Targeting Insect Olfaction in vivo and in vitro Using Functional Imaging

• Published in: Frontiers in cellular neuroscience Vol. 16; p. 839811
• Main Authors: Miazzi, Fabio, Jain, Kalpana, Kaltofen, Sabine, Bello, Jan E, Hansson, Bill S, Wicher, Dieter
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Frontiers Research Foundation 24-02-2022; Frontiers Media S.A
• Subjects: Antennae; Calcium imaging; Calcium signalling; Drosophila melanogaster; Gene expression; Hydrogels; Information processing; insect olfaction; Insects; Neuroscience; Odorant receptors; Olfaction; Olfactory receptor neurons; olfactory sensory neuron; Olfactory system; Photonics; Proteins; Sensory evaluation; Sensory neurons; silica hydrogel; waterglass; United States > US; Germany; insect olfaction; waterglass; olfactory sensory neuron; Drosophila melanogaster; calcium imaging; silica hydrogel
• ISSN: 1662-5102; 1662-5102
• DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.839811

Insects decode volatile chemical signals from its surrounding environment with the help of its olfactory system, in a fast and reliable manner for its survival. In order to accomplish this task, odorant receptors (ORs) expressed in olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) in the fly's antenna process such odor information. In order to study such a sophisticated process, we require access to the sensory neurons to perform functional imaging. In this article, we present different preparations to monitor odor information processing in
OSNs using functional imaging of their Ca
dynamics. First, we established an
preparation to image specific OSN population expressing the fluorescent Ca
reporter GCaMP3 during OR activation with airborne odors. Next, we developed a method to extract and to embed OSNs in a silica hydrogel with OR activation by dissolved odors. The odor response dynamics under these different conditions was qualitatively similar which indicates that the reduction of complexity did not affect the concentration dependence of odor responses at OSN level.