Olfactory marker protein elevates basal cAMP concentration.

ABSTRACT

Olfactory marker protein (OMP), which is expressed abundantly in mature olfactory receptor neurons, operates as a cAMP-binding protein. OMP captures phasic cAMP surges induced by sensory stimuli and punctuates the downstream signalling in the cilia. On the other hand, OMP is also abundant in the soma. At equilibrium, OMP should exhibit association/dissociation reactions with cAMP. To examine the steady-state function of OMP, we expressed OMP in an HEK293 heterologous expression system and measured the activity of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) using a cAMP response element/luciferase reporter assay. In the presence of OMP, the basal activity level of PKA was elevated to approximately twice as much as that in the absence of OMP. Upon tonic stimulation by membrane-permeable cAMP, the PKA activity increased in a dose-dependent manner and was greater in the presence of OMP at all doses until saturation. These results indicate that OMP, a cytosolic cAMP-binding protein, operates as a cAMP reservoir by increases the basal cAMP concentration and enhances tonic cAMP actions. Together with the previous finding that OMP acutely sequesters cAMP-related responses, these results indicate that OMP can buffer acute surges in cAMP and tonic production, which stabilizes the basal cAMP pool in the long run.