Das Prodekanat für Forschung würdigt jeden Monat UKE Autorinnen und Autoren einer herausragenden Publikation, die in den vorangegangenen 2 Monaten hochrangig publiziert wurde. Ziel ist es, die am UKE enstandenen Forschungsergebnisse mit ihrer Bedeutung in der Wissenschaft einer größeren Öffentlichkeit am UKE vorzustellen. Der Aufruf zur Teilnahme richtet sich an Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler aller Fachgebiete. Einreichungsfrist für eine Bewerbung um die Auszeichnung des "Paper of the Month" ist jeweils Ende eines Monats (siehe Bewerbungsformular).
Das PoM-Archiv finden Sie hier:
UKE Papier des Monats Oktober 2023
Olfactory bulb activity shapes the development of entorhinal-hippocampal coupling and associated cognitive abilities
Yu-Nan Chen, Johanna K. Kostka, Sebastian H. Bitzenhofer, Ileana L. Hanganu-Opatz
ABSTRACT:
The interplay between olfaction and higher cognitive processing has been documented in the adult brain; however, its development is poorly understood. In mice, shortly after birth, endogenous and stimulus-evoked activity in the olfactory bulb (OB) boosts the oscillatory entrainment of downstream lateral entorhinal cortex (LEC) and hippocampus (HP). However, it is unclear whether early OB activity has a long-lasting impact on entorhinal-hippocampal function and cognitive processing. Here, we chemogenetically silenced the synaptic outputs of mitral/tufted cells, the main projection neurons in the OB, during postnatal days 8-10. The transient manipulation leads to a long-lasting reduction of oscillatory coupling and weaker responsiveness to stimuli within developing entorhinal-hippocampal circuits accompanied by dendritic sparsification of LEC pyramidal neurons. Moreover, the transient silencing reduces the performance in behavioral tests involving entorhinal-hippocampal circuits later in life. Thus, neonatal OB activity is critical for the functional LEC-HP development and maturation of cognitive abilities.
Statement:
The study combines state-of-the-art in vivo electrophysiology, chemo- and optogenetics with behavioral testing and demonstrates the developmental interplay between olfaction and higher-order cognitive processing. It provides experimental evidence that olfaction during a defined developmental period is necessary for the maturation of neuronal networks and cognitive performance. We revealed that early in life, when most senses are underdeveloped, olfaction not only accounts for the communication with the environment and sensory activation but also boosts the cognitive processing.
Background:
This work was performed at Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology (director: Prof. Dr. Ileana L. Hanganu-Opatz), Center for Molecular Neurobiology. It is part of the PhD thesis of Yu-Nan Chen. All authors have strong interests in how the sensory inputs early in life influence the development of neuronal networks and cognitive functions by combining in vivo electrophysiology, chemogenetics, optogenetics and behavioral tests. The project was funded by grants from the German Research Foundation (Ha4466/11-1, Ha4466/20-1, Ha4466/22-1, and SFB 936 178316478), European Research Council (ERC-2015-CoG 681577), Horizon 2020 DEEPER (101016787), MSCA-ITN (860563), and Landesforschungsförderung Hamburg (LFF73 and LFF76).
Current Biology, 2023, Oct 23;33(20):4353-4366.e5.
- Gratulation allen Autoren!
Nächstes PoM: Die Publikation muss im November 2023 erschienen sein. Bewerbungen stehen für 2 Runden (Monate) zur Auswahl. Bitte senden Sie Ihre komplett ausgefüllte PoM-Bewerbung bis zum 30. November 2023 an Dr. Anne Wulf