Olfactory Critical Periods: How Odor Exposure Shapes the Developing Brain in Mice and Flies
Neural networks have an extensive ability to change in response to environmental stimuli. This flexibility peaks during restricted windows of time early in life called critical periods. The ubiquitous occurrence of this form of plasticity across sensory modalities and phyla speaks to the importance...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-02-01
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| Series: | Biology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/13/2/94 |
| _version_ | 1797298841734610944 |
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| author | Ahana Mallick Andrew M. Dacks Quentin Gaudry |
| author_facet | Ahana Mallick Andrew M. Dacks Quentin Gaudry |
| author_sort | Ahana Mallick |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Neural networks have an extensive ability to change in response to environmental stimuli. This flexibility peaks during restricted windows of time early in life called critical periods. The ubiquitous occurrence of this form of plasticity across sensory modalities and phyla speaks to the importance of critical periods for proper neural development and function. Extensive investigation into visual critical periods has advanced our knowledge of the molecular events and key processes that underlie the impact of early-life experience on neuronal plasticity. However, despite the importance of olfaction for the overall survival of an organism, the cellular and molecular basis of olfactory critical periods have not garnered extensive study compared to visual critical periods. Recent work providing a comprehensive mapping of the highly organized olfactory neuropil and its development has in turn attracted a growing interest in how these circuits undergo plasticity during critical periods. Here, we perform a comparative review of olfactory critical periods in fruit flies and mice to provide novel insight into the importance of early odor exposure in shaping neural circuits and highlighting mechanisms found across sensory modalities. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:41:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-abfe9ab28e2b4ad089b6043752680999 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-7737 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:41:55Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-abfe9ab28e2b4ad089b60437526809992024-02-23T15:08:10ZengMDPI AGBiology2079-77372024-02-011329410.3390/biology13020094Olfactory Critical Periods: How Odor Exposure Shapes the Developing Brain in Mice and FliesAhana Mallick0Andrew M. Dacks1Quentin Gaudry2Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USADepartment of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26505, USADepartment of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USANeural networks have an extensive ability to change in response to environmental stimuli. This flexibility peaks during restricted windows of time early in life called critical periods. The ubiquitous occurrence of this form of plasticity across sensory modalities and phyla speaks to the importance of critical periods for proper neural development and function. Extensive investigation into visual critical periods has advanced our knowledge of the molecular events and key processes that underlie the impact of early-life experience on neuronal plasticity. However, despite the importance of olfaction for the overall survival of an organism, the cellular and molecular basis of olfactory critical periods have not garnered extensive study compared to visual critical periods. Recent work providing a comprehensive mapping of the highly organized olfactory neuropil and its development has in turn attracted a growing interest in how these circuits undergo plasticity during critical periods. Here, we perform a comparative review of olfactory critical periods in fruit flies and mice to provide novel insight into the importance of early odor exposure in shaping neural circuits and highlighting mechanisms found across sensory modalities.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/13/2/94critical periodolfactory circuitfruit fliesmiceneuromodulators |
| spellingShingle | Ahana Mallick Andrew M. Dacks Quentin Gaudry Olfactory Critical Periods: How Odor Exposure Shapes the Developing Brain in Mice and Flies Biology critical period olfactory circuit fruit flies mice neuromodulators |
| title | Olfactory Critical Periods: How Odor Exposure Shapes the Developing Brain in Mice and Flies |
| title_full | Olfactory Critical Periods: How Odor Exposure Shapes the Developing Brain in Mice and Flies |
| title_fullStr | Olfactory Critical Periods: How Odor Exposure Shapes the Developing Brain in Mice and Flies |
| title_full_unstemmed | Olfactory Critical Periods: How Odor Exposure Shapes the Developing Brain in Mice and Flies |
| title_short | Olfactory Critical Periods: How Odor Exposure Shapes the Developing Brain in Mice and Flies |
| title_sort | olfactory critical periods how odor exposure shapes the developing brain in mice and flies |
| topic | critical period olfactory circuit fruit flies mice neuromodulators |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/13/2/94 |
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