Identification of a long-lasting form of odor adaptation that depends on the carbon Monoxide/cGMP second-messenger system.

The diffusible messenger carbon monoxide (CO) has been proposed to mediate endogenous cyclic guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cGMP) formation and sensory adaptation in vertebrate olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs). We have identified and characterized a long-lasting form of odor response adaptation (LLA) that operates at the level of isolated salamander ORNs and does not require any interactions from other cells. Manifestations of LLA are seen in reduced amplitude and prolonged kinetics of the cAMP-mediated excitatory odor response and the generation of a persistent current component that lasts for several minutes and is attributable to cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channel activation by cGMP. Because these effects can be mimicked by micromolar amounts of exogenous cGMP or CO, we applied various inhibitors of cGMP formation. LLA is abolished selectively by heme oxygenase inhibitors known to prevent CO release and cGMP formation in ORNs, whereas odor excitation remains unaffected. In contrast, blockers of nitric oxide synthase are unable to eliminate LLA. Several controls rule out a contribution of nonspecific actions to the effects of CO inhibitors. The results indicate that endogenous CO/cGMP signals contribute to olfactory adaptation and underlie the control of gain and sensitivity of odor transduction. The findings offer a mechanism by which a single, brief odor stimulus can be translated into long-lasting intracellular changes that could play an important role in the perceptual adaptation to odors, and explain the longstanding puzzle that the olfactory CNG channels can be gated by both cAMP and cGMP.