title: A cGMP-signaling pathway in a subset of olfactory sensory neurons.
abstract: It is well established that signal transduction in sensory neurons of the rat olfactory epithelium involves a cAMP-signaling pathway. However, a small number of olfactory neurons specifically express cGMP-signaling components, namely a guanylyl cyclase (GC-D) and a cGMP-stimulated phosphodiesterase (PDE2). Here, we show that this subset of olfactory neurons expressing GC-D and PDE2 does also express the subunit of a cGMP-selective cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channel that has been previously identified in cone photoreceptors. Further, components of the prototypical cAMP-signaling pathway could not be detected in this subpopulation of cells. These results imply that these neurons use an alternative signaling pathway, with cGMP as the intracellular messenger, and that, in these cells, the receptor current is initiated by the opening of cGMP-gated channels.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Biologische Informationsverarbeitung, Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany.
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Angele
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kremmer
authors.forename: U B
authors.initials: UB
authors.lastname: Kaupp
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Muller
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000378:metabolism*; D054815:Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Cation Channels; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018034:Olfactory Receptor Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D010727:Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D054815:Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Cation Channels; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D007473:Ion Channels; D010727:Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases; D006152:Cyclic GMP