title: Nitric oxide activates a potassium current in olfactory receptor neurons from Caudiverbera caudiverbera and Xenopus laevis.
abstract: The putative role of nitric oxide (NO) in the physiology of olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) is controversial. Here we report that pulses of NO caused an outward current in voltage-clamped isolated olfactory neurons. The I-V relation of this effect, its sensitivity to charybdotoxin and its dependence on external potassium suggest that NO activates a K(+)-conductance. As blockers of soluble guanylyl cyclases failed to affect the current, we conclude that NO opens K(+)-channels in a cGMP-independent manner.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 653, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Schmachtenberg
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bacigalupo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001001:Anura; D002772:Cholera Toxin / Q000494:pharmacology; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000494:pharmacology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology*; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009599:Nitroprusside / Q000494:pharmacology; D009603:Nitroso Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D018034:Olfactory Receptor Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D014982:Xenopus laevis
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; C118603:NOC 12; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors; D009603:Nitroso Compounds; D015221:Potassium Channels; D009599:Nitroprusside; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D002772:Cholera Toxin