The Grueneberg ganglion controls odor-driven food choices in mice under threat

Abstract

The ability to efficiently search for food is fundamental for animal survival. Olfactory messages are used to find food while being aware of the impending risk of predation. How these different olfactory clues are combined to optimize decision-making concerning food selection remains elusive. Here, we find that chemical danger cues drive the food selection in mice via the activation of a specific olfactory subsystem, the Grueneberg ganglion (GG). We show that a functional GG is required to decipher the threatening quality of an unfamiliar food. We also find that the increase in corticosterone, which is GG-dependent, enhances safe food preference acquired during social transmission. Moreover, we demonstrate that memory retrieval for food preference can be extinguished by activation of the GG circuitry. Our findings reveal a key function played by the GG in controlling contextual food responses and illustrate how mammalian organisms integrate environmental chemical stress to optimize decision-making.

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“…5). Interestingly, and as previously shown, no regeneration happened throughout the lifespan in the GG subsystem 31,46 as basal cells are absent which was further confirmed here by a lack of SOX2 staining (Supplementary Fig. 2c).…”

“…The circumvallate papilla (CV) was extracted from the surface of the tongue. Floating immunohistochemistry procedures were performed to precisely localize protein expression in the different chemosensory epithelia 31,32 . Accordingly, and prior to tissue isolation, mouse heads were chemically fixated in 4% paraformaldehyde (PAF 4%, pH 7.4).…”

From In Vitro Data to In Vivo Interspecies Danger Communication: A Study of Chemosensing via the Mouse Grueneberg Ganglion

“…Indeed, the bitter taste signalling cascade is not the only pathway present in GG neurons. Transmembrane guanylyl cyclase (GC) subtype GC-G pathway could also play a role in the detection of chemical danger cues since it is already known that it can play a role as an alarm pheromone receptor [33,34]. We can assume that, while the molecules present in the raccoon's urine are mostly recognized by TAS2Rs, some molecules present in the secretions from the skunk can have a similar structure with alarm pheromones and also be recognized by the GC-G pathway.…”

“…It would be interesting to perform a complete chromatography analysis to determine their chemical composition. Once the precise chemicals are identified, it will be possible to repeat the different experiments performed in our study with a special focus on the selectivity of the olfactory system involved using axotomized mice, for example [32,34].…”

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“…Together with the responses to cold temperatures, these findings suggest that the GG is important for avoiding potential dangers. Intriguingly, a recent study indicates that activation of the GG by predator odors in the context of food choices can impact those choices and even modify GC-D-dependent preferences (Brechbuhl et al 2020).…”