Presentation Details
| Odor-Evoked Expectation in Gustatory Cortex Multiplexes Taste Identity and Lick Direction Allison George, Alfredo Fontanini. Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA |
Abstract
In nature, animals frequently rely on non-gustatory cues to infer the identity of foods and select them for consumption. The gustatory cortex (GC) is critical for processing taste-related sensory signals, but recent evidence suggests that it also participates in cognitive functions such as expectation and decision-making. GC neurons have been found to modulate their firing rates in response to auditory, visual, somatosensory, and olfactory cues predicting the arrival of different tastes. However, it remains unknown how anticipatory GC activity conveys taste-related variables and how this activity guides ingestive behavior. To investigate these questions, we employed a two-alternative choice task in which mice learned to associate two distinct odor cues with different palatable tastes. Following odor delivery, animals licked either a left or right spout to obtain a either sucrose or monosodium glutamate (MSG) solution, respectively. To address the role of GC in this task we performed optogenetic experiments. Inhibition of GC activity during the delay between odor sampling and directional licking led to an increase in incorrect lick choices, indicating that GC contributes to consumption decisions guided by olfactory cues. Next, using high-density silicon probes, we recorded single-neuron activity in GC during two variants of the task. Analyzing firing rate changes during the delay period revealed distinct anticipatory responses to the odor cues, with preliminary evidence suggesting that both upcoming lick direction and expected taste are represented in GC anticipatory firing. Together, these findings support that GC neurons encode multiple aspects of taste expectation to guide consumption-related behavior.
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No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author.
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