Inter-and intra-mouse variability in odor preferences revealed in an olfactory multiple choice test HHS Public Access
Résumé
Animals choose between sensory stimuli, a highly complex behavior which includes detection, discrimination, preference, and memory processes. Rodents are reported to display robust preferences for some odors, for instance in the context of choosing among possible mates or food items. In contrast to the apparent robustness of responses towards these and other 'ethologically relevant' odors, little is known about the robustness of behaviors towards odors which have no overt role in the rodent ecological niche, so-called 'non-ethologically relevant' odors. We developed an apparatus for monitoring the nose-poking behavior of mice and used this apparatus to explore the prevalence and stability of choices among different odors both across mice, and within mice over successive days. Mice were tested to either a panel of ethologically relevant or non-ethologically relevant odors in an olfactory multiple choice test. Significant preferences to non-ethologically relevant odors were observed across the population of mice, with longer investigation durations to some odors more than to others. However, we found substantial inter-mouse variability in these responses, and that responses to these odors even varied within mice across days of testing. Tests with ethologically-relevant odors revealed that responses towards these odors were also variable across mice, but within individual mice responses were somewhat stable. This work establishes an olfactory multiple choice test for monitoring odor investigation, choice, and preference behaviors and the application of this apparatus to assess across and within-mouse odor preference choice stability. These results highlight that odor preferences, as assayed by measuring choice behaviors, are variable.
Domaines
NeurobiologieOrigine | Fichiers produits par l'(les) auteur(s) |
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