Precise Holographic Manipulation of Olfactory Circuits Reveals Coding Features Determining Perceptual Detection

Neuron. 2020 Oct 28;108(2):382-393.e5. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.07.034. Epub 2020 Aug 24.

Abstract

Sensory systems transform the external world into time-varying spike trains. What features of spiking activity are used to guide behavior? In the mouse olfactory bulb, inhalation of different odors leads to changes in the set of neurons activated, as well as when neurons are activated relative to each other (synchrony) and the onset of inhalation (latency). To explore the relevance of each mode of information transmission, we probed the sensitivity of mice to perturbations across each stimulus dimension (i.e., rate, synchrony, and latency) using holographic two-photon optogenetic stimulation of olfactory bulb neurons with cellular and single-action-potential resolution. We found that mice can detect single action potentials evoked synchronously across <20 olfactory bulb neurons. Further, we discovered that detection depends strongly on the synchrony of activation across neurons, but not the latency relative to inhalation.

Keywords: holography; imaging; olfaction; olfactory bulb; optogenetics; perceptual threshold; photostimulation; synchrony; two-photon.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Action Potentials*
  • Animals
  • Female
  • Holography
  • Male
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Neurons / physiology*
  • Odorants
  • Olfactory Bulb / physiology*
  • Olfactory Perception / physiology*
  • Optical Imaging
  • Optogenetics / methods*
  • Sensory Thresholds / physiology
  • Smell / physiology*