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Related Concept Videos

Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway01:20

Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway

Humans detect odors with the help of specialized cells located in the upper part of the nasal cavity, called olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs). ORNs possess hair-like structures called cilia, which are receptive to sensations from the inhaled air. When an odorant molecule binds to a specific receptor on the cell of the cilia, it leads to a series of events that ultimately cause the ORN to send electrical signals to the olfactory bulb in the brain through the olfactory nerves.
The olfactory...
Olfaction01:25

Olfaction

The sense of smell is achieved through the activities of the olfactory system. It starts when an airborne odorant enters the nasal cavity and reaches olfactory epithelium (OE). The OE is protected by a thin layer of mucus, which also serves the purpose of dissolving more complex compounds into simpler chemical odorants. The size of the OE and the density of sensory neurons varies among species; in humans, the OE is only about 9-10 cm2.
The olfactory receptors are embedded in the cilia of the...
Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure01:03

Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure

The process of olfaction, also known as the sense of smell, is a sophisticated chemical response system. The specialized sensory neurons that facilitate this process, known as olfactory receptor neurons, are situated in an upper segment of the nasal cavity, known as the olfactory epithelium. Olfactory sensory neurons are bipolar, with their dendrites extending from the epithelium's apex into the mucus that lines the nasal cavity. Airborne molecules, when inhaled, traverse the olfactory...
G-Protein Gated Ion Channels01:21

G-Protein Gated Ion Channels

GPCRs are primarily responsible for our sense of smell, taste, and vision.  The binding of a sensory stimulus activates GPCR to stimulate effector proteins, many of which are ion channels in the sensory organs. GPCRs modulate the opening and closing of the target ion channels either directly by binding them, or by releasing second messengers that activate these channels. As ions move across the membrane, the membrane potential is altered, which induces an appropriate response.
Sensory organs,...
Gap Junctions01:27

Gap Junctions

The cytoplasm of adjacent animal cells can exchange small molecules, ions, and secondary messengers via the communication channels which form the gap junctions. These junctions comprise a few hundred to thousands of molecular channels, each made of two halves, called the connexon hemichannel. A connexon is a hexamer of six transmembrane connexin proteins, which assemble radially, thus forming a pore or channel in the center. One connexon hemichannel docks with a corresponding connexon on the...
Gap Junctions01:37

Gap Junctions

Multicellular organisms employ a variety of ways for cells to communicate with each other. Gap junctions are specialized proteins that form pores between neighboring cells in animals, connecting the cytoplasm between the two, and allowing for the exchange of molecules and ions. They are found in a wide range of invertebrate and vertebrate species, mediate numerous functions including cell differentiation and development, and are associated with numerous human diseases, including cardiac and...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 9, 2026

Perforated Patch-clamp Recording of Mouse Olfactory Sensory Neurons in Intact Neuroepithelium: Functional Analysis of Neurons Expressing an Identified Odorant Receptor
10:16

Perforated Patch-clamp Recording of Mouse Olfactory Sensory Neurons in Intact Neuroepithelium: Functional Analysis of Neurons Expressing an Identified Odorant Receptor

Published on: July 13, 2015

Gap junctions in olfactory neurons modulate olfactory sensitivity.

Chunbo Zhang1

  • 1Department of Biological, Chemical and Physical Sciences, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL 60616, USA. zhangc@iit.edu

BMC Neuroscience
|August 28, 2010
PubMed
Summary

Gap junction communication in olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) is crucial for smell sensitivity. Disrupting these junctions in ORNs reduces olfactory responses and alters odor perception maps in the olfactory bulb.

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Perforated Patch-clamp Recording of Mouse Olfactory Sensory Neurons in Intact Neuroepithelium: Functional Analysis of Neurons Expressing an Identified Odorant Receptor
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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Olfaction Research
  • Cellular Communication

Background:

  • Investigating the role of olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) as independent entities.
  • Postulating that gap junctional communication modulates peripheral olfactory responses.
  • Hypothesizing that disrupting gap junctions in ORNs reduces olfactory sensitivity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of connexin 43 (Cx43) in modulating olfactory responses.
  • To determine if gap junctional communication impacts olfactory sensitivity and odor perception.

Main Methods:

  • Generation of dominant-negative Cx43 transgenic mice (OlfDNCX).
  • Characterization of Cx43/β-gal expression in mature ORNs.
  • Quantitative PCR to assess cellular machinery.
  • Electroolfactogram recordings to measure olfactory responses.
  • Olfactory bulb c-fos mRNA upregulation to assess glomerular activity.
  • Calcium imaging and pharmacological gap junction uncoupling in wild-type mice.

Main Results:

  • OlfDNCX mice showed reduced olfactory responses to specific odorants compared to wild-type (WT).
  • Octaldehyde-elicited olfactory bulb activity was reduced in OlfDNCX mice.
  • Pharmacological uncoupling of gap junctions in WT mice decreased neuronal response magnitudes.

Conclusions:

  • Altered Cx43 assembly in ORNs modulates olfactory responses and olfactory bulb activation maps.
  • Gap junctional communication and hemichannel activity are critical for olfactory sensitivity.
  • Disruption of gap junctions impairs odor perception.