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Journal of Experimental Biology, Vol 202, Issue 8 997-1003, Copyright © 1999 by Company of Biologists

JOURNAL ARTICLES

Inhibitory and excitatory responses of olfactory receptor neurons of xenopus laevis tadpoles to stimulation with amino acids

C Vogler and D Schild
Physiologisches Institut, Universitat Gottingen, Humboldtallee 23, D-37073 Gottingen, Germany.

Recordings were made from olfactory receptor neurons of Xenopus laevis tadpoles using the patch-clamp technique to investigate the responses of these cells to odorants. Four amino acids (glutamate, methionine, arginine and alanine) both individually and as a mixture were used as stimuli. Of the 156 olfactory neurons tested, 43 showed a response to at least one of the stimuli. Of the cells tested, 19 % responded to glutamate, 16 % to methionine, 12 % to arginine and 10 % to alanine. Each amino acid was able to induce both excitatory and inhibitory responses, although these occurred in different cells. Each amino acid produced approximately equal numbers of inhibitory and excitatory responses. Inhibitory responses could best be observed in the perforated-patch configuration using gramicidin as an ionophore and a recording configuration that is a current-clamp for fast signals and a voltage-clamp for slow signals. The diversity of the odorant responses, in particular the existence of excitatory and inhibitory responses, is not consistent with a single transduction pathway in olfactory neurons of Xenopus laevis tadpoles.




© The Company of Biologists Ltd 1999