Homeostatic control of sensory output in basal vomeronasal neurons: activity-dependent expression of ether-à-go-go-related gene potassium channels.
Conspecific chemosensory communication controls a broad range of social and sexual behaviors. In most mammals, social chemosignals are predominantly detected by sensory neurons of a specialized olfactory subsystem, the vomeronasal organ (VNO). The behavioral relevance of social chemosignaling puts high demands on the accuracy and dynamic range of the underlying transduction mechanisms. However, the physiological concepts implemented to ensure faithful transmission of social information remain widely unknown. Here, we show that sensory neurons in the basal layer of the mouse VNO dynamically control their input-output relationship by activity-dependent regulation of K(+) channel gene expression. Using large-scale expression profiling, immunochemistry, and electrophysiology, we provide molecular and functional evidence for a role of ether-à-go-go-related gene (ERG) K(+) channels as key determinants of cellular excitability. Our findings indicate that an increase in ERG channel expression extends the dynamic range of the stimulus-response function in basal vomeronasal sensory neurons. This novel mechanism of homeostatic plasticity in the periphery of the accessory olfactory system is ideally suited to adjust VNO neurons to a target output range in a layer-specific and use-dependent manner.
Hagendorf
Silke
S
Department of Cellular Physiology, Ruhr University, D-44780 Bochum, Germany.
Fluegge
Daniela
D
Engelhardt
Corinna
C
Spehr
Marc
M
D000818:Animals; D001703:Biophysics; D054703:Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases, Type 4 / Q000378:metabolism; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D051638:Ether-A-Go-Go Potassium Channels / Q000378:metabolism*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000502:physiology*; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D051842:Olfactory Marker Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis / Q000379:methods; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques / Q000379:methods; D051789:Proto-Oncogene Protein c-fli-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012683:Sensory Deprivation / Q000502:physiology; D011984:Sensory Receptor Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D019147:Vomeronasal Organ / Q000166:cytology*
D051638:Ether-A-Go-Go Potassium Channels; C497426:Fli1 protein, mouse; D051842:Olfactory Marker Protein; C497598:Omp protein, mouse; D051789:Proto-Oncogene Protein c-fli-1; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D054703:Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases, Type 4; C095813:Pde4a protein, mouse