Facial Taste Responses of the Channel Catfish to Binary Mixtures of Amino Acids

1999 ◽  
Vol 82 (2) ◽  
pp. 564-569 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Ogawa ◽  
J. Caprio

We investigated the neural processing of binary gustatory mixtures of amino acids by the facial taste system of the channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus. In vivo electrophysiological recordings indicated that the magnitude of both integrated and single-unit facial taste responses to binary mixtures of amino acids was greatest if the components bound to independent receptor sites. Facial taste responses were obtained from 32 multiunit and 55 single taste fiber preparations to binary mixtures of amino acids whose components bind to independent taste receptor sites (group I) or to the same or highly cross-reactive taste receptor sites (group II). All component stimuli were adjusted in concentration to provide approximately equal response magnitude as determined by either the height of the integrated multiunit taste response or by the number of action potentials generated/3 s of response time/single taste fiber. The mixture discrimination index (MDI), defined as the response to the mixture divided by the average of the responses to the component stimuli, was calculated for each test of a binary mixture. MDIs of group I binary mixtures for both the integrated multiunit and single fiber data were significantly greater than those for either the control or group II binary mixtures. In a subset of multiunit recordings, the MDIs of a group I binary mixture across three log units of stimulus concentration were similar and significantly greater than those of a group II binary mixture. Analysis of the single fiber data also indicated that the MDIs of group I binary mixtures were significantly larger than those of group II binary mixtures for both alanine-best and arginine-best taste fibers; however, the MDIs of group I binary mixtures calculated from recordings from arginine-best taste fibers were significantly greater than those recorded from alanine-best taste fibers.

1991 ◽  
Vol 98 (4) ◽  
pp. 699-721 ◽  
Author(s):  
J S Kang ◽  
J Caprio

In vivo electrophysiological recordings from populations of olfactory receptor neurons in the channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, clearly showed that both electro-olfactogram and integrated neural responses of olfactory receptor cells to complex mixtures consisting of up to 10 different amino acids were predictable with knowledge of (a) the responses to the individual components in the mixture and (b) the relative independence of the respective receptor sites for the component stimuli. All amino acid stimuli used to form the various mixtures were initially adjusted in concentration to provide approximately equal response magnitudes. Olfactory receptor responses to both multimixtures and binary mixtures were recorded. Multimixtures were formed by mixing equal aliquots of 3-10 different amino acids. Binary mixtures were formed by mixing equal aliquots of two equally stimulatory solutions. Solution 1 contained either one to nine different neutral amino acids with long side-chains (LCNs) or one to five different neutral amino acids with short side-chains (SCNs). Solution 2, comprising the binary mixture, consisted of only a single stimulus, either a LCN, SCN, basic, or acidic amino acid. The increasing magnitude of the olfactory receptor responses to mixtures consisting of an increasing number of neutral amino acids indicated that multiple receptor site types with highly overlapping specificities exist to these compounds. For both binary mixtures and multimixtures composed of neutral and basic or neutral and acidic amino acids, the receptor responses were significantly enhanced compared with those mixtures consisting of an equal number of only neutral amino acids. These results demonstrate that receptor sites for the basic and acidic amino acids, respectively, are highly independent of those for the neutral amino acids, and suggest that a mechanism for synergism is the simultaneous activation of relatively independent receptor sites by the components in the mixture. In contrast, there was no evidence for the occurrence of mixture suppression.


1997 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiesheng Kang ◽  
John Caprio

Kang, Jiesheng and John Caprio. In vivo response of single olfactory receptor neurons of channel catfish to binary mixtures of amino acids. J. Neurophysiol. 77: 1–8, 1997. For the first time in any vertebrate, in vivo responses of single olfactory receptor neurons to odorant mixtures were studied quantitatively. Extracellular electrophysiological response of 54 single olfactory receptor neurons from 23 channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, to binary mixtures of amino acids and to their components were recorded simultaneously with the electroolfactogram (EOG). For 57% (73 of 128) of the tests, no significant change (N) from spontaneous activity occurred. Responses to the remaining 55 tests of binary mixtures were excitatory (E; 13%) or suppressive (S; 30%). No response type was associated with any specific mixture across the neurons sampled. Eighty-six percent of the responses of catfish olfactory receptor neurons to binary mixtures were classifed similar to at least one of the component responses, a percentage comparable (i.e., 89%) with that observed for single olfactory bulb neurons in the same species to equivalent binary mixtures. The responses of single olfactory receptor neurons to component-similar binary mixtures (i.e., component responses were both E, both S, and both N, respectively) were generally (80% of 59 tests) classified similar to the responses to the components. For E+N and S+N binary mixtures, the N component often (66% of 58 tests) reduced or concealed (i.e., “masked”) the excitatory and suppressive responses, respectively. For the majority (6 of 11 tests) of E+S binary mixtures, null activity resulted. Responses to the remaining five tests were either excitatory ( n = 3) or suppressive ( n = 2).


2004 ◽  
Vol 92 (1) ◽  
pp. 123-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander A. Nikonov ◽  
John Caprio

Odorant specificity to l-α-amino acids was determined for 245 olfactory bulb (OB) neurons recorded from 121 channel catfish. The initial tests included 4 amino acids representing acidic [monosodium glutamate (Glu)], basic [arginine (Arg)], and neutral [possessing short: alanine (Ala) and long: methionine (Met) side chains] amino acids that were previously indicated to bind to independent olfactory receptor sites. Ninety-one (37%) units (Group I) tested at 1, 10, and 100 μM showed high selectivity and were excited by only one of the 4 amino acids. Odorant specificity for the vast majority of Group I units did not change over the 3 s of response time analyzed. A total of 154 OB units (63%) (Group II) were excited by a second amino acid, but only at ≥10× odorant concentration. An additional 69 Group I units were tested with related amino acids and derivatives from 10−9 to 10−5 M to determine their excitatory odorant thresholds and selectivities. Two groups of units originally selective for Met were evident: those most sensitive to neutral amino acids having branched and linear side chains, respectively. OB units originally selective for Ala responded at low concentration to other similar amino acids. Units originally selective for Arg were excited at low concentration by amino acids possessing in their side chains at least 3 methylene groups and a terminal amide or guanidinium group. The specificities of the OB units determined electrophysiologically are sufficient to account for many of the previous results of behavioral discrimination of amino acids in this and related species.


