Vogler Nathan W, Chen Ruoyi, Virkler Alister, Tu Violet Y, Gottfried Jay A, Geffen Maria N
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania.
Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania.
bioRxiv. 2024 Sep 14:2024.07.11.602976. doi: 10.1101/2024.07.11.602976.
In a real-world environment, the brain must integrate information from multiple sensory modalities, including the auditory and olfactory systems. However, little is known about the neuronal circuits governing how odors influence and modulate sound processing. Here, we investigated the mechanisms underlying auditory-olfactory integration using anatomical, electrophysiological, and optogenetic approaches, focusing on the auditory cortex as a key locus for cross-modal integration. First, retrograde and anterograde viral tracing strategies revealed a direct projection from the piriform cortex to the auditory cortex. Next, using electrophysiological recordings of neuronal activity in the auditory cortex of awake male or female mice, we found that odors modulate auditory cortical responses to sound. Finally, we used optogenetic manipulations during electrophysiology to demonstrate that olfactory modulation in auditory cortex, specifically, odor-driven enhancement of sound responses, depends on direct input from the piriform cortex. Together, our results identify a novel role of piriform-to-auditory cortical circuitry in shaping olfactory modulation in the auditory cortex, shedding new light on the neuronal mechanisms underlying auditory-olfactory integration.
在现实世界环境中，大脑必须整合来自多种感觉模态的信息，包括听觉和嗅觉系统。然而，关于控制气味如何影响和调节声音处理的神经回路，我们知之甚少。在这里，我们使用解剖学、电生理学和光遗传学方法研究了听觉 - 嗅觉整合的潜在机制，将听觉皮层作为跨模态整合的关键位点。首先，逆行和顺行病毒示踪策略揭示了从梨状皮层到听觉皮层的直接投射。接下来，通过对清醒雄性或雌性小鼠听觉皮层神经元活动的电生理记录，我们发现气味会调节听觉皮层对声音的反应。最后，我们在电生理学过程中使用光遗传学操作来证明，听觉皮层中的嗅觉调节，具体而言，气味驱动的声音反应增强，取决于来自梨状皮层的直接输入。总之，我们的结果确定了梨状皮层到听觉皮层的神经回路在塑造听觉皮层嗅觉调节中的新作用，为听觉 - 嗅觉整合的潜在神经机制提供了新的线索。
