Activation and inhibition of olfactory bulb neurones by anterior commissure volleys in the rabbit.

1. In the rabbit olfactory bulb, analysis has been carried out on intracellular potentials recorded from mitral cells and neurones in the granule cell layer (g.c.l. cells) in addition to the extracellular field potentials in the olfactory bulb elicited by anterior commissure (a.c.) stimulation. 2. Most mitral cell recordings showed i.p.s.p.s with latency of 7-11 msec following a.c. stimulation. These i.p.s.p.s were similar to those evoked by lateral olfactory tract (l.o.t.) stimulation in their sensitivity to internally applied current and showed asymmetrical reversal during application of the hyperpolarizing current. 3. Volleys in the a.c. elicited e.p.s.p.s in type 1 g.c.l. cells whose characteristics were in agreement with those of inhibitory interneurones inferred from the analyses of mitral cell i.p.s.p.s. It has been suggested that these type 1 g.c.l. cells may be the common inhibitory interneurones (presumably granule cells) mediating both a.c.-evoked and l.o.t.-evoked i.p.s.p.s in mitral cells. 4. Conditioning a.c. stimulation depressed the test l.o.t.-evoked i.p.s.p.s in mitral cells and test l.o.t.-evoked e.p.s.p.s in type 1 g.c.l. cells. These observations are in good agreement with the hypothesis that l.o.t.-evoked i.p.s.p.s are mainly mediated by the dendrodendritic reciprocal synapses between mitral cell dendrites and peripheral processes of granule cells. 5. The results are discussed in relation to the inhibitory mechanisms controlling mitral cell activity in the olfactory bulb.