Activity-dependent lateral inhibition enables ensemble synchronization of odor-activated neurons in the olfactory bulb

  1. Tal Dalal
  2. Rafi Haddad

  • Curated by eLife

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    eLife assessment

    This valuable study provides in vivo evidence for the synchronization of projection neurons in the olfactory bulb at gamma frequency in an activity-dependent manner. This study uses optogenetics in combination with single-cell recordings to selectively activate sensory input channels within the olfactory bulb. The data are thoughtfully analyzed and presented; the evidence is solid, although some of the conclusions are only partially supported.

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Abstract

Information in the brain is represented by the activity of neuronal ensembles. These ensembles are adaptive and dynamic, formed and truncated based on the animal’s experience. One mechanism by which spatially distributed neurons form an ensemble is synchronizing their spiking activity in response to a sensory event. In the olfactory bulb, odor stimulation evokes rhythmic gamma activity in spatially distributed mitral and tufted cells (MTCs). This rhythmic activity is thought to enhance the relay of odor information to the downstream olfactory targets. However, how only the odor-activated MTCs are synchronized is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that light activating one set of MTCs can gamma-entrain the spiking activity of another set. This lateral synchronization was particularly effective when both MTCs fired at the gamma rhythm, facilitating the synchronization of only the odor-activated MTCs. Furthermore, we show that lateral synchronization did not depend on the distance between the MTCs and is mediated by Granule cells. In contrast, lateral inhibition between MTCs that reduced their firing rates was spatially restricted to adjacent MTCs and was not mediated by Granule cells. Our findings reveal a simple yet robust mechanism by which spatially distributed neurons entrain each other’s spiking activity to form an ensemble.

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  1. eLife

    eLife assessment

    This valuable study provides in vivo evidence for the synchronization of projection neurons in the olfactory bulb at gamma frequency in an activity-dependent manner. This study uses optogenetics in combination with single-cell recordings to selectively activate sensory input channels within the olfactory bulb. The data are thoughtfully analyzed and presented; the evidence is solid, although some of the conclusions are only partially supported.

  2. eLife

    Reviewer #1 (Public Review):

    Summary:

    Dalal and Haddad investigated how neurons in the olfactory bulb are synchronized in oscillatory rhythms at gamma frequency. Temporal coordination of action potentials fired by projection neurons can facilitate information transmission to downstream areas. In a previous paper (Dalal and Haddad 2022, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110693), the authors showed that gamma frequency synchronization of mitral/tufted cells (MTCs) in the olfactory bulb enhances the response in the piriform cortex. The present study builds on these findings and takes a closer look at how gamma synchronization is restricted to a specific subset of MTCs in the olfactory bulb. They combined odor and optogenetic stimulations in anesthetized mice with extracellular recordings.
    The main findings are that lateral synchronization of MTCs at gamma frequency is mediated by granule cells (GCs), independent of the spatial distance, and strongest for MTCs with firing rates close to 40 Hz. The authors conclude that this reveals a simple mechanism by which spatially distributed neurons can form a synchronized ensemble. In contrast to lateral synchronization, they found no evidence for the involvement of GCs in lateral inhibition of nearby MTCs.

    Strengths:

    Investigating the mechanisms of rhythmic synchronization in vivo is difficult because of experimental limitations for the readout and manipulation of neuronal populations at fast timescales. Using spatially patterned light stimulation of opsin-expressing neurons in combination with extracellular recordings is a nice approach. The paper provides evidence for an activity-dependent synchronization of MTCs in gamma frequency that is mediated by GCs.

    Weaknesses:

    An important weakness of the study is the lack of direct evidence for the main conclusion - the synchronization of MTCs in gamma frequency. The data shows that paired optogenetic stimulation of MTCs in different parts of the olfactory bulb increases the rhythmicity of individual MTCs (Figure 1) and that combined odor stimulation and GC stimulation increases rhythmicity and gamma phase locking of individual MTCs (Figure 4). However, a direct comparison of the firing of different MTCs is missing. This could be addressed with extracellular recordings at two different locations in the olfactory bulb. The minimum requirement to support this conclusion would be to show that the MTCs lock to the same phase of the gamma cycle. Also, showing the evoked gamma oscillations would help to interpret the data.

