is an odor plume property that can inform olfactory search and more broadly supports the notion that mammalian odor-based navigation can be guided by temporal odor plume properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankita Gumaste
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale UniversityNew HavenUnited States
- John B. Pierce LaboratoryNew HavenUnited States
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of MedicineNew HavenUnited States
| | - Keeley L Baker
- John B. Pierce LaboratoryNew HavenUnited States
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of MedicineNew HavenUnited States
| | | | - Aaron C True
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, University of ColoradoBoulderUnited States
| | | | - John P Crimaldi
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, University of ColoradoBoulderUnited States
| | - Justus Verhagen
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale UniversityNew HavenUnited States
- John B. Pierce LaboratoryNew HavenUnited States
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of MedicineNew HavenUnited States
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Roth EJ, Mays DC, Neupauer RM, Sather LJ, Crimaldi JP. Methods for Laser-Induced Fluorescence Imaging of Solute Plumes at the Darcy Scale in Quasi-Two-Dimensional, Refractive Index-Matched Porous Media. Transp Porous Media 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s11242-021-01545-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Hengenius JB, Connor EG, Crimaldi JP, Urban NN, Ermentrout GB. Olfactory navigation in the real world: Simple local search strategies for turbulent environments. J Theor Biol 2021; 516:110607. [PMID: 33524405 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2021.110607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/24/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Olfaction informs animal navigation for foraging, social interaction, and threat evasion. However, turbulent flow on the spatial scales of most animal navigation leads to intermittent odor information and presents a challenge to simple gradient-ascent navigation. Here we present two strategies for iterative gradient estimation and navigation via olfactory cues in 2D space: tropotaxis, spatial concentration comparison (i.e., instantaneous comparison between lateral olfactory sensors on a navigating animal) and klinotaxis, spatiotemporal concentration comparison (i.e., comparison between two subsequent concentration samples as the animal moves through space). We then construct a hybrid model that uses klinotaxis but utilizes tropotactic information to guide its spatial sampling strategy. We find that for certain body geometries in which bilateral sensors are closely-spaced (e.g., mammalian nares), klinotaxis outperforms tropotaxis; for widely-spaced sensors (e.g., arthropod antennae), tropotaxis outperforms klinotaxis. We find that both navigation strategies perform well on smooth odor gradients and are robust against noisy gradients represented by stochastic odor models and real turbulent flow data. In some parameter regimes, the hybrid model outperforms klinotaxis alone, but not tropotaxis.
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Affiliation(s)
- James B Hengenius
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA.
| | - Erin G Connor
- Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - John P Crimaldi
- Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Nathaniel N Urban
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA
| | - G Bard Ermentrout
- Department of Mathematics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
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Álvarez-Salvado E, Licata AM, Connor EG, McHugh MK, King BMN, Stavropoulos N, Victor JD, Crimaldi JP, Nagel KI. Elementary sensory-motor transformations underlying olfactory navigation in walking fruit-flies. eLife 2018; 7:e37815. [PMID: 30129438 PMCID: PMC6103744 DOI: 10.7554/elife.37815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Odor attraction in walking Drosophila melanogaster is commonly used to relate neural function to behavior, but the algorithms underlying attraction are unclear. Here, we develop a high-throughput assay to measure olfactory behavior in response to well-controlled sensory stimuli. We show that odor evokes two behaviors: an upwind run during odor (ON response), and a local search at odor offset (OFF response). Wind orientation requires antennal mechanoreceptors, but search is driven solely by odor. Using dynamic odor stimuli, we measure the dependence of these two behaviors on odor intensity and history. Based on these data, we develop a navigation model that recapitulates the behavior of flies in our apparatus, and generates realistic trajectories when run in a turbulent boundary layer plume. The ability to parse olfactory navigation into quantifiable elementary sensori-motor transformations provides a foundation for dissecting neural circuits that govern olfactory behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Efrén Álvarez-Salvado
- Neuroscience InstituteNew York University Langone Medical CenterNew YorkUnited States
| | - Angela M Licata
- Neuroscience InstituteNew York University Langone Medical CenterNew YorkUnited States
| | - Erin G Connor
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural EngineeringUniversity of Colorado BoulderBoulderUnited States
| | - Margaret K McHugh
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural EngineeringUniversity of Colorado BoulderBoulderUnited States
| | - Benjamin MN King
- Neuroscience InstituteNew York University Langone Medical CenterNew YorkUnited States
| | - Nicholas Stavropoulos
- Neuroscience InstituteNew York University Langone Medical CenterNew YorkUnited States
| | - Jonathan D Victor
- Institute for Computational BiomedicineWeill Cornell Medical CollegeNew YorkUnited States
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research InstituteWeill Cornell Medical CollegeNew YorkUnited States
| | - John P Crimaldi
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural EngineeringUniversity of Colorado BoulderBoulderUnited States
| | - Katherine I Nagel
- Neuroscience InstituteNew York University Langone Medical CenterNew YorkUnited States
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Abstract
