Olfactory cilia are the first components for signal transduction in the sensory system. The cilia contain two ion channel types: cyclic-nucleotide-gated (CNG) and Ca2+-gated Cl- (Cl(Ca)). These two channel types produce currents that initiate signal transduction in the olfactory receptor neuron. We use analytical and computational methods to study mathematical models of certain aspects of signal transduction in frog olfactory cilia in conjunction with known experimental results and make predictions on the properties of the cilia. In particular, we provide information on the distribution of the CNG and Cl(Ca) channels.; We develop mathematical models for two different experiments, one involving the interplay between the CNG and Cl( Ca) channels and the other involving the diffusion of Ca2+ into a cilium and the resulting electrical activity. All our models have two differential equations which describe the Ca2+ concentration, membrane potential and in some cases they are analytically solvable. Using forward problems with matching experimental data we obtain estimates of the spatial distribution of the Cl(Ca) channels along the length of a cilium.
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