Dimensionality reduction simplifies synaptic partner matching in an olfactory circuit.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 40310920.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1126/science.ads7633 and PMC identifier 12614222.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
A navigating axon faces complex choices when selecting postsynaptic partners in a three-dimensional (3D) space. In this work, we discovered a principle that can establish the 3D glomerular map of the fly antennal lobe by reducing the higher dimensionality serially to 1D projections. During development, olfactory receptor neuron (ORN) axons first contact their partner projection neuron dendrites on the spherical surface of the antennal lobe, regardless of whether the adult glomeruli lie near the surface or inside. Along this 2D surface, axons of each ORN type take a specific, arc-shaped trajectory that precisely intersects with their partner dendrites. Altering axon trajectories compromises synaptic partner matching. A 3D search is thus reduced to one dimension, simplifying partner matching.
Medical subject headings
- Olfactory Receptor Neurons
- Synapses
- Olfactory Pathways
- Arthropod Antennae
- Drosophila melanogaster