Olfactory Optogenetics: Light Illuminates the Chemical Sensing Mechanisms of Biological Olfactory Systems
Ping Zhu,
Yulan Tian,
Yating Chen,
Wei Chen,
Ping Wang,
Liping Du,
Chunsheng Wu
Affiliations
Ping Zhu
Institute of Medical Engineering, Department of Biophysics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Health Science Center, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, China
Yulan Tian
Institute of Medical Engineering, Department of Biophysics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Health Science Center, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, China
Yating Chen
Institute of Medical Engineering, Department of Biophysics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Health Science Center, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, China
Wei Chen
Institute of Medical Engineering, Department of Biophysics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Health Science Center, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, China
Ping Wang
Biosensor National Special Laboratory, Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
Liping Du
Institute of Medical Engineering, Department of Biophysics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Health Science Center, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, China
Chunsheng Wu
Institute of Medical Engineering, Department of Biophysics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Health Science Center, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, China
The mammalian olfactory system has an amazing ability to distinguish thousands of odorant molecules at the trace level. Scientists have made great achievements on revealing the olfactory sensing mechanisms in decades; even though many issues need addressing. Optogenetics provides a novel technical approach to solve this dilemma by utilizing light to illuminate specific part of the olfactory system; which can be used in all corners of the olfactory system for revealing the olfactory mechanism. This article reviews the most recent advances in olfactory optogenetics devoted to elucidate the mechanisms of chemical sensing. It thus attempts to introduce olfactory optogenetics according to the structure of the olfactory system. It mainly includes the following aspects: the sensory input from the olfactory epithelium to the olfactory bulb; the influences of the olfactory bulb (OB) neuron activity patterns on olfactory perception; the regulation between the olfactory cortex and the olfactory bulb; and the neuromodulation participating in odor coding by dominating the olfactory bulb. Finally; current challenges and future development trends of olfactory optogenetics are proposed and discussed.