Inhalant flows draw fluid into an orifice from a reservoir and are ubiquitous in engineering and biology. Surprisingly, there is a lack of quantitative information on viscous inhalant flows. We consider here laminar flows (Reynolds number Re≤100) developing after impulsive inhalation begins. We implement finite element simulations of flows with varying Re and extraction height h (orifice height above a bottom bed). Numerical results are experimentally validated using particle image velocimetry measurements in a physical model for a representative flow case in the middle of the Re-h parameter space. We use two metrics to characterize the flow in space and time: regions of influence (ROIs), which describe the spatial extent of the flow field, and inhalation volumes, which describe the initial distribution of inhaled fluid. The transient response for all Re features an inviscid sinklike component at early times followed by a viscous diffusive component. At lower Re, diffusion entrains an increasing volume of fluid over time, enlarging the ROI indefinitely. In some geometries, these flows spatially bifurcate, with some fluid being inhaled through the orifice and some bypassing into recirculation. At higher Re, inward advection dominates outward viscous diffusion and the flow remains trapped in a sinklike state. Both ROIs and inhalation volumes are strongly dependent on Re and extraction height, suggesting that organisms or engineers could tune these parameters to achieve specific inhalation criteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron C True
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0428, USA
| | - John P Crimaldi
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0428, USA
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Abstract
Most benthic invertebrates broadcast their gametes into the sea, whereupon successful fertilization relies on the complex interaction between the physics of the surrounding fluid flow and the biological properties and behavior of eggs and sperm. We present a holistic overview of the impact of instantaneous flow processes on fertilization across a range of scales. At large scales, transport and stirring by the flow control the distribution of gametes. Although mean dilution of gametes by turbulence is deleterious to fertilization, a variety of instantaneous flow phenomena can aggregate gametes before dilution occurs. We argue that these instantaneous flow processes are key to fertilization efficiency. At small scales, sperm motility and taxis enhance contact rates between sperm and chemoattractant-releasing eggs. We argue that sperm motility is a biological adaptation that replaces molecular diffusion in conventional mixing processes and enables gametes to bridge the gap that remains after aggregation by the flow.
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Affiliation(s)
- John P Crimaldi
- Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0428;
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Abstract
Summary
Broadcast-spawning benthic invertebrates synchronously release sperm and eggs from separate locations into the surrounding flow, whereupon the process depends on structured stirring by the flow field (at large scales), and sperm motility and taxis (at small scales) to bring the gametes together. The details of the relevant physical and biological aspects of the problem that result in successful and efficient fertilization are not well understood. This review paper includes relevant work from both the physical and biological communities to synthesize a more complete understanding of the processes that govern fertilization success; the focus is on the role of structured stirring on the dispersal and aggregation of gametes. The review also includes a summary of current trends and approaches for numerical and experimental simulations of broadcast spawning.
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Larsen LG, Aiken GR, Harvey JW, Noe GB, Crimaldi JP. Using fluorescence spectroscopy to trace seasonal DOM dynamics, disturbance effects, and hydrologic transport in the Florida Everglades. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.1029/2009jg001140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Larsen LG, Harvey JW, Crimaldi JP. A DELICATE BALANCE: ECOHYDROLOGICAL FEEDBACKS GOVERNING LANDSCAPE MORPHOLOGY IN A LOTIC PEATLAND. ECOL MONOGR 2007. [DOI: 10.1890/06-1267.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Crimaldi JP, Hartford JR, Weiss JB. Reaction enhancement of point sources due to vortex stirring. Phys Rev E Stat Nonlin Soft Matter Phys 2006; 74:016307. [PMID: 16907191 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.74.016307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2005] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
We investigate a class of reactive advection-diffusion problems motivated by an ecological mixing process. We use analytical and numerical methods to determine reaction rates between two initially distinct scalar point masses that are separated from one another by a third (nonreactive) scalar. The scalars are stirred by a single two-dimensional vortex in a variety of geometrical configurations. We show that the aggregate second-order reaction rate in the low-concentration limit is enhanced by the instantaneous stirring processes, relative to the rate predicted by an equivalent eddy diffusivity. The peak reaction rate grows as P(1/3), and the time to reach the peak decreases as P(-2/3), where P is the Péclet number. The results of this study have important implications not only for ecological modeling, but for the general understanding of turbulent reactive flows.
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Affiliation(s)
- John P Crimaldi
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0428, USA.
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Koehl MA, Koseff JR, Crimaldi JP, McCay MG, Cooper T, Wiley MB, Moore PA. Lobster sniffing: antennule design and hydrodynamic filtering of information in an odor plume. Science 2001; 294:1948-51. [PMID: 11729325 DOI: 10.1126/science.1063724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The first step in processing olfactory information, before neural filtering, is the physical capture of odor molecules from the surrounding fluid. Many animals capture odors from turbulent water currents or wind using antennae that bear chemosensory hairs. We used planar laser-induced fluorescence to reveal how lobster olfactory antennules hydrodynamically alter the spatiotemporal patterns of concentration in turbulent odor plumes. As antennules flick, water penetrates their chemosensory hair array during the fast downstroke, carrying fine-scale patterns of concentration into the receptor area. This spatial pattern, blurred by flow along the antennule during the downstroke, is retained during the slower return stroke and is not shed until the next flick.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Koehl
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3140, USA.
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