Precision and diversity in an odor map on the olfactory bulb
Abstract
We explored the map of odor space created by glomeruli on the olfactory bulb of both rat and mouse. Identified glomeruli could be matched across animals by their response profile to hundreds of odors. Their layout in different individuals varied by only ~ 1 glomerular spacing, corresponding to a precision of 1 part in 1,000. Across species, mouse and rat share many glomeruli with apparently identical odor tuning, arranged in a similar layout. In mapping the position of a glomerulus to its odor tuning, we found only a coarse relationship with a precision of ~ 5 spacings. No chemotopic order was apparent on a finer scale and nearby glomeruli were almost as diverse in their odor sensitivity as distant ones. This local diversity of sensory tuning stands in marked distinction from other brain maps. Given the reliable placement of the glomeruli, it represents a feature, not a flaw, of the olfactory bulb.
Additional Information
© 2009 Nature America, Inc. Received 24 September 2008; Accepted 18 December 2008; Published online 18 January 2009. We thank P. Mombaerts for providing M72-EGFP mice and R. Wilson and N. Uchida for healthy critiques. Author Contributions: E.R.S., D.F.A., V.N.M. and M.M. designed the study, E.R.S., D.F.A. and A.L.F. performed experiments and analysis, E.R.S., D.F.A. and M.M. wrote the manuscript, and V.N.M. and M.M. supervised the project.Attached Files
Supplemental Material - nn.2262-S1.pdf
Files
| Name | Size | Download all |
|---|---|---|
|
md5:9d38d87eab5e410ff9640d09e7e60c17
|
9.5 MB | Preview Download |
Additional details
- Eprint ID
- 75716
- DOI
- 10.1038/nn.2262
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20170405-072611037
- Created
-
2017-04-05Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
-
2021-11-15Created from EPrint's last_modified field