title: Odor- and context-dependent modulation of mitral cell activity in behaving rats.
abstract: The projections and odor responses of mammalian olfactory receptor neurons, as well as the physiology of the bulb's principal neurons-the mitral cells (MCs)-are known from studies in slices and anesthetized animals. In behaving rats trained to discriminate between two odors associated with different reinforcers, we examined MC responses following alternated odor-reinforcer pairings. Whereas only 11% of the recorded MCs showed changes in odor-selective firing rate during the odor-sampling phase, 94% of MCs modulated activity during specific behaviors surrounding odor sampling. These cell- and odor-selective responses were not primary sensory responses; rather, they depended (reversibly) on the predictive value of each odor. MC activity thus depends critically on efferent influences linked to the animal's experience and behavior.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biology, 139-74, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Kay
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Laurent
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D003463:Cues; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D009812:Odorants; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley