# Establishing patterns of dopamine signaling in the olfactory bulb

> **NIH NIH R21** · UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH · 2020 · $152,500

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Dopamine is known to control mechanisms of information processing throughout the brain, including gain
control, tuning, and sensitivity modulation. The role of dopamine signaling is particularly important in the
olfactory bulb since there is a dense population of dopaminergic local interneuron and dopamine receptors are
expressed on nearly all cell types. Behaviorally, pharmacological manipulations of dopamine receptor activity is
known to influence odor discrimination and detection thresholds. However, where, when, and how in vivo
dopamine release shapes neural circuit function to process odor information is not well understood. Building
upon earlier in vitro experiments, this proposed work tests predictions about patterns of dopamine release in
the olfactory bulb in vivo for the first time using cutting edge genetically encoded optical probes to monitor
dopamine release. Spatiotemporal patterns of odor-evoked dopamine transmission in awake mice will be
monitored to assess how stimulus intensity, frequency and experience-dependent plasticity shape dopamine
transmission in the olfactory bulb. Experiments will test the levels of dopaminergic interneuron activity required
to trigger dopamine release. In addition to measuring dopamine release, I will use a novel dual-color imaging
approach to capture both dopamine transmission and dopaminergic interneuron dynamics simultaneously
during awake odor processing.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10047596
- **Project number:** 1R21DC018904-01
- **Recipient organization:** UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
- **Principal Investigator:** Shaina Marie Short
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $152,500
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-06-12 → 2023-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10047596

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10047596, Establishing patterns of dopamine signaling in the olfactory bulb (1R21DC018904-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10047596. Licensed CC0.

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