Molecular determinants of olfactory habituation

Abstract

Sustained odor input can lead to reversible decreases in sensitivity to odor. Understanding the molecules that integrate sustained odor input are important for decoding the neuronal properties that tune odor sensitivity and prevent over stimulation. Here we will describe our data using Caenorhabditis elegans to understand how sustained odor input is encoded within olfactory neurons. Previous research has identified a protein kinase G (PKG) that is necessary to invoke olfactory habituation in C. elegans1, and we have found that during acute presentation of odor, this PKG is localized to the cytosol and after sustained odor input, moves into the nucleus of the olfactory neurons2,3. We also uncover a cGMP mediated signaling pathway within the cilia of the olfactory sensory neurons that is necessary to trigger the nuclear entry of PKG4. Our work provides insight into how the molecular landscape within olfactory neurons change during sustained odor input.