Elucidation of Neural Circuit Mechanisms Underlying Transformation of Olfactory Inputs into Behavioral Outputs

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25430025
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Neurophysiology / General neuroscience
• Research Institution: Institute of Physical and Chemical Research
• Principal Investigator: Miyasaka Nobuhiko 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 脳科学総合研究センター, 副チームリーダー (70332335)
• Research Collaborator: YOSHIHARA Yoshihiro ; KOIDE Tetsuya ; WAKISAKA Noriko ; MASUDA Miwa ; YABUKI Yoichi
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 嗅覚 / 神経回路 / 脳 / 行動 / 遺伝子工学 / 視床下部 / 嗅覚受容体 / ゼブラフィッシュ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Odor information is represented as a chemotopic map in the olfactory bulb. This odor map must be transferred to higher brain centers and translated into appropriate behavioral responses. In the present study, we analyzed neural circuit mechanisms underlying transformation of odor inputs into behavioral outputs in zebrafish. We identified an olfactory receptor for prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α), a female sex pheromone, and found that male zebrafish mutant for this receptor show impaired courtship behaviors toward female fish. Olfactory stimulation with PGF2α activated a ventral telencephalic nucleus and several hypothalamic nuclei. ATP and alanine, food-derived odors, attracted zebrafish and commonly activated several brain regions including the posterior tuberculum, which constitutes the olfactory bulb-hypothalamus direct pathway. Furthermore, we identified brain regions that are specifically activated by different odor stimuli.

Free Research Field

神経科学