Spatial coding of enantiomers in the rat olfactory bulb.
Because of their unique properties, enantiomers (pairs of mirror-symmetric, nonsuperimposable molecules that differ only in optical activity and their interaction with other chiral molecules) have been instrumental in demonstrating that olfactory perception relies on molecular shape. To investigate how molecular structure is encoded by the olfactory system, we combined behavioral discrimination tasks with optical imaging of intrinsic signals. We found that rats can behaviorally discriminate members of a wide range of enantiomer pairs, and imaging revealed enantiomer-selective glomeruli in the olfactory bulb, indicating that the spatial pattern of glomerular activity provides sufficient information to discriminate molecular shape.
Rubin
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BD
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA. brubin@neuro.duke.edu
Katz
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LC
D000818:Animals; D002628:Chemoreceptor Cells / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D004193:Discrimination Learning; D006801:Humans; D009812:Odorants; D009830:Olfactory Bulb / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology*; D013237:Stereoisomerism