Stimulus dynamics-dependent information transfer of olfactory and vomeronasal sensory neurons in mice. (21st February 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Noguchi, Tomohiro; Miyazono, Sadaharu; Kashiwayanagi, Makoto
• Is Part Of: Neuroscience. Volume 400(2019)
• Page Start: 48
• Page End: 61
• Publication Date: 2019-02-21
• Subjects: olfactory sensory neuron -- vomeronasal sensory neuron -- patch clamp -- action potential -- voltage-gated channel -- mutual information; Neurochemistry -- Periodicals; Neurophysiology -- Periodicals; Neurology -- Periodicals; Neurochimie -- Périodiques; Neurophysiologie -- Périodiques; Neurochemistry; Neurophysiology; Electronic journals; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 612.8
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2018.12.043
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0306-4522

Abstract

Graphical abstract: Highlights: The olfactory and vomeronasal sensory neurons showed phasic and tonic firing under the patch-clamp condition. The phasic firing of olfactory sensory neurons accurately encoded a stimulus changing within 200 ms. The tonic firing of vomeronasal sensory neurons encoded smaller stimuli changing slowly with longer cycles of >500 ms. Intrinsic channel kinetics determining firing patterns was demonstrated by a Hodgkin–Huxley style computation. Abstract: The parallel processing of chemical signals by the main olfactory system and the vomeronasal system has been known to control animal behavior. The physiological significance of peripheral parallel pathways consisting of olfactory sensory neurons and vomeronasal sensory neurons is not well understood. Here, we show complementary characteristics of the information transfer of the olfactory sensory neurons and vomeronasal sensory neurons. A difference in excitability between the sensory neurons was revealed by patch-clamp experiments. The olfactory and vomeronasal sensory neurons showed phasic and tonic firing, respectively. Intrinsic channel kinetics determining firing patterns was demonstrated by a Hodgkin-Huxley-style computation. Our estimation of the information carried by action potentials during one cycle of sinusoidal stimulation with variable durations revealed distinct characteristics of information transfer between the sensory neurons. Phasic firing of the olfactory sensory neurons was suitable to carry information about rapid changes in a shorter cycle (<200 ms). In contrast, tonic firing of the vomeronasal sensory neurons was able to convey information about smaller stimuli changing slowly with longer cycles (>500 ms). Thus, the parallel pathways of the two types of sensory neurons can convey information about a wide range of dynamic stimuli. A combination of complementary characteristics of olfactory information transfer may enhance the synergy of the interaction between the main olfactory system and the vomeronasal system.