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J Neurophysiol (August 22, 2007). doi:10.1152/jn.00642.2007
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00642.2007v1
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Submitted on June 11, 2007
Accepted on August 22, 2007

Patch Clamp Analysis of Gene-Targeted Vomeronasal Neurons Expressing a Defined V1r or V2r Receptor: Ionic Mechanisms Underlying Persistent Firing

Kirill Ukhanov1*, Trese Leinders-Zufall2, and Frank Zufall2

1 Whitney Laboratory, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States
2 Institute of Physiology, University of Saarland, Homburg, Germany

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: ukhanov{at}mbi.ufl.edu.

Sensory neurons in the mouse vomeronasal organ are comprised of two major groups, apical and basal, which project to different brain regions, express unique sets of receptors, and serve distinct functions. Electrical properties of these two subpopulations, however, have not been systematically characterized. V1rb2-tau-GFP and V2r1b-tau-GFP tagged vomeronasal sensory neurons (VSNs) were selected as prototypical apical or basal VSNs, respectively and their biophysical properties were analyzed in acute slices that minimized cell damage. Basal V2r1b-expressing VSNs had voltage-gated conductances, and especially Na+ (Nav) and Ca2+ (Cav) currents, that were substantially larger than those observed in apical V1rb2 VSNs, although the resting membrane potential, input resistance and membrane capacitance were similar in both cell types.Of several types of Cav currents, T-type and L-type Cav currents contributed to action potential firing, and both currents alone were capable of generating oscillatory Ca2+ spikes. The L-type Cav current was uniquely coupled to a BK large-conductance K+ current, and interplay between these channels played a critical role in repolarizing spikes and maintaining persistent firing in VSNs. Larger Nav and Cav conductances, along with a more positive inactivation voltage of the Nav current in the V2r1b VSNs contributed to the larger spike amplitude and higher spike-frequency induced by depolarizing current in these cells compared to V1rb2 VSNs. Basal GFP-negative VSNs and V2r1b VSNs responded to prolonged depolarization with persistent, but adapting discharge that could be relevant in sensory adaptation.Collectively, these results suggest a novel mechanism for regulating and encoding neuronal activity in the accessory olfactory system.







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Copyright © 2007 by the The American Physiological Society.