University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
J Exp Biol. 2013 Sep 1;216(Pt 17):3294-300. doi: 10.1242/jeb.086694. Epub 2013 May 16.
Nitric oxide (NO) is thought to play an important neuromodulatory role in olfaction. We are using the hawkmoth Manduca sexta to investigate the function of NO signaling in the antennal lobe (AL; the primary olfactory network in invertebrates). We have found previously that NO is present at baseline levels, dramatically increases in response to odor stimulation, and alters the electrophysiology of AL neurons. It is unclear, however, how these effects contribute to common features of olfactory systems such as olfactory learning and memory, odor detection and odor discrimination. In this study, we used chemical detection and a behavioral approach to further examine the function of NO in the AL. We found that basal levels of NO fluctuate with the daily light cycle, being higher during the nocturnal active period. NO also appears to be necessary for short-term olfactory memory. NO does not appear to affect odor detection, odor discrimination between dissimilar odorants, or learning acquisition. These findings suggest a modulatory role for NO in the timing of olfactory-guided behaviors.
一氧化氮（NO）被认为在嗅觉中发挥着重要的神经调质作用。我们正在使用美洲大蚕蛾 Manduca sexta 来研究 NO 信号在触角叶（AL；无脊椎动物的主要嗅觉网络）中的功能。我们之前发现，NO 处于基线水平，对气味刺激的反应显著增加，并改变了 AL 神经元的电生理学。然而，这些影响如何导致嗅觉系统的共同特征，如嗅觉学习和记忆、气味检测和气味辨别，尚不清楚。在这项研究中，我们使用化学检测和行为方法进一步研究了 AL 中 NO 的功能。我们发现，NO 的基础水平随每日的光周期波动，在夜间活动期较高。NO 似乎也是短期嗅觉记忆所必需的。NO 似乎不会影响气味检测、不同气味之间的辨别，或学习获得。这些发现表明 NO 在嗅觉引导行为的时间调控中发挥着调制作用。
