Immature olfactory sensory neurons provide complementary input in the intact olfactory system

Adult neurogenesis of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) provides the unique opportunity to understand how new neurons functionally integrate into existing circuitry and contribute to behaviors. Previous studies have shown that immature OSNs provide odor input to neurons in the mouse OB, and that, in mice lacking mature OSNs, sensory input from immature OSNs can mediate odor detection and discrimination. What remains unknown is how immature OSNs contribute to odor-guided behavior in the intact olfactory system. Here we show that acute chemogenetic silencing of immature OSNs impairs performance in a buried food assay, potentially by altering odor detection. Furthermore, acute immature OSN silencing reduces the amplitude of odor-evoked dendritic calcium responses in OB neurons in vivo. Together, these findings suggest that immature OSNs provide odor information that complements mature OSN input to contribute to odor-guided behavior in the intact olfactory system.