Wiring the olfactory bulb - Activity-dependent models of axonal targeting in the developing olfactory pathway

Two recent experimental studies /20,21/ revealed that odorant-evoked activity-dependent competition is significant in the organisation and maintenance of the olfactory system. In this paper, we investigate the generation of a chemotopic sensory map in the olfactory bulb through three models driven by high-density optical chemosensor arrays which have similar properties to olfactory receptor neurons. By exposing the sensor arrays to various odours, these models were subjected to Hebbian learning to achieve self-organisation, potentially explaining the activity-dependent competition demonstrated by these recent studies. Our final model also predicts a role for periglomerular cells in the formation of the chemotopic sensory map in the olfactory bulb.