Cyclic AMP-gated cation channels of olfactory receptor neurons

Odor-induced electrical activity in vertebrate olfactory receptor neurons is, at least in part, the result of the direct cyclic AMP-dependent activation of a nonselective cation channel. Single-channel recordings from extraciliary regions of isolated salamander olfactory receptor neurons have greatly improved our knowledge about distinctive properties of the cAMP-gated channel such as channel kinetics, modulation through divalent cations, and pharmacology. Because of the central role of these channels in the transduction cascade, these efforts have led to a better understanding of the physiology of olfactory transduction.