Connexin36 mediates spike synchrony in olfactory bulb glomeruli

Jason M. Christie, Christine Bark, Sheriar G. Hormuzdi, Ingo Helbig, Hannah Monyer, Gary L. Westbrook

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    136 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Neuronal synchrony is important to network behavior in many brain regions. In the olfactory bulb, principal neurons (mitral cells) project apical dendrites to a common glomerulus where they receive a common input. Synchronized activity within a glomerulus depends on chemical transmission but mitral cells are also electrically coupled. We examined the role of connexin-mediated gap junctions in mitral cell coordinated activity. Electrical coupling as well as correlated spiking between mitral cells projecting to the same glomerulus was entirely absent in connexin36 (Cx36) knockout mice. Ultrastructural analysis of glomeruli confirmed that mitral-mitral cell gap junctions on distal apical dendrites contain Cx36. Coupled AMPA responses between mitral cell pairs were absent in the knockout, demonstrating that electrical coupling, not transmitter spillover, is responsible for synchronization. Our results indicate that Cx36-mediated gap junctions between mitral cells orchestrate rapid coordinated signaling via a novel form of electrochemical transmission.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)761-772
    Number of pages12
    JournalNeuron
    Volume46
    Issue number5
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Jun 2005

    Keywords

    • Action potentials physiology
    • Connexins physiology
    • Olfactory bulb physiology

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