Neural activity influences every aspect of nervous system development. In olfactory systems, sensory neurons expressing the same odorant receptor project their axons to stereotypically positioned glomeruli, forming a spatial map of odorant receptors in the olfactory bulb. As individual odors activate unique combinations of glomeruli, this map forms the basis for encoding olfactory information. The establishment of this stereotypical olfactory map requires coordinated regulation of axon guidance molecules instructed by spontaneous activity. Recent studies show that sensory experiences also modify innervation patterns in the olfactory bulb, especially during a critical period of the olfactory system development. This review examines evidence in the field to suggest potential mechanisms by which various aspects of neural activity regulate axon targeting. We also discuss the precise functions served by neural plasticity during the critical period.

中文翻译：

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活动依赖性地形图的形成和哺乳动物嗅觉系统发育的关键时期

神经活动影响神经系统发育的各个方面。在嗅觉系统中，表达相同气味受体的感觉神经元将其轴突投射到固定位置的肾小球，形成嗅球中气味受体的空间图。由于个体气味会激活肾小球的独特组合，因此该图构成了编码嗅觉信息的基础。这种刻板嗅觉图的建立需要由自发活动指导的轴突引导分子的协调调节。最近的研究表明，感官体验也会改变嗅球的神经支配模式，特别是在嗅觉系统发育的关键时期。这篇综述检查了该领域的证据，以提出神经活动各个方面调节轴突靶向的潜在机制。我们还讨论了神经可塑性在关键时期所发挥的精确功能。