Recent studies have suggested that the two excitatory cell classes of the mammalian olfactory bulb, the mitral cells (MCs) and tufted cells (TCs), differ markedly in physiological responses. For example, TCs are more sensitive and broadly tuned to odors than MCs and also are much more sensitive to stimulation of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) in bulb slices. To examine the morphological bases for these differences, we performed quantitative ultrastructural analyses of glomeruli in rat olfactory bulb under conditions in which specific cells were labeled with biocytin and 3,3'-diaminobenzidine. Comparisons were made between MCs and external TCs (eTCs), which are a TC subtype in the glomerular layer with large, direct OSN signals and capable of mediating feedforward excitation of MCs. Three-dimensional analysis of labeled apical dendrites under an electron microscope revealed that MCs and eTCs in fact have similar densities of several chemical synapse types, including OSN inputs. OSN synapses also were distributed similarly, favoring a distal localization on both cells. Analysis of unlabeled putative MC dendrites further revealed gap junctions distributed uniformly along the apical dendrite and, on average, proximally with respect to OSN synapses. Our results suggest that the greater sensitivity of eTCs vs. MCs is due not to OSN synapse number or absolute location but rather to a conductance in the MC dendrite that is well positioned to attenuate excitatory signals passing to the cell soma. Functionally, such a mechanism could allow rapid and dynamic control of OSN-driven action potential firing in MCs through changes in gap junction properties. J. Comp. Neurol. 525:592-609, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Pubmed ID: 27490056 RIS Download
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A Windows (Win32) software application for montaging, aligning, tracing, measuring, and reconstructing objects from serial microscopic section images. The software is designed for microscopy in which section resolution is much less than section thickness, such as transmitted electron microscopy (EM) where the resolution is a few nanometers while the section thickness is many tens of nanometers. Reconstruct can easily handle series with hundreds of very large, high-resolution section images. It facilitates image cropping, scaling and alignment. Multiple images can be placed side-by-side to make a montage of a section from a mosaic of images. The alignment of adjacent sections can be rapidly compared by either blending the two sections or by flickering between them. Sections can be moved while blended. Reconstruct aids in the calibration of image size. Images taken at different magnifications can be combined, calibrated and aligned. Tools for tracing and editing of objects on sections are provided. Objects can be surfaced from the traces and previewed in an OpenGL-based 3D scene window. The 3D scene can be saved as a bitmap or as a VRML file.
View all literature mentionsA Windows (Win32) software application for montaging, aligning, tracing, measuring, and reconstructing objects from serial microscopic section images. The software is designed for microscopy in which section resolution is much less than section thickness, such as transmitted electron microscopy (EM) where the resolution is a few nanometers while the section thickness is many tens of nanometers. Reconstruct can easily handle series with hundreds of very large, high-resolution section images. It facilitates image cropping, scaling and alignment. Multiple images can be placed side-by-side to make a montage of a section from a mosaic of images. The alignment of adjacent sections can be rapidly compared by either blending the two sections or by flickering between them. Sections can be moved while blended. Reconstruct aids in the calibration of image size. Images taken at different magnifications can be combined, calibrated and aligned. Tools for tracing and editing of objects on sections are provided. Objects can be surfaced from the traces and previewed in an OpenGL-based 3D scene window. The 3D scene can be saved as a bitmap or as a VRML file.
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