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Odor sampling strategies in mice with genetically altered olfactory responses
Johannes Reisert1, Glen J Golden1, Michele Dibattista2
1Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America.
Plos One
|May 3, 2021
Summary
Altering olfactory receptor neuron response kinetics by removing NCKX4 did not impair, and sometimes improved, mouse odor detection accuracy. Mice adapted their sniffing behavior, suggesting compensation mechanisms for altered neural responses.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Sensory Biology
- Olfactory System
Background:
- Sensory systems must match stimulus kinetics for effective environmental monitoring.
- Olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) respond to odorants rhythmically, dictated by breathing frequency.
- The interplay between ORN response kinetics and sniffing behavior remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how ORN response kinetics influence sniffing frequency and odor-driven behavior.
- To examine the role of the K+-dependent Na+/Ca2+ exchanger 4 (NCKX4) in ORN response termination and olfactory behavior.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a mouse model lacking NCKX4, exhibiting slowed ORN response termination.
- Monitored sniffing behaviors in wildtype and NCKX4 knockout mice during olfactory Go/NoGo tasks.
- Analyzed odorant sampling durations and breathing frequencies in relation to task demands.
Main Results:
- NCKX4 knockout mice showed similar or improved accuracy in olfactory discrimination tasks.
- Knockout mice adjusted odorant sampling durations and basal breathing frequency based on task demands.
- Behavioral changes in knockout mice were subtle, indicating potential compensation for slowed ORN responses.
Conclusions:
- Slowed ORN response termination due to NCKX4 deletion has limited detrimental effects on odor-driven behavior.
- Mice may possess compensatory mechanisms to maintain olfactory performance despite altered ORN kinetics.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the underlying compensation strategies.
