Reassembling a system from the sensor to cerebral representation: the olfactory system in vitro.

Markopoulos, Foivos; Neubauer, Florian; Berger, Thomas; Scotti, Alessandra (2008). Reassembling a system from the sensor to cerebral representation: the olfactory system in vitro. Neuroscience, 156(4), pp. 1048-1063. Elsevier 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2008.07.071

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An odorant's code is represented by activity in a dispersed ensemble of olfactory sensory neurons in the nose, activation of a specific combination of groups of mitral cells in the olfactory bulb and is considered to be mapped at divergent locations in the olfactory cortex. We present here an in vitro model of the mammalian olfactory system developed to gain easy access to all stations of the olfactory pathway. Mouse olfactory epithelial explants are cocultured with a brain slice that includes the olfactory bulb and olfactory cortex areas and maintains the central olfactory pathway intact and functional. Organotypicity of bulb and cortex is preserved and mitral cell axons can be traced to their target areas. Calcium imaging shows propagation of mitral cell activity to the piriform cortex. Long term coculturing with postnatal olfactory epithelial explants restores the peripheral olfactory pathway. Olfactory receptor neurons renew and progressively acquire a mature phenotype. Axons of olfactory receptor neurons grow out of the explant and rewire into the olfactory bulb. The extent of reinnervation exhibits features of a postlesion recovery. Functional imaging confirms the recovery of part of the peripheral olfactory pathway and shows that activity elicited in olfactory receptor neurons or the olfactory nerves is synaptically propagated into olfactory cortex areas. This model is the first attempt to reassemble a sensory system in culture, from the peripheral sensor to the site of cortical representation. It will increase our knowledge on how neuronal circuits in the central olfactory areas integrate sensory input and counterbalance damage.

Item Type:	Journal Article (Original Article)
Division/Institute:	04 Faculty of Medicine > Pre-clinic Human Medicine > Institute of Anatomy 04 Faculty of Medicine > Pre-clinic Human Medicine > Institute of Physiology
UniBE Contributor:	Markopoulos, Foivos, Neubauer, Florian, Berger, Thomas (A), Scotti, Alessandra
Subjects:	600 Technology > 610 Medicine & health
ISSN:	0306-4522
Publisher:	Elsevier
Language:	English
Submitter:	PD Dr.med. Alessandra L Scotti
Date Deposited:	11 Jul 2014 12:27
Last Modified:	29 Mar 2023 23:34
Publisher DOI:	10.1016/j.neuroscience.2008.07.071
PubMed ID:	18773940
URI:	https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/53874