Abstract
Individual olfactory sensory neurons express only a single odorant receptor from a large family of genes, and this singularity is an essential feature in models of olfactory perception. We have devised a genetic strategy to examine the stability of receptor choice. We observe that immature olfactory sensory neurons that express a given odorant receptor can switch receptor expression, albeit at low frequency. Neurons that express a mutant receptor gene switch receptor transcription with significantly greater probability, suggesting that the expression of a functional odorant receptor elicits a feedback signal that terminates switching. This process of receptor gene switching assures that a neuron will ultimately express a functional receptor and that the choice of this receptor will remain stable for the life of the cell.
Publication types
-
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
-
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
MeSH terms
-
Animals
-
Apoptosis / genetics
-
Cell Differentiation / genetics*
-
Cell Lineage / genetics
-
Feedback, Physiological / genetics
-
Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / genetics*
-
Genes, Reporter / genetics
-
Green Fluorescent Proteins
-
Growth Cones / metabolism
-
Growth Cones / ultrastructure
-
Integrases / metabolism
-
Luminescent Proteins / metabolism
-
Mice
-
Mice, Inbred C57BL
-
Mutation / genetics
-
Olfactory Bulb / cytology
-
Olfactory Bulb / growth & development
-
Olfactory Bulb / metabolism
-
Olfactory Receptor Neurons / cytology
-
Olfactory Receptor Neurons / growth & development
-
Olfactory Receptor Neurons / metabolism*
-
RNA, Messenger / metabolism
-
Receptors, Odorant / genetics*
-
Smell / genetics*
-
Synapses / metabolism
-
Synapses / ultrastructure
-
Transcriptional Activation / genetics*
-
Viral Proteins / metabolism
Substances
-
Luminescent Proteins
-
Olfr1507 protein, mouse
-
RNA, Messenger
-
Receptors, Odorant
-
Viral Proteins
-
Green Fluorescent Proteins
-
Cre recombinase
-
Integrases