GAP JUNCTIONS IN OLFACTION

这项研究旨在识别和表征 嗅觉上皮缝隙连接的生理作用。新的 数据显示，嗅觉感受器神经元与一个 另一种可能是嗅觉上皮中的非神经细胞。 斑点夜蛾的病原。偶联是通过染料转移，通过 电学测量和抗体标记。因为缝隙连接 可以由第二信使依赖的机制调节，而且因为 在气味过程中升高的相同的细胞内信使 转导可以激活这些机制，嗅觉神经元之间的耦合 嗅觉上皮中的其他细胞被认为是被调节的 在气味转导过程中。联结的变化可能会影响气味 敏感度。建议进行以下研究：(1)考察 用染料转移法研究上皮细胞间偶联 神经生物素(TM)和荧光黄，(2)鉴定GAP亚型 嗅上皮中的连接蛋白及其分布 克隆和分子技术的应用，以及(3)评估 利用染料示踪剂调节嗅觉缝隙连接的途径 电生理学方法。现在已知缝隙连接是很常见的 在整个神经系统中具有重要的功能 结果，但我们对它们的生理作用了解很少。 这些研究应该会提供更多关于嗅觉的知识 系统和缝隙连接，这是一种基本的神经元间特征 贯穿整个中枢神经系统。

This study is directed at identifying and characterizing the physiological roles of gap junctions in the olfactory epithelium. New data have shown that olfactory receptor neurons are coupled to one another and possibly to non-neuronal cells in the olfactory epithelium of Necturus maculosus. Coupling was revealed by dye-transfer, by electrical measurements and by antibody labeling. Because gap junctions can be regulated by second messenger-dependent mechanisms, and because the same intracellular messengers that are elevated during odor transduction can activate these mechanisms, coupling of olfactory neurons to other cells in the olfactory epithelium is expected to be modulated during odor transduction. Changes in coupling could affect odor sensitivity. Studies are proposed (1) to examine the extent of intercellular coupling in the epithelium using dye-transfer with Neurobiotin(TM) and Lucifer yellow, (2) to identify the subtypes of gap junction proteins in the olfactory epithelium and their distributions by cloning and the use of molecular techniques, and (3) to evaluate the pathways that regulate olfactory gap junctions using dye-tracer and electrophysiological methods. Gap junctions are now known to be common throughout the nervous system and to have important functional consequences, but our understanding of their physiological roles is poor. These studies should provide greater knowledge of both the olfactory system and of gap junctions, a basic interneuronal feature that occurs throughout the central nervous system.