Differential Muscarinic Modulation in the Olfactory Bulb.

Unlabelled: Neuromodulation of olfactory circuits by acetylcholine (ACh) plays an important role in odor discrimination and learning. Early processing of chemosensory signals occurs in two functionally and anatomically distinct regions, the main and accessory olfactory bulbs (MOB and AOB), which receive extensive cholinergic input from the basal forebrain. Here, we explore the regulation of AOB and MOB circuits by ACh, and how cholinergic modulation influences olfactory-mediated behaviors in mice.

Disruption of centrifugal inhibition to olfactory bulb granule cells impairs olfactory discrimination.

Granule cells (GCs) are the most abundant inhibitory neuronal type in the olfactory bulb and play a critical role in olfactory processing. GCs regulate the activity of principal neurons, the mitral cells, through dendrodendritic synapses, shaping the olfactory bulb output to other brain regions. GC excitability is regulated precisely by intrinsic and extrinsic inputs, and this regulation is fundamental for odor discrimination.