Development of Innate Odor Encoding in the Mouse Brain

Abstract

Innate behaviors are crucial to the survival of animals in their natural environment. It enables them to avoid and escape predation risk, mate and reproduce, and find food sources. Innate odor identity and valence establishment is an elusive and highly regulated developmental process. How does the brain develop to pre-assign certain odors with specific valence innately? The first step towards addressing such bigger questions is understanding the process of neuronal circuit maturation in various parts of the brain. The current project addresses when and where the circuits potentially involved in processing innate odor identity and valence are established during the critical period. The project uses the TRAP2; R26Rtdt line, and innate odor exposures to mimic natural encounters with such odors to identify the neuronal population involved in innate odor processing during the critical period. It uses neuronal activity as a handle to explore circuit maturation. By labeling cells involved in processing innate odors at various time points during the critical period and comparing them to mature circuits processing the same odor reveal postnatal day 12 to day 16 is the time window during the critical period when the innate odor processing circuits are established. Further analysis shall also reveal the circuit maturation in all anatomical areas involved in innate odor processing.