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Long-range Channelrhodopsin-assisted Circuit Mapping of Inferior Colliculus Neurons with Blue and Red-shifted Channelrhodopsins
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HCN1 channels: A versatile tool for signal processing by primary sensory neurons
Ivana Barravecchia1, Gian Carlo Demontis2
1Department of Pharmacy, Università di Pisa, Italy, Via Bonanno, 6, 56126, Pisa, Italy; Istitute of Life Science, Scuola Superiore Sant' Anna, 56127, Pisa, Italy.
Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology
|July 1, 2021
Summary
Primary sensory neurons use hyperpolarization-activated (HCN) channels for signaling. This study reveals HCN1 channels play a crucial role in sensory processing beyond just cell firing control.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cell Biology
- Sensory Physiology
Background:
- Primary sensory neurons (PSNs) express hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels, including HCN1.
- While HCN channels influence neuronal excitability, their role in non-spiking sensory neurons is less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of HCN channels, particularly HCN1, in sensory processing within primary sensory neurons.
- To explore functions of HCN channels beyond regulating action potential firing.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of HCN channel expression in PSNs.
- Investigation of HCN channel blocker effects on visual processing in patients and a mouse model.
- Examination of Hcn1 genetic ablation in a mouse model of retinal degeneration.
Main Results:
- HCN channels are expressed in PSNs, including non-spiking retinal and inner ear neurons.
- Impaired visual signal processing and photopsia were observed in patients using HCN blockers.
- HCN blockers or Hcn1 ablation exacerbated photoreceptor degeneration in a mouse model.
Conclusions:
- HCN1 channels are essential for sensory processing in both spiking and non-spiking primary sensory neurons.
- HCN channels have versatile roles in sensory transduction and signal processing, extending beyond excitability control.
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