    Another weakness is that all experiments are performed under anesthesia with ketamine/medetomidine. Ketamine is an antagonist of NMDA receptors and NMDA receptors are critically involved in the interactions of MTCs and GCs at the reciprocal synapses (see for example Lage-Rupprecht et al. 2020, https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.63737; Egger and Kuner 2021, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-020-03402-7). This should be considered for the interpretation of the presented data.

    Furthermore, the direct effect of optogenetic stimulation on GCs activity is not shown. This is particularly important because they use Gad2-cre mice with virus injection in the olfactory bulb and expression might not be restricted to granule cells and might not target all subtypes of granule cells (Wachowiak et al., 2013, https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4824-12.2013). This should be considered for the interpretation of the data, particularly for the absence of an effect of GC stimulation on lateral inhibition.

    Several conclusions are only supported by data from example neurons. The paper would benefit from a more detailed description of the analysis and the display of some additional analysis at the population level:

    - What were the criteria based on which the spots for light-activation were chosen from the receptive field map?

    - The absence of an effect on firing rate for paired stimulations is only shown for one example (Figure 1c). A quantification of the population level would be interesting.

    - Only one example neuron is shown to support the conclusion that "two different neural circuits mediate suppression and entrainment" in Figure 3. A population analysis would provide more evidence.

    - Only one example neuron is shown to illustrate the effect of GC stimulation on gamma rhythmicity of MTCs in Figures 4 f,g.

    - In Figure 5 and the corresponding text, "proximal" and "distal" GC activation are not clearly defined.

  3. eLife

    Reviewer #2 (Public Review):

    Summary

    This study provides a detailed analysis and dissociation between two effects of activation of lateral inhibitory circuits in the olfactory bulb on ongoing single mitral/tufted cell (MTC) spiking activity, namely enhanced synchronization in the gamma frequency range or lateral inhibition of firing rate.

    The authors use a clever combination of single-cell recordings, optogenetics with variable spatial stimulation of MTCs and sensory stimulation in vivo, and established mathematical methods to describe changes in autocorrelation/synchronization of a single MTC's spiking activity upon activation of lateral glomerular MTC ensembles. This assay is rounded off by a gain-of-function experiment in which the authors enhance granule cell (GC) excitation to establish a causal relation between GC activation and enhanced synchronization to gamma (they had used this manipulation in their previous paper Dalal & Haddad 2022, but use a smaller illumination spot here for spatially restricted activation).

    Strengths

    This study is of high interest for olfactory processing - since it shows directly that interactions between only two selected active receptor channels are sufficient to enhance the synchronization of single neurons to gamma in one channel (and thus by inference most likely in both). These interactions are distance-independent over many 100s of µms and thus can allow for non-topographical inhibitory action across the bulb, in contrast to the center-surround lateral inhibition known from other sensory modalities.

    In my view, parallels between vision and olfaction might have been overemphasized so far, since the combinatorial encoding of olfactory stimuli across the glomerular map might require different mechanisms of lateral interaction versus vision. This result is indicative of such a major difference.

    Such enhanced local synchronization was observed in a subset of activated channel pairs; in addition, the authors report another type of lateral interaction that does involve the reduction of firing rates, drops off with distance and most likely is caused by a different circuit-mediated by PV+ neurons (PVN; the evidence for which is circumstantial).

    Weaknesses/Room for improvement

    Thus this study is an impressive proof of concept that however does not yet allow for broad generalization. Therefore the framing of results should be slightly more careful in my opinion.

    Along this line, the conclusions regarding two different circuits underlying lateral inhibition vs enhanced synchronization are not quite justified by the data, e.g.

    (1) The authors mention that their granule cell stimulation results in a local cold spot (l. 527 ff) - how can they then said to be not involved in the inhibition of firing rate (bullet point in Highlights)? Please elaborate further. In l.406 they also state that GCs can inhibit MTCs under certain conditions. The argument, that this stimulation is not physiological, makes sense, but still does not rule out anything. You might want to cite Aghvami et al 2022 on the very small amplitude of GC-mediated IPSPs, also McIntyre and Cleland 2015.

    (2) Even from the shown data, it appears that laterally increased synchronization might co-occur with lateral suppression (See also comment on Figures 1d,e and Figure S1c)

    (3) There are no manipulations of PVN activity in this study, thus there is no direct evidence for the substrate of the second circuit.

