Cell-Type Specific and Frequency-Dependent Centrifugal Modulation in Olfactory Bulb Output Neurons in Vivo.

Abstract

Mitral/tufted cells (M/TCs) form complex local circuits with interneurons in olfactory bulb and are powerfully inhibited by these interneurons. The horizontal limb of the diagonal band of Broca (HDB), the only GABAergic/inhibitory source of centrifugal circuit with olfactory bulb is known to target olfactory bulb interneurons and we have shown targeting also to olfactory bulb glutamatergic neurons in vitro. However, the net efficacy of these circuits under different patterns of activation in vivo and the relative balance between the various targeted intact local and centrifugal circuits was the focus of this study. Here ChR2 was expressed in HDB GABAergic neurons to investigate the short-term plasticity of HDB-activated disinhibitory rebound excitation of M/TCs. Optical activation of HDB interneurons increased spontaneous M/TC firing without odor presentation and increased odor-evoked M/TC firing. HDB activation induced-disinhibitory rebound excitation (burst or cluster of spiking) in all classes of M/TCs. This excitation was frequency dependent, with short term facilitation only at higher HDB stimulation frequency (5 Hz and above). However, frequency-dependent HDB regulation was more potent in the deeper layer M/TCs compared to more superficial layer M/TCs. In all neural circuits the balance between inhibition and excitation in local and centrifugal circuits plays a critical functional role and this patterned input-dependent regulation of inhibitory centrifugal inputs to the olfactory bulb may help maintain the precise balance across the populations of output neurons in the different environmental odors, putatively to sharpen the enhancement of tuning specificity of individual or classes of M/TCs to odors.