Strikingly different neurotransmitter release strategies in dopaminergic subclasses

Neuronal function is intimately tied to axodendritic polarity. Neurotransmitter release, for example, is usually the role of the axon. There are widespread exceptions to this rule, however, including many mammalian neuronal types that can release neurotransmitter from their dendrites. In the mouse olfactory bulb, closely related subclasses of dopaminergic interneuron differ markedly in their polarity, with one subtype lacking an axon entirely. These axon-bearing and anaxonic dopaminergic subclasses have distinct developmental profiles and sensory responses, but how their fundamental polarity differences translate to functional outputs remains entirely unknown. Here, we provide anatomical evidence for distinct neurotransmitter release strategies among these closely related dopaminergic subtypes: anaxonic cells release from their dendrites, while axon-bearing neurons release exclusively from their intermittently myelinated axon. These structural differences are linked to a clear functional distinction: anaxonic, but not axon-bearing dopaminergic neurons are capable of self-inhibition. Our findings suggest that variations in polarity can produce striking distinctions in neuronal outputs, and that even closely related neuronal subclasses may play entirely separate roles in sensory information processing.