title: Transduction for pheromones in the main olfactory epithelium is mediated by the Ca2+ -activated channel TRPM5.
abstract: Growing evidence suggests that the main olfactory epithelium contains a subset of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) responding to pheromones. One candidate subpopulation expresses the calcium activated cation channel TRPM5 (transient receptor potential channel M5). Using GFP driven by the TRPM5 promoter in mice, we show that this subpopulation responds to putative pheromones, urine, and major histocompatibility complex peptides, but not to regular odors or a pheromone detected by other species. In addition, this subpopulation of TRPM5-GFP+ OSNs uses novel transduction. In regular OSNs, odorants elicit activation of the cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channel, leading to Ca2+ gating of Cl- channels; in TRPM5-GFP+ OSNs, the Ca2+ -activated Cl- ANO2 (anoctamin 2) channel is not expressed, and pheromones elicit activation of the CNG channel leading to Ca2+ gating of TRPM5. In conclusion, we show that OSNs expressing TRPM5 respond to pheromones, but not to regular odors through the opening of CNG channels leading to Ca2+ gating of TRPM5.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Chile, Santiago 1058, Chile, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Neuroscience Program, and Rocky Mountain Taste and Smell Center, Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado 80045.
authors.forename: Fabián
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: López
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Delgado
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: López
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bacigalupo
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Restrepo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000075368:Anoctamins; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D018118:Chloride Channels / Q000378:metabolism; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D006649:Histocompatibility Antigens / Q000737:chemistry; D015640:Ion Channel Gating / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009831:Olfactory Mucosa / Q000166:cytology*; D018034:Olfactory Receptor Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D010455:Peptides / Q000494:pharmacology; D010675:Pheromones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011166:Porphyrins / Q000494:pharmacology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D050053:TRPM Cation Channels / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C099499:2,7,12,17-tetraphenylporphycene; C532161:ANO2 protein, mouse; D000075368:Anoctamins; D018118:Chloride Channels; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D006649:Histocompatibility Antigens; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D010455:Peptides; D010675:Pheromones; D011166:Porphyrins; D050053:TRPM Cation Channels; C498617:Trpm5 protein, mouse; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D002118:Calcium
keywords: TRPM5; olfactory; pheromone; transduction