1995 ◽  
Vol 74 (4) ◽  
pp. 1435-1443 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Kang ◽  
J. Caprio

1. For the first time in any vertebrate, responses of single olfactory bulb neurons to odorant mixtures were studied quantitatively in the channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus. 2. Extracellular electrophysiological responses of 61 single olfactory bulb neurons from 36 channel catfish to binary mixtures of amino acids and to their components were recorded simultaneously with the electro-olfactogram (EOG). Tested were a total of 297 mixture trials consisting of 18 different stimulus pairs formed from 8 amino acids. 3. For 42% (126 of the 297) of the tests, no significant change (N) from spontaneous activity occurred. Responses to the remaining 171 tests of binary mixtures were excitatory (E; 29%) or suppressive (S; 29%). No response type was associated with any specific mixture across the neurons sampled. 4. Mixture interactions that changed response types (E or S) from those observed to the individual components were rare, because 89% of the responses of single olfactory bulb neurons to the tested binary mixtures were classified similarly as the responses to at least one of the components. 5. Responses of single olfactory bulb neurons were generally predictable for binary mixtures whose component responses were classified as both E, both S, and both N. For binary mixtures whose component responses were classified differently (e.g., one component evoked excitatory responses and the other evoked suppressive responses), the predictability of the response was dependent on the specific mixture type.


2007 ◽  
Vol 97 (3) ◽  
pp. 2490-2498 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander A. Nikonov ◽  
John Caprio

A paucity of information exists concerning the processing of odorant information by single neurons in any vertebrate above the level of the olfactory bulb (OB). In this report, odorant specificity to four types of L-α-amino acids (neutral with long side-chains, neutral with short side-chains, basic and acidic), known biologically relevant odorants for teleosts, was determined for 217 spontaneously active forebrain (FB) neurons in the channel catfish. Group I FB units were identified that were excited by only one of four types of amino acids; no Group I unit was encountered that was excited by an acidic amino acid. The Group I FB units exhibited similar preferences as described previously for OB neurons, suggesting that no major modifications of olfactory information for at least some of these units occurred between the OB and FB. Evidence, however, for the convergence of odor information between the OB and FB was suggested by Group II FB units that exhibited a broader excitatory molecular receptive range (EMRR) than those of previously recorded types of OB units or the Group I FB units. Group II FB units were excited by both neutral and basic amino acids and a few also by acidic amino acids, EMRRs not observed previously in OB units. Stimulus-induced inhibition, likely for contrast enhancement, was also often observed for the many of the FB units encountered. The observed EMRRs of the FB units presently identified and those of the OB units previously studied are consistent with the ability of catfish to behaviorally discriminate these compounds.


1985 ◽  
Vol 248 (4) ◽  
pp. E482-E487 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. F. Schwenk ◽  
E. Tsalikian ◽  
B. Beaufrere ◽  
M. W. Haymond

To investigate whether recycling of a labeled amino acid would occur after 24 h of infusion, two groups of normal volunteers were infused with [3H]leucine and alpha-[14C]-ketoisocaproate for 4 h and [2H3]leucine for either 4 or 24 h (groups I and II, respectively). Entry of [2H3 )leucine at steady state into the plasma space was indistinguishable from its infusion rate for group I but 30% higher (P less than 0.001) than this rate for group II, demonstrating significant recycling of label. After discontinuation of the infusions, isotope disappearance from the plasma space was followed for 2 h. The 3H and 14C decay data for both groups suggest that plasma leucine and alpha-ketoisocaproate are derived from a single intracellular pool in the postabsorptive state. In group I, the 3H and 2H labels decayed identically; whereas, in group II, the decay of [2H3]-leucine and alpha-[2H3]ketoisocaproate was slower (P less than 0.01) than the decay of [3H]leucine and alpha-[3H]ketoisocaproate, confirming re-entry of label after a 24-h infusion. Therefore kinetic values calculated from models assuming no recycling of labeled amino acids are most likely not quantitative and must be interpreted with care when flux does not change or decreases.


2000 ◽  
Vol 83 (5) ◽  
pp. 2676-2681 ◽  
Author(s):  
James M. Parker ◽  
Qinhui Chang ◽  
John Caprio

Citrate, a normal constituent of cellular metabolism, in a binary mixture with an amino acid enhanced asynchronous olfactory receptor responses in the channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus. In addition, high concentrations of either citrate (≥3 mM) alone or an amino acid (≥0.1 mM) in a binary mixture with citrate (≥1 mM) triggered synchronized voltage oscillations of olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) known as “peripheral waves” (PWs). Binary mixtures containing lower concentrations of an amino acid also triggered PW activity if the concentration of citrate in the mixture was increased. Both the enhancement of asynchronous activity and the generation of PW activity were the result of citrate chelating calcium, which lowers the surface potential of ORNs making them hyperexcitable. These effects of citrate are replicated by EGTA. Inactivation of the chelating ability of citrate and EGTA with 1 mM calcium chloride, barium chloride, or strontium chloride abolished both the enhancement of asynchronous olfactory responses and PW activity, while not affecting olfactory receptor responses to the amino acids alone.


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