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| Poster #Neural Pathways A Thirst-dependent Odor Spotlight |
| Silvia Huerta Lopez, Katie McShea, Stephen Liberles Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA, Boston, MA, United States |
Internal states, such as hunger and thirst, are powerful motivational states that shape sensory perception, enhancing attention to need-relevant cues. Here, we investigate how thirst differentially influences odor perception, selectively heightening attraction to drink odors while sparing responses to other attractive cues, such as pheromones. The mouse olfactory system detects diverse odors that drive behaviorally specific responses, yet how distinct physiological states modulate sensory pathways to drive state-appropriate behaviors remains unclear. Our studies aim to uncover the molecular and circuit mechanisms by which thirst selectively modulates odor responses, providing insight into how internal states dynamically influence sensory processing and behavior. |