scholarly journals Coordinating Receptor Expression and Wiring Specificity in Olfactory Receptor Neurons

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongjie Li ◽  
Tongchao Li ◽  
Felix Horns ◽  
Jiefu Li ◽  
Qijing Xie ◽  
...  

The ultimate function of a neuron is determined by both its physiology and connectivity, but the transcriptional regulatory mechanisms that coordinate these two features are not well understood1–4. The Drosophila Olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) provide an excellent system to investigate this question. As in mammals5, each Drosophila ORN class is defined by the expression of a single olfactory receptor or a unique combination thereof, which determines their odor responses, and by the single glomerulus to which their axons target, which determines how sensory signals are represented in the brain6–10. In mammals, the coordination of olfactory receptor expression and wiring specificity is accomplished in part by olfactory receptors themselves regulating ORN wiring specificity11–13. However, Drosophila olfactory receptors do not instruct axon targeting6, 14, raising the question as to how receptor expression and wiring specificity are coordinated. Using single-cell RNA-sequencing and genetic analysis, we identified 33 transcriptomic clusters for fly ORNs. We unambiguously mapped 17 to glomerular classes, demonstrating that transcriptomic clusters correspond well with anatomically and physiologically defined ORN classes. We found that each ORN expresses ~150 transcription factors (TFs), and identified a master TF that regulates both olfactory receptor expression and wiring specificity. A second TF plays distinct roles, regulating only receptor expression in one class and only wiring in another. Thus, fly ORNs utilize diverse transcriptional strategies to coordinate physiology and connectivity.

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (157) ◽  
pp. 20190246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Levakova ◽  
Lubomir Kostal ◽  
Christelle Monsempès ◽  
Philippe Lucas ◽  
Ryota Kobayashi

In order to understand how olfactory stimuli are encoded and processed in the brain, it is important to build a computational model for olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs). Here, we present a simple and reliable mathematical model of a moth ORN generating spikes. The model incorporates a simplified description of the chemical kinetics leading to olfactory receptor activation and action potential generation. We show that an adaptive spike threshold regulated by prior spike history is an effective mechanism for reproducing the typical phasic–tonic time course of ORN responses. Our model reproduces the response dynamics of individual neurons to a fluctuating stimulus that approximates odorant fluctuations in nature. The parameters of the spike threshold are essential for reproducing the response heterogeneity in ORNs. The model provides a valuable tool for efficient simulations of olfactory circuits.


2004 ◽  
Vol 123 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivan Manzini ◽  
Detlev Schild

In olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) of aquatic animals amino acids have been shown to be potent stimuli. Here we report on calcium imaging experiments in slices of the olfactory mucosa of Xenopus laevis tadpoles. We were able to determine the response profiles of 283 ORNs to 19 amino acids, where one profile comprises the responses of one ORN to 19 amino acids. 204 out of the 283 response profiles differed from each other. 36 response spectra occurred more than once, i.e., there were 36 classes of ORNs identically responding to the 19 amino acids. The number of ORNs that formed a class ranged from 2 to 13. Shape and duration of amino acid-elicited [Ca2+]i transients showed a high degree of similarity upon repeated stimulation with the same amino acid. Different amino acids, however, in some cases led to clearly distinguishable calcium responses in individual ORNs. Furthermore, ORNs clearly appeared to gain selectivity over time, i.e., ORNs of later developmental stages responded to less amino acids than ORNs of earlier stages. We discuss the narrowing of ORN selectivity over stages in the context of expression of olfactory receptors.


2010 ◽  
Vol 2010 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Fishelson ◽  
D. Golani ◽  
B. Galil ◽  
M. Goren

