Short axon cells of the olfactory bulb dynamically filter olfactory sensory input during attention and after learning. As mice learn to discriminate odors (left), providing a cue before presenting odors (top) improves performance by recruiting cholinergic signaling from the basal forebrain (ACh, blue) to inhibit short axon cells (SAC, magenta) which, in turn, disinhibits olfactory sensory neuron (OSN, green and orange) axon terminals in olfactory bulb glomeruli (dashed circles), and increases their signaling onto mitral and tufted cells (MTCs, gray). After learning (right), SACs remodel to make stronger contacts with reward-associated OSNs (top) and cholinergic signaling is disengaged during the cued period before odor presentations. Cholinergic signaling, however, is strongly recruited during presentations of the reward-associated odor (bottom), allowing disinhibition of reward-linked odor signaling from OSNs to MTCs.

This Primer explores two @plosbiology.org studies that reveal how short axon cells in the #OlfactoryBulb integrate #cholinergic input from the basal #forebrain to dynamically regulate #olfactory input 🧪Papers: plos.io/4pvost3 plos.io/3VnO1hT Primer: plos.io/3Ivzcqy

Short axon cells of the olfactory bulb dynamically filter olfactory sensory input during attention and after learning. As mice learn to discriminate odors (left), providing a cue before presenting odors (top) improves performance by recruiting cholinergic signaling from the basal forebrain (ACh, blue) to inhibit short axon cells (SAC, magenta) which, in turn, disinhibits olfactory sensory neuron (OSN, green and orange) axon terminals in olfactory bulb glomeruli (dashed circles), and increases their signaling onto mitral and tufted cells (MTCs, gray). After learning (right), SACs remodel to make stronger contacts with reward-associated OSNs (top) and cholinergic signaling is disengaged during the cued period before odor presentations. Cholinergic signaling, however, is strongly recruited during presentations of the reward-associated odor (bottom), allowing disinhibition of reward-linked odor signaling from OSNs to MTCs.

This Primer explores two @plosbiology.org studies that reveal how short axon cells in the #OlfactoryBulb integrate #cholinergic input from the basal #forebrain to dynamically regulate #olfactory input 🧪Papers: plos.io/4pvost3 plos.io/3VnO1hT Primer: plos.io/3Ivzcqy

Short axon cells of the olfactory bulb dynamically filter olfactory sensory input during attention and after learning. As mice learn to discriminate odors (left), providing a cue before presenting odors (top) improves performance by recruiting cholinergic signaling from the basal forebrain (ACh, blue) to inhibit short axon cells (SAC, magenta) which, in turn, disinhibits olfactory sensory neuron (OSN, green and orange) axon terminals in olfactory bulb glomeruli (dashed circles), and increases their signaling onto mitral and tufted cells (MTCs, gray). After learning (right), SACs remodel to make stronger contacts with reward-associated OSNs (top) and cholinergic signaling is disengaged during the cued period before odor presentations. Cholinergic signaling, however, is strongly recruited during presentations of the reward-associated odor (bottom), allowing disinhibition of reward-linked odor signaling from OSNs to MTCs.

This Primer explores two @plosbiology.org studies that reveal how short axon cells in the #OlfactoryBulb integrate #cholinergic input from the basal #forebrain to dynamically regulate #olfactory input 🧪Papers: plos.io/4pvost3 plos.io/3VnO1hT Primer: plos.io/3Ivzcqy

Computational model. (A) MCs relay stimuli to cortex. Reciprocal synapses with GCs can be functional or non-functional (cf. Fig.1C). Adult neurogenesis adds GCs and apoptosis removes GCs. (B) Calcium controls synaptic plasticity (cf. Graupner and Brunel (2012)). Influx into spine through MC-driven NMDARs and through voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCC) opened by global depolarization of GCs. (C) Unconsolidated spines are formed with rate α and removed with rate β. Spines become consolidated with a rate R+ and deconsolidated with rate R− (Top). R± depend on the local calcium concentration in the spine (Bottom). (D) GCs are removed with a rate that depends on activity and age of the cells, as well as environmental factors (see Methods). (E) Development of abGCs. At age 8-14 days they integrate silently into the OB. The formation and elaboration of their dendrites depends on sensory input. During their critical period (14-28 days) the abGCs are more excitable and plastic and have a higher rate of apoptosis. Beyond 28 days the abGCs are mature GCs.

🧠 Sakelaris & Riecke (2025) model structural #plasticity in the #OlfactoryBulb and show that fast #learning and slow #forgetting is enabled by the maturation of adult-born #neurons from #neurogenesis, with transiently enhanced plasticity, excitability and #apoptosis

#neuroscience 🧪 #olfaction 👃

#science #sciencefacts #trex #tyrannosaurusrex #olfactorybulb #senseofsmell #smell

Microplastics found in the human brain via the olfactory pathway Researchers have identified microplastics in the human olfactory bulb, highlighting a potential pathway for these particles to enter the brain and raise concerns about their long-term neurological eff...

Microplastics found in the human brain via the olfactory pathway 🔬🧠🌍 www.news-medical.net/news/2024091... #Microplastics #Brain #Health #OlfactoryBulb #Neurotoxicity #PlasticPollution #HealthRisks #HumanBrain #EnvironmentalHealth