The amplitude of the electroolfactogram in catfish correlates with the proportion of responding ORNs

Abstract

We recorded simultaneously the electrophysiological responses of the olfactory organ [the electroolfactogram (EOG)] and action potential activity of single olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) to amino acid stimuli in the brown bullhead catfish, Ameiurus nebulosus. To determine whether the amplitude of the EOG depends upon the number of responding ORNs, we tested two highly stimulatory (based on EOG recordings) amino acids [L-norvaline (L-nVal) and L-cysteine (L-Cys)], two amino acids of intermediate potency [L-arginine (L-Arg) and L-isoleucine (L-Ile)], and a poorly stimulatory amino acid [L-proline (L-Pro)]. Forty-nine percent of the spontaneously active, single ORNs tested (n=142) were either suppressed or excited by amino acid stimuli. Of the ORNs tested with specific amino acids, 61% responded to 1 mM L-nVal (n=49), 57% responded to 1 mM L-Cys (n=30), 45% responded to L-Arg (n=31) and 36% responded to L-Ile (n=22) with either suppression or excitation. Only one ORN responded with suppression to 10(-2) M L-Pro (n=10). These data suggest that the amplitude of the EOG in the brown bullhead catfish is correlated with the number of responsive ORNs (Spearman corr. coef. = 0.9; P<0.05).