Abstract
The ventral tenia tecta (vTT) is a component of the olfactory cortex and receives both bottom-up odor signals and top-down signals. However, the roles of the vTT in odor-coding and integration of inputs are poorly understood. Here, we investigated the involvement of the vTT in these processes by recording the activity from individual vTT neurons during the performance of learned odor-guided reward-directed tasks in mice. We report that individual vTT cells are highly tuned to a specific behavioral epoch of learned tasks, whereby the duration of increased firing correlated with the temporal length of the behavioral epoch. The peak time for increased firing among recorded vTT cells encompassed almost the entire temporal window of the tasks. Collectively, our results indicate that vTT cells are selectively activated during a specific behavioral context and that the function of the vTT changes dynamically in a context-dependent manner during goal-directed behaviors.
Highlights
In mammals, odor signals detected by sensory neurons in the olfactory epithelium are transmitted via the olfactory bulb to the olfactory cortex
We examined how the ventral tenia tecta, a relatively unexplored area of the olfactory cortex located in the ventromedial aspect of the olfactory peduncle, transforms the perception of odor signals into reward-directed behaviors
Our results indicate that ventral tenia tecta (vTT) functions are dynamic rather than fixed, whereby changes in information processing mode occur in a context-dependent manner during a sequence of feeding and drinking behaviors
Summary
Odor signals detected by sensory neurons in the olfactory epithelium are transmitted via the olfactory bulb to the olfactory cortex. Despite growing knowledge on how odor molecules are coded by olfactory sensory neurons (Buck and Axel, 1991) and how neural circuits in the olfactory bulb and olfactory cortex process odor signals (Mori and Sakano, 2011; Mori et al, 2013; Wilson and Sullivan, 2011), our understanding of how distinct regions of the olfactory cortex transform olfactory sensory information into behavioral outputs remains limited (Choi et al, 2011). We examined how the ventral tenia tecta (vTT), a relatively unexplored area of the olfactory cortex located in the ventromedial aspect of the olfactory peduncle, transforms the perception of odor signals into reward-directed behaviors. To examine whether vTT neurons are modulated by cognitive and behavioral decision-making processes, we recorded the spike activity of individual vTT cells during the performance of a series of odor-guided, goal-directed behaviors in mice. Our results indicate that vTT functions are dynamic rather than fixed, whereby changes in information processing mode occur in a context-dependent manner during a sequence of feeding and drinking behaviors
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
