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Updated: Apr 26, 2026

Whole Mount Labeling of Cilia in the Main Olfactory System of Mice
Published on: December 27, 2014
'Silent' mitral cells dominate odor responses in the olfactory bulb of awake mice
Mihaly Kollo1, Anja Schmaltz2, Mostafa Abdelhamid2
11] Behavioural Neurophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg, Germany. [2] Division of Neurophysiology, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, London, UK.
Abstract:
How wakefulness shapes neural activity is a topic of intense discussion. In the awake olfactory bulb, high activity with weak sensory-evoked responses has been reported in mitral/tufted cells (M/TCs). Using blind whole-cell recordings, we found 33% of M/TCs to be 'silent', yet still show strong sensory responses, with weak or inhibitory responses in 'active' neurons. Thus, a previously missed M/TC subpopulation can exert powerful influence over the olfactory bulb.
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