The olfactory organs of lizardfishes (Synodontidae) are situated in two capsules connected to the outside by incurrent and excurrent openings. The olfactory epithelium is in form of petal rosettes each composed of lamellae and a rephe, and bear olfactory receptor neurons, supporting cells and cells with kinocillia. The dimension of rosettes and lamellae, as well as the number of lamellae, increase with growth of the fish; until in adult fish these parameters remaine constant, species specific. In adultSynodusspp. andTrachinocephalus myopsthe rosettes are 3.5–4.0 mm long, with 5–8 lamellae, whereas inSauridaspp. they are 8.0 mm and possess up tp 22 lamellae. The number of ORN ranges from 2,600 on the smaller lamellae to 20,000 on the largest ones. The number of ORN/m of olfactory is ca. 30,000 inSauridaspp. Thus the rosettes ofS. macrolepiswith 20 lamellae possess a total of ca. 170,000 ORN, whereas those ofSy. variegatusandT. myopswith the average of six lamellae possess only ca. 50,000–65,000 ORN. The olfactory nerves lead from the rosettes to the olfactory balbs situated on the olfactory lobes. The differences among the species in olfactory organs are discussed in correlation with their distribution.


Author(s):  
Aleksandra V. Tsepkolenko ◽  
Sergey M. Pukhlik

Olfactory dysfunction may be the only early clinical manifestation in COVID-19 patients with no other significant signs. It is typical of the disease and can be significant for testing. The purpose of the review is to provide guidance to the otorhinolaryngologist in the problem of olfactory dysfunction in SARS-CoV-2 infection. Materials and Methods: The authors analyzed the available clinical data on the problem of olfactory dysfunction in SARS-CoV-2 infection. The data of statistics, clinical symptoms and pathogenesis were studied. Toexplain anosmia in COVID-19 patients, 4 possible mechanisms are considered: nasal congestion / nasal congestion and rhinorrhea; death of olfactory receptor neurons; infiltration of the brain and damage to the olfactorycenters; damage to the supporting cells of the olfactory epithelium. The analysis of clinical cases of patients with prolonged ansomia against the background of COVID-19 was carried out. Conclusions: Smell after COVID-19 in most cases is restored without specific treatment. There are no reports of studies in patients with long-term anosmia.


Author(s):  
Colleen N. McLaughlin ◽  
Maria Brbić ◽  
Qijing Xie ◽  
Tongchao Li ◽  
Felix Horns ◽  
...  

AbstractRecognition of environmental cues is essential for the survival of all organisms. Precise transcriptional changes occur to enable the generation and function of the neural circuits underlying sensory perception. To gain insight into these changes, we generated single-cell transcriptomes of Drosophila olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs), thermosensory and hygrosensory neurons from the third antennal segment at an early developmental and adult stage. We discovered that ORNs maintain expression of the same olfactory receptors across development. Using these receptors and computational approaches, we matched transcriptomic clusters corresponding to anatomically and physiologically defined neuronal types across multiple developmental stages. Cell-type-specific transcriptomes, in part, reflected axon trajectory choices in early development and sensory modality in adults. Our analysis also uncovered type-specific and broadly expressed genes that could modulate adult sensory responses. Collectively, our data reveal important transcriptomic features of sensory neuron biology and provides a resource for future studies of their development and physiology.


2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (40) ◽  
pp. 11078-11087 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rong-Chang Li ◽  
Yair Ben-Chaim ◽  
King-Wai Yau ◽  
Chih-Chun Lin

Olfactory transduction in vertebrate olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) involves primarily a cAMP-signaling cascade that leads to the opening of cyclic-nucleotide–gated (CNG), nonselective cation channels. The consequent Ca2+ influx triggers adaptation but also signal amplification, the latter by opening a Ca2+-activated Cl channel (ANO2) to elicit, unusually, an inward Cl current. Hence the olfactory response has inward CNG and Cl components that are in rapid succession and not easily separable. We report here success in quantitatively separating these two currents with respect to amplitude and time course over a broad range of odorant strengths. Importantly, we found that the Cl current is the predominant component throughout the olfactory dose–response relation, down to the threshold of signaling to the brain. This observation is very surprising given a recent report by others that the olfactory-signal amplification effected by the Ca2+-activated Cl current does not influence the behavioral olfactory threshold in mice.


Cell ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 142 (6) ◽  
pp. 954-966 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ya-Hui Chou ◽  
Xiaoyan Zheng ◽  
Philip A. Beachy ◽  
Liqun Luo

2001 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 185-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy E. Rawson ◽  
Jim Eberwine ◽  
Ryan Dotson ◽  
Jennifer Jackson ◽  
Patricia Ulrich ◽  
...  

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