    (4) The manipulation of GC activity was performed in a transgenic line with viral transfection, which might result in a lower permeation of the population compared to the line used for optogenetic stimulation of MTCs.

    In some instances, the authors tend to cite older literature - which was not yet aware of the prominent contribution of EPL interneurons including PVN to recurrent and lateral inhibition of MT cells - as if roles that then were ascribed to granule cells for lack of better knowledge can still be unequivocally linked to granule cells now. For example, they should discuss Arevian et al (2006), Galan et al 2006, Giridhar et al., Yokoi et al. 1995, etc in the light of PVN action.

    Therefore it is also not quite justified to state that their result regarding the role of GCs specifically for synchronization, not suppression, is "in contrast to the field" (e.g. l.70 f.,, l.365, l. 400 ff).

    Why did the authors choose to use the term "lateral suppression", often interchangeably with lateral inhibition? If this term is intended to specifically reflect reductions of firing rates, it might be useful to clearly define it at first use (and cite earlier literature on it) and then use it consistently throughout.

    A discussion of anesthesia effects is missing - e.g. GC activity is known to be reportedly stronger in awake mice (Kato et al). This is not a contentious point at all since the authors themselves show that additional excitation of GCs enhances synchrony, but it should be mentioned.

    Some citations should be added, in particular relevant recent preprints - e.g. Peace et al. BioRxiv 2024, Burton et al. BioRxiv 2024 and the direct evidence for a glutamate-dependent release of GABA from GCs (Lage-Rupprecht et al. 2020).

    The introduction on the role of gamma oscillations in sensory systems (in particular vision) could be more elaborated.

  4. eLife

    Reviewer #3 (Public Review):

    Summary:

    This study by Dalal and Haddad analyzes two facets of cooperative recruitment of M/TCs as discerned through direct, ChR2-mediated spot stimulations:

    (1) mutual inhibition and
    (2) entrainment of action potential timing within the gamma frequency range.

    This investigation is conducted by contrasting the evoked activity elicited by a "central" stimulus spot, which induces an excitatory response alone, with that elicited when paired with stimulations of surrounding areas. Additionally, the effect of Gad2-expressing granule cells is examined.

    Based on the observed distance dependence and the impact of GC stimulations, the authors infer that mutual inhibition and gamma entrainment are mediated by distinct mechanisms.

    Strengths:

    The results presented in this study offer a nice in vivo validation of the significant in vitro findings previously reported by Arevian, Kapoor, and Urban in 2008. Additionally, the distance-dependent analysis provides some mechanistic insights.

    Weaknesses:

    The results largely reproduce previously reported findings, including those from the authors' own work, such as Dalal and Haddad (2022), where a key highlight was "Modulating GC activities dissociates MTCs odor-evoked gamma synchrony from firing rates." Some interpretations, particularly the claim regarding the distance independence of the entrainment effect, may be considered over-interpretations.

  5. eLife

    Author response:

    We sincerely appreciate the reviewers' time, effort, and thoughtful feedback, which have significantly contributed to our research.

    A key concern raised was the potential overinterpretation of our data. While the reviewers acknowledged our identification of a possible synchronization mechanism among active mitral and tufted cells (MTCs) that is distance-independent, they correctly pointed out that we did not provide direct evidence showing how ensemble MTCs synchronize. We concur with their assessment and will address this in our forthcoming response to ensure a precise interpretation of our findings.

    Another concern raised involves the interpretation of results obtained under Ketamine anesthesia. Since Ketamine is an NMDA receptor antagonist, which plays a crucial role in MTC-GC reciprocal synapses, this might impact our conclusions. To address this, we will include analyses demonstrating that optogenetic activation of granule cells (GCs) in an anesthetized state inhibits recorded MTCs during baseline but does not affect odor-evoked MTC firing rates. Additionally, we will thoroughly discuss the potential influence of Ketamine anesthesia on GC-MTC synapses and its implications for our findings.

    Lastly, in our detailed response to the reviewers' comments, we will discuss several recent studies that are particularly relevant to our research. We will also expand on our hypothesis that parvalbumin-positive cells in the olfactory bulb may serve as key mediators of the activity- and distance-dependent lateral inhibition observed in our findings.

  6. Version published to 10.7554/elife.100141.1 on eLife
  7. Version published to 10.7554/elife.100141 on eLife
  8. Version published to 10.1101/2024.06.24.600470v1 on bioRxiv