Premium
Evidence for multiple signaling pathways in single squid olfactory receptor neurons
Author(s) -
Mobley Arie Sitthichai,
Mahendra Gandham,
Lucero Mary T.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of comparative neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.855
H-Index - 209
eISSN - 1096-9861
pISSN - 0021-9967
DOI - 10.1002/cne.21230
Subject(s) - biology , colocalization , olfactory receptor cell , olfactory epithelium , olfactory receptor , signal transduction , microbiology and biotechnology , cyclase , receptor , phospholipase c , cell type , g protein , transduction (biophysics) , cell , biochemistry
Abstract At least two different G‐protein‐mediated transduction cascades, the adenylate cyclase and phospholipase C (PLC) pathway, process chemosensory stimuli for various species. In squid olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs), physiological studies indicate that both pathways may be present; however, confirmation of the transduction molecules at the protein level is absent. Here we provide evidence that the G‐proteins involved in both adenylate cyclase and PLC pathways are present in squid ORNs ( Lolliguncula brevis ). We used immunoblotting to show that Gα olf , Gα q , and a downstream effector, enzyme PLC140, are present in the squid olfactory epithelium (OE). To localize these proteins to one or more of the five morphological cell types described for squid OE, paraformaldehyde‐fixed olfactory organs were cryosectioned (10 μm), double‐labeled for Gα olf , Gα q , or PLC140, and imaged. Analysis of serial sections from entire olfactory organs for epithelial area and patterns of immunofluorescence revealed a region of highest immunoreactivity at the anterior half of the organ. At the cellular level, type 1 cells could not be distinguished morphologically and were not included in the analysis. The three labeling patterns observed in type 2 cells were Gα q alone, PLC140 alone, and colocalization of Gα q and PLC140. Subsets of cell types 3, 4, and 5 showed colocalization of Gα olf with Gα q but not with PLC140. These data suggest that the PLC pathway predominates in type 2 cells; however, coexpression of Gα olf with Gα q in cell types 3, 4, and 5 suggests that both pathways may participate in olfactory transduction in non‐type 2 squid ORNs. J. Comp. Neurol. 501:231–242, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.