TY - JOUR
T1 - Experimental and theoretical probe on mechano- and chemosensory integration in the insect antennal lobe
AU - Patel, Mainak
AU - Kulkarni, Nisha
AU - Lei, Harry H.
AU - Lai, Kaitlyn
AU - Nematova, Omina
AU - Wei, Katherine
AU - Lei, Hong
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by NIH R01DC020892 to Lei, Patel and Bazhenov; a subaward to BHS as part of the NSF/CIHR/DFG/FRQ/UKRI-MRC Next Generation Networks for Neuroscience Program.
Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2022 Patel, Kulkarni, Lei, Lai, Nematova, Wei and Lei.
PY - 2022/11/2
Y1 - 2022/11/2
N2 - In nature, olfactory signals are delivered to detectors—for example, insect antennae—by means of turbulent air, which exerts concurrent chemical and mechanical stimulation on the detectors. The antennal lobe, which is traditionally viewed as a chemosensory module, sits downstream of antennal inputs. We review experimental evidence showing that, in addition to being a chemosensory structure, antennal lobe neurons also respond to mechanosensory input in the form of wind speed. Benchmarked with empirical data, we constructed a dynamical model to simulate bimodal integration in the antennal lobe, with model dynamics yielding insights such as a positive correlation between the strength of mechanical input and the capacity to follow high frequency odor pulses, an important task in tracking odor sources. Furthermore, we combine experimental and theoretical results to develop a conceptual framework for viewing the functional significance of sensory integration within the antennal lobe. We formulate the testable hypothesis that the antennal lobe alternates between two distinct dynamical regimes, one which benefits odor plume tracking and one which promotes odor discrimination. We postulate that the strength of mechanical input, which correlates with behavioral contexts such being mid-flight versus hovering near a flower, triggers the transition from one regime to the other.
AB - In nature, olfactory signals are delivered to detectors—for example, insect antennae—by means of turbulent air, which exerts concurrent chemical and mechanical stimulation on the detectors. The antennal lobe, which is traditionally viewed as a chemosensory module, sits downstream of antennal inputs. We review experimental evidence showing that, in addition to being a chemosensory structure, antennal lobe neurons also respond to mechanosensory input in the form of wind speed. Benchmarked with empirical data, we constructed a dynamical model to simulate bimodal integration in the antennal lobe, with model dynamics yielding insights such as a positive correlation between the strength of mechanical input and the capacity to follow high frequency odor pulses, an important task in tracking odor sources. Furthermore, we combine experimental and theoretical results to develop a conceptual framework for viewing the functional significance of sensory integration within the antennal lobe. We formulate the testable hypothesis that the antennal lobe alternates between two distinct dynamical regimes, one which benefits odor plume tracking and one which promotes odor discrimination. We postulate that the strength of mechanical input, which correlates with behavioral contexts such being mid-flight versus hovering near a flower, triggers the transition from one regime to the other.
KW - antennal lobe
KW - dynamical model
KW - mechanosensory
KW - multimodal integration
KW - olfactory
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U2 - 10.3389/fphys.2022.1004124
DO - 10.3389/fphys.2022.1004124
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85142139178
SN - 1664-042X
VL - 13
JO - Frontiers in Physiology
JF - Frontiers in Physiology
M1 - 1004124
ER -