Molecular diversity and connectivity of accessory olfactory system neurons

Olfaction is the primary sensory modality by which most vertebrate species interpret environmental cues for appropriate behavioral outputs. The olfactory system is subdivided into main (MOS) and accessory (AOS) components which process volatile and non-volatile cues. While much is known regarding th...

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Published inbioRxiv
Main Authors Nandkishore Prakash, Matos, Heidi Y, Sebaoui, Sonia, Tsai, Luke, Tran, Tuyen, Aromolaran, Adejimi, Atrachji, Isabella, Campbell, Nya, Goodrich, Meredith, Hernandez-Pineda, David, Herrero, Maria, Hirata, Tsutomu, Lischinsky, Julieta, Martinez, Wendolin, Torii, Shisui, Yamashita, Satoshi, Sokolowski, Katie, Esumi, Shigeyuki, Yuka Imamura Kawasawa, Hashimoto-Torii, Kazue, Jones, Kevin S, Corbin, Joshua G
Format Paper
LanguageEnglish
Published Cold Spring Harbor Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press 09.11.2022
Subjects
Accessory olfactory bulb
Amygdala
Connectivity
Dbx1 protein
Electrophysiology
Foxp2 protein
Neural networks
Neurons
Olfaction
Olfactory bulb
Olfactory system
Smell
Transcription factors
Vomeronasal organ
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Summary:Olfaction is the primary sensory modality by which most vertebrate species interpret environmental cues for appropriate behavioral outputs. The olfactory system is subdivided into main (MOS) and accessory (AOS) components which process volatile and non-volatile cues. While much is known regarding the molecular diversity of neurons that comprise the MOS, less is known about the AOS. Here, focusing on the AOS which is largely comprised of the peripheral vomeronasal organ (VNO), the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) and the medial subnucleus of the amygdala (MeA), we studied the molecular diversity and neuronal subtype connectivity of this interconnected circuit. We show that populations of neurons of the AOS can be molecularly subdivided based on their current or prior expression of the transcription factors Foxp2 or Dbx1. We show that the majority of AOB neurons that project directly to the MeA are of the Foxp2-lineage. Using single cell patch clamp electrophysiology, we further reveal that in addition to sex-specific differences across lineage, the relative contributions of excitatory and inhibitory inputs to MeA Foxp2-lineage neurons differ between sexes. Together, this work uncovers a novel molecular diversity of AOS neurons and lineage- and sex-differences in patterns of connectivity.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.
DOI:10.1101/2022.11.08.515541