S nor in any other slice tested (data not shown). Subsequent application of group I peptides at a fivefold higher concentration (1 mM) only slightly increased the response amplitudes of ORNs that already responded at lower concentration. Furthermore, in some cases peptides that did not 1379592 elicit responses at lower concentrations induced small responses if RG 7422 supplier applied at a higher concentration (see Figure 1B). A further increase of the peptide concentration to 5 mM or 10 mM did not apparently increase the number of responding ORNs nor the amplitude of the responses (data not shown). Figure 1C shows ORN responses to amino acids and all thirteen peptides (group I peptides, green; group II peptides, consisting of L-arginine, L-methionine and glycine, orange). In total, we analysed responses of 70 ORNs (ten OE slices, ten animals; see Figure 2A). The data of these 70 ORNs were collected in two sets of experiments. In a first set of experiments we appliedFigure 2. Response profiles of ORNs to amino acid and peptide stimulation. (A) Relative number of amino acid-sensitive ORNs reacting to individual amino acids (200 mM) or at least to one of the thirteen tested peptides. Only a fraction of amino acid-responsive ORNs also responded to group I peptides (1 mM, 12 of 42 ORNs in four slices) or group II peptides (200 mM, 6 of 28 ORNs in four slices). The fraction of ORNs sensitive to group I peptides did not differ from the fraction of ORNs sensitive to group II peptides. (B) Response matrix of all peptidesensitive ORNs to the applied stimuli (green, response to applied stimulus; red, no response; grey, not tested; applied peptide concentration: ORN #1?12, 1 mM; ORN #13?21, 5 mM; ORN #22?24, 10 mM; ORN #25?31, 200 mM). [AA mix: amino acidOlfactory Responses to Amino Acids and PeptidesFigure 3. Peptide stimulation evokes calcium transients with lower maximum amplitude than stimulation with amino acids. (A) The maximum amplitude of [Ca2+]i increases upon peptide application (green, group I, 1 mM; orange, group II, 200 mM) is much lower than upon application of amino acids (200 mM; number of responses averaged: L-arginyl-L-methionine (Arg-Met), 2; L-arginyl-L-methionyl-L-arginine (Arg-MetArg), 4; L-methionyl-L-arginyl-L-methionine (Met-Arg-Met), 9; L-methionyl-L-arginine (Met-Arg), 9; L-arginyl-L-lysine (Arg-Lys), 4; L-arginyl-L-lysyl-Larginine (Arg-Lys-Arg), 7; L-lysyl-L-arginyl-L-lysine (Lys-Arg-Lys), 7; L-lysyl-L-arginine (Lys-Arg), 2; out of 12 ORNs, four OE slices; L-arginyl-glycine (ArgGly), 10; glycyl-L-arginine (Gly-Arg), 4; L-methionyl-glycine (Met-Gly), 4; glycyl-glycine (Gly-Gly), 4; glycyl-glycyl-glycine (Gly-Gly-Gly), 2; out of six ORNs, four OE slices). (B) Of the five group II peptides only the dipeptide L-arginyl-glycine (Arg-Gly) featured a stimulus-induced maximum amplitude of [Ca2+]i increases comparable to stimulation with L-arginine (only ORNs exclusively sensitive to the amino acid L-arginine, i.e. #27?30 taken into account). In contrast, the dipeptide glycyl-L-arginine (Gly-Arg) showed a weak response (averaging of multiple applications of glycyl-L-arginine (GlyArg); *, p,0.05; **, p,0.001, paired GDC-0068 web t-test, error bars represent standard deviation). [AA: amino acids, Arg: L-arginine]. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0053097.gL-arginine, L-lysine and L-methionine and group I peptides. Of the 42 amino acid-responsive ORNs, 62 responded to Larginine, 79 to L-methionine and 43 to L-lysine. As some ORNs responded to more than one amino acid, the f.S nor in any other slice tested (data not shown). Subsequent application of group I peptides at a fivefold higher concentration (1 mM) only slightly increased the response amplitudes of ORNs that already responded at lower concentration. Furthermore, in some cases peptides that did not 1379592 elicit responses at lower concentrations induced small responses if applied at a higher concentration (see Figure 1B). A further increase of the peptide concentration to 5 mM or 10 mM did not apparently increase the number of responding ORNs nor the amplitude of the responses (data not shown). Figure 1C shows ORN responses to amino acids and all thirteen peptides (group I peptides, green; group II peptides, consisting of L-arginine, L-methionine and glycine, orange). In total, we analysed responses of 70 ORNs (ten OE slices, ten animals; see Figure 2A). The data of these 70 ORNs were collected in two sets of experiments. In a first set of experiments we appliedFigure 2. Response profiles of ORNs to amino acid and peptide stimulation. (A) Relative number of amino acid-sensitive ORNs reacting to individual amino acids (200 mM) or at least to one of the thirteen tested peptides. Only a fraction of amino acid-responsive ORNs also responded to group I peptides (1 mM, 12 of 42 ORNs in four slices) or group II peptides (200 mM, 6 of 28 ORNs in four slices). The fraction of ORNs sensitive to group I peptides did not differ from the fraction of ORNs sensitive to group II peptides. (B) Response matrix of all peptidesensitive ORNs to the applied stimuli (green, response to applied stimulus; red, no response; grey, not tested; applied peptide concentration: ORN #1?12, 1 mM; ORN #13?21, 5 mM; ORN #22?24, 10 mM; ORN #25?31, 200 mM). [AA mix: amino acidOlfactory Responses to Amino Acids and PeptidesFigure 3. Peptide stimulation evokes calcium transients with lower maximum amplitude than stimulation with amino acids. (A) The maximum amplitude of [Ca2+]i increases upon peptide application (green, group I, 1 mM; orange, group II, 200 mM) is much lower than upon application of amino acids (200 mM; number of responses averaged: L-arginyl-L-methionine (Arg-Met), 2; L-arginyl-L-methionyl-L-arginine (Arg-MetArg), 4; L-methionyl-L-arginyl-L-methionine (Met-Arg-Met), 9; L-methionyl-L-arginine (Met-Arg), 9; L-arginyl-L-lysine (Arg-Lys), 4; L-arginyl-L-lysyl-Larginine (Arg-Lys-Arg), 7; L-lysyl-L-arginyl-L-lysine (Lys-Arg-Lys), 7; L-lysyl-L-arginine (Lys-Arg), 2; out of 12 ORNs, four OE slices; L-arginyl-glycine (ArgGly), 10; glycyl-L-arginine (Gly-Arg), 4; L-methionyl-glycine (Met-Gly), 4; glycyl-glycine (Gly-Gly), 4; glycyl-glycyl-glycine (Gly-Gly-Gly), 2; out of six ORNs, four OE slices). (B) Of the five group II peptides only the dipeptide L-arginyl-glycine (Arg-Gly) featured a stimulus-induced maximum amplitude of [Ca2+]i increases comparable to stimulation with L-arginine (only ORNs exclusively sensitive to the amino acid L-arginine, i.e. #27?30 taken into account). In contrast, the dipeptide glycyl-L-arginine (Gly-Arg) showed a weak response (averaging of multiple applications of glycyl-L-arginine (GlyArg); *, p,0.05; **, p,0.001, paired t-test, error bars represent standard deviation). [AA: amino acids, Arg: L-arginine]. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0053097.gL-arginine, L-lysine and L-methionine and group I peptides. Of the 42 amino acid-responsive ORNs, 62 responded to Larginine, 79 to L-methionine and 43 to L-lysine. As some ORNs responded to more than one amino acid, the f.