Processing of Odor Representations byNeuronal Circuits in the Olfactory Bulb

摘要

In order to analyze neuronal computations in the first olfactory processing center, theolfactory bulb, we measured odor-evoked activity patterns across large numbers of neu-rons within the intact olfactory bulb of zebrafish using optical and electrophysiologicalmethods. We found that the olfactory bulb performs multiple computations includinga decorrelation of overlapping inputs, a multiplexing of complementary information,and gain control. Patterns of olfactory bulb output activity are reorganized during theinitial phase of an odor response, resulting in a partial loss of the topographic rep-resentation of molecular features and in the decorrelation of activity patterns evokedby similar stimuli. Physiological, pharmacological, and computational results provideinitial insights into the mechanisms underlying these computations.