Olfactory Stimulation Regulates the Birth of Neurons That Express Specific Odorant Receptors

• DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108210
• Publication Date: 2020-10-06T14:40:17Z
• Authors: Carl J. van der L...; Pooja Gupta; Ashraful Islam Bh...; Kelci R. Riddick; Kawsar Hossain; Stephen W. Santoro
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; QH301-705.5; odorant receptor gene choice; odorant receptors; Cell Differentiation; Receptors, Odorant; Article; Olfactory Receptor Neurons; neurogenesis; Mice; 03 medical and health sciences; olfactory sensory neurons; olfactory learning; Animals; Biology (General); olfactory stimulation

In mammals, olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) are born throughout life, ostensibly solely to replace damaged OSNs. During differentiation, each OSN precursor "chooses," out of hundreds possibilities, a single odorant receptor (OR) gene, which defines the identity mature OSN. The relative neurogenesis rates distinct "subtypes" thought be constant, as they determined by stochastic process in OR is chosen with fixed probability. Here, using histological, single-cell, and targeted affinity purification approaches, we show that closing one nostril mice selectively reduces number newly generated OSNs specific subtypes. Moreover, these reductions depend on an animal's age and/or environment. Stimulation-dependent changes new not attributable altered cell survival but rather production. Our findings indicate birth subtypes experience.