Abstract
The perception of odors begins with depolarization of the olfactory receptor cells. This transduction process is mediated by G-protein-linked activation of adenylate cyclase, which produces a membrane current by direct gating of cationic channels (cAMP-gated channels) located in ciliary plasma membrane. Opening of these cAMP-gated channels allows monovalent as well as divalent cations to enter the ciliary cytoplasm, and this Ca2+ influx serves two important functions. First, the Ca2+ influx activates a Cl- current, which stabilizes the transduction current during fluctuations in extracellular cation concentration and increases the total current activated by cAMP. Second, the Ca2+ influx mediates adaptation by providing negative feedback at several stages in the transduction mechanism.
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