
==== Front
bioRxiv
BIORXIV
bioRxiv
2692-8205
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

39071445
10.1101/2024.07.11.602976
preprint
2
Article
Direct piriform-to-auditory cortical projections shape auditory-olfactory integration
Vogler Nathan W. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1526-3079

Chen Ruoyi
Virkler Alister
Tu Violet Y.
Gottfried Jay A.
Geffen Maria Neimark http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3022-2993

14 9 2024
2024.07.11.602976https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, which allows reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
http://biorxiv.org/lookup/doi/10.1101/2024.07.11.602976
nihpp-2024.07.11.602976.pdf
In a real-world environment, the brain must integrate information from multiple sensory modalities, including the auditory and olfactory systems. However, little is known about the neuronal circuits governing how odors influence and modulate sound processing. Here, we investigated the mechanisms underlying auditory-olfactory integration using anatomical, electrophysiological, and optogenetic approaches, focusing on the auditory cortex as a key locus for cross-modal integration. First, retrograde and anterograde viral tracing strategies revealed a direct projection from the piriform cortex to the auditory cortex. Next, using in vivo electrophysiological recordings of neuronal activity in the auditory cortex of awake male or female mice, we found that odors modulate auditory cortical responses to sound. Finally, we used in vivo optogenetic manipulations during electrophysiology to demonstrate that olfactory modulation in auditory cortex, specifically, odor-driven enhancement of sound responses, depends on direct input from the piriform cortex. Together, our results identify a novel role of piriform-to-auditory cortical circuitry in shaping olfactory modulation in the auditory cortex, shedding new light on the neuronal mechanisms underlying auditory-olfactory integration.
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pmc
