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Related Concept Videos

Gap Junctions01:27

Gap Junctions

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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...
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Gap Junctions01:37

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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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Olfaction01:25

Olfaction

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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.
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Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway01:20

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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...
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Tight Junctions01:29

Tight Junctions

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Tight junctions are molecular seals between cells that prevent the leaking of fluids, ions, and other small solutes across cavities and compartments in multicellular organisms. They are mainly composed of claudin and occludin transmembrane proteins, and other proteins such as tricellulin and JAM (junctional adhesion molecule). All these proteins are 4-pass transmembrane proteins, except JAM, which is a single-pass transmembrane protein belonging to the immunoglobulin superfamily. The...
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Contact-dependent Signaling01:19

Contact-dependent Signaling

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Contact-dependent signaling, as the name suggests, requires that communicating cells be in direct contact with each other. This is achieved either through receptor-ligand interactions or by specialized cytoplasmic channels that allow the flow of small molecules between cells. In animal cells, channels called gap junctions facilitate contact-dependent signaling in certain tissues, whereas, plasmodesmata perform a similar function in plants.
Gap Junctions
In animal cells, gap junctions are formed...
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Intraglomerular gap junctions enhance interglomerular synchrony in a sparsely connected olfactory bulb network.

Frederic Pouille1, Thomas S McTavish2, Lawrence E Hunter2,3

  • 1Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.

The Journal of Physiology
|June 23, 2017
PubMed
Summary

Synchronized brain oscillations in the olfactory bulb, crucial for processing smells, are amplified by gap junctions between mitral cells (MCs). These junctions enhance interactions with granule cells (GCs), boosting synchrony even in sparsely connected networks.

Keywords:
gap junctionolfactory bulbsynchronization

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Computational Neuroscience
  • Olfactory System Research

Background:

  • Fast synchronized oscillations (beta/gamma frequencies) in the olfactory bulb integrate olfactory signals.
  • Mitral cell (MC)-granule cell (GC) interactions are key to these oscillations, despite sparse connectivity (approx. 4%).

Purpose of the Study:

  • Investigate mechanisms generating oscillatory synchrony in the olfactory bulb.
  • Determine the role of intraglomerular gap junctions between MCs in interglomerular synchrony.

Main Methods:

  • Developed a sparsely connected computational model of MCs and GCs.
  • Utilized patch-clamp recordings in wild-type and connexin 36-knockout mice.
  • Analyzed local field potential oscillations and MC inhibitory synchrony.

Main Results:

  • Gap junctional coupling between MCs significantly increased interglomerular synchrony (up to 4-fold).
  • This enhancement resulted from amplified mutually synchronizing MC-GC interactions.
  • Connexin 36 knockout reduced beta and gamma oscillations and MC synchrony.

Conclusions:

  • Intraglomerular gap junctions between MCs are critical for amplifying population-level oscillatory synchrony in the olfactory bulb.
  • Gap junctions facilitate synchrony through population effects, overcoming sparse direct synaptic connections.
  • These findings highlight the importance of electrical coupling in network dynamics of the olfactory system.