Synchronized neural activity is believed to be essential for many CNS functions, including neuronal development, sensory perception, and memory formation. In several brain areas @entity1246 (A) receptor-mediated synaptic inhibition is thought to be important for the generation of synchronous network activity. We have used @entity1246 (A) receptor @entity21913 subunit deficient @entity19 ( @entity21913 -/-) to study the role of GABAergic inhibition in the generation of network oscillations in the olfactory bulb (OB) and to reveal the role of such oscillations in olfaction. The expression of functional @entity1246 (A) receptors was drastically reduced (>93%) in @entity21913 -/- granule cells, the local inhibitory interneurons of the OB. This was revealed by a large reduction of @entity6341 -evoked whole-cell current and the total current mediated by spontaneous, miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents (mIPSCs). In @entity21913 -/- mitral/tufted cells (principal cells), there was a two-fold increase in mIPSC amplitudes without any significant change in their kinetics or frequency. In parallel with the altered inhibition, there was a significant increase in the amplitude of theta (80% increase) and gamma (178% increase) frequency oscillations in @entity21913 -/- OBs recorded in vivo from freely moving @entity19 . In odor discrimination tests, we found @entity21913 -/- @entity19 to be initially the same as, but better with experience than @entity21913 +/+ @entity19 in distinguishing closely related monomolecular @entity4313 . However, @entity21913 -/- @entity19 were initially better and then worse with practice than control @entity19 in distinguishing closely related mixtures of @entity4313 . Our results indicate that the disruption of @entity1246 (A) receptor-mediated synaptic inhibition of GABAergic interneurons and the augmentation of IPSCs in principal cells result in @entity101 in the OB with complex effects on olfactory discrimination, which can be explained by an increase in the size or effective power of oscillating neural cell assemblies among the mitral cells of @entity21913 -/- @entity19 .

Disruption of XXXX (A) receptors on GABAergic interneurons leads to increased oscillatory power in the olfactory bulb network.

@entity6341 :: ('MESH:D009118', 'Chemical') :: ['muscimol'] @entity1246 :: ('MESH:D005680', 'Chemical') :: ['GABA'] @entity101 :: ('MESH:D006973', 'Disease') :: ['increased network oscillations'] @entity19 :: ('10090', 'Species') :: ['mice'] @entity4313 :: ('MESH:D000438', 'Chemical') :: ['alcohols'] @entity21913 :: ('14402(Tax:10090)', 'Gene') :: ['beta3']
@entity1246 :: (MESH:D005680,Chemical) :: ['GABA']
