Expression of cyclic nucleotide-gated channels in the rat medial vestibular nucleus

The role of cyclic nucleoticle-gated (CNG) channels in sensory signal transduction in retinal and olfactory cells is widely recognized, but there is increasing evidence that they also play more general functions in the central nervous system as downstream effectors of cyclic nucleotides. Here, we demonstrate the expression of the a-subunit of rod- and olfactory-type CNG channels (CNGI and CNG2, respectively) in the rat medial vestibular nucleus (MVN). Nested polymerase chain reaction revealed CNG channel mRNA in the MVN, and CNGI and CNG2 proteins were also detected by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Finally, electrophysiological evidence is provided suggesting that CNG channels play a functional role in the MVN.