Presentation Details
| Assessing the morphological and electrophysiological substrates of experience-dependent plasticity in accessory olfactory bulb interneurons Kazi Samanta Jerin1, Julian P.Meeks1, 2. 1Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA.2Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA |
Abstract
Social behaviors in terrestrial mammals are guided by conspecific and heterospecific chemosensory cues. In rodents, these cues are detected by the accessory olfactory system (AOS), in which the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) serves as the first dedicated circuit for chemosensory processing. Within the AOB, inhibitory internal granule cells (IGCs) form reciprocal dendrodendritic synapses with mitral cells (MCs) and regulate circuit excitability and network dynamics. Previous work has demonstrated that a subset of IGCs selectively expresses the immediate-early gene Arc following social encounters and exhibit persistent increases in intrinsic excitability. However, whether these experience-activated neurons also undergo coordinated structural remodeling remains unknown. Here, we examined the morphological and intrinsic physiological properties of Arc-expressing IGCs using transgenic mice that enable permanent Arc-dependent labeling (ArcTRAP). Using a combination of whole-cell patch-clamp recording, biocytin filling, and multiphoton imaging, we found that many ArcTRAP+ IGCs exhibit increased dendritic length and elevated dendritic spine density relative to neighboring ArcTRAP- neurons, consistent with an enhanced capacity for synaptic integration. In parallel, ArcTRAP+ IGCs display increased intrinsic excitability, replicating prior observations. Together, these data suggest that experience-activated inhibitory interneurons undergo coordinated functional and structural plasticity, potentially strengthening inhibitory control within AOB circuits. By linking activity-dependent gene expression to persistent changes in neuronal excitability and morphology, this work identifies a candidate cellular substrate through which social experience may shape AOB circuit dynamics and long-term chemosensory processing.
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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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