Transient voltage-activated K+ currents in central antennal lobe neurons: cell type-specific functional properties

In this study we analyzed transient voltage-activated K⁺ currents (I_A) of projection neurons and local interneurons in the antennal lobe of the cockroach Periplaneta americana. The antennal lobe is the first synaptic processing station for olfactory information in insects. Local interneurons are crucial for computing olfactory information and form local synaptic connections exclusively in the antennal lobe, whereas a primary task of the projection neurons is the transfer of preprocessed olfactory information from the antennal lobe to higher order centers in the protocerebrum. The different physiological tasks of these neurons require specialized physiological and morphological neuronal phenotypes. We asked if and how the different physiological phenotypes are reflected in the functional properties of I_A, which is crucial for shaping intrinsic electrophysiological properties of neurons. Whole cell patch-clamp recordings from adult male P. americana showed that all their central antennal lobe neurons can generate I_A. The current exhibited marked cell type-specific differences in voltage dependence of steady-state activation and inactivation, and differences in inactivation kinetics during sustained depolarization. Pharmacological experiments revealed that I_A in all neuron types was partially blocked by α-dendrotoxin and phrixotoxin-2, which are considered blockers with specificity for Shaker- and Shal-type channels, respectively. These findings suggest that I_A in each cell type is a mixed current generated by channels of both families. The functional role of I_A was analyzed in experiments under current clamp, in which portions of I_A were blocked by α-dendrotoxin or phrixotoxin-2. These experiments showed that I_A contributes significantly to the intrinsic electrophysiological properties, such as the action potential waveform and membrane excitability.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY In the insect olfactory system, projection neurons and local interneurons have task-specific electrophysiological and morphological phenotypes. Voltage-activated potassium channels play a crucial role in shaping functional properties of these neurons. This study revealed marked cell type-specific differences in the biophysical properties of transient voltage-activated potassium currents in central antennal lobe neurons.

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