Differential localization of NT-3 and TrpM5 in glomeruli of the olfactory bulb of mice

The olfactory bulb: A neuroendocrine spotlight on feeding and metabolism

Olfaction is the most ancient sense and is needed for food-seeking, danger protection, mating and survival. It is often the first sensory modality to perceive changes in the external environment, before sight, taste or sound. Odour molecules activate olfactory sensory neurons that reside on the olfactory epithelium in the nasal cavity, which transmits this odour-specific information to the olfactory bulb (OB), where it is relayed to higher brain regions involved in olfactory perception and behaviour. Besides odour processing, recent studies suggest that the OB extends its function into the regulation of food intake and energy balance. Furthermore, numerous hormone receptors associated with appetite and metabolism are expressed within the OB, suggesting a neuroendocrine role outside the hypothalamus. Olfactory cues are important to promote food preparatory behaviours and consumption, such as enhancing appetite and salivation. In addition, altered metabolism or energy state (fasting, satiety and overnutrition) can change olfactory processing and perception. Similarly, various animal models and human pathologies indicate a strong link between olfactory impairment and metabolic dysfunction. Therefore, understanding the nature of this reciprocal relationship is critical to understand how olfactory or metabolic disorders arise. This present review elaborates on the connection between olfaction, feeding behaviour and metabolism and will shed light on the neuroendocrine role of the OB as an interface between the external and internal environments. Elucidating the specific mechanisms by which olfactory signals are integrated and translated into metabolic responses holds promise for the development of targeted therapeutic strategies and interventions aimed at modulating appetite and promoting metabolic health.

Nutrient Sensing: Another Chemosensitivity of the Olfactory System

Olfaction is a major sensory modality involved in real time perception of the chemical composition of the external environment. Olfaction favors anticipation and rapid adaptation of behavioral responses necessary for animal survival. Furthermore, recent studies have demonstrated that there is a direct action of metabolic peptides on the olfactory network. Orexigenic peptides such as ghrelin and orexin increase olfactory sensitivity, which in turn, is decreased by anorexigenic hormones such as insulin and leptin. In addition to peptides, nutrients can play a key role on neuronal activity. Very little is known about nutrient sensing in olfactory areas. Nutrients, such as carbohydrates, amino acids, and lipids, could play a key role in modulating olfactory sensitivity to adjust feeding behavior according to metabolic need. Here we summarize recent findings on nutrient-sensing neurons in olfactory areas and delineate the limits of our knowledge on this topic. The present review opens new lines of investigations on the relationship between olfaction and food intake, which could contribute to determining the etiology of metabolic disorders.

Linear correlation between the number of olfactory sensory neurons expressing a given mouse odorant receptor gene and the total volume of the corresponding glomeruli in the olfactory bulb

Chemosensory specificity in the main olfactory system of the mouse relies on the expression of ∼1,100 odorant receptor (OR) genes across millions of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) in the main olfactory epithelium (MOE), and on the coalescence of OSN axons into ∼3,600 glomeruli in the olfactory bulb. A traditional approach for visualizing OSNs and their axons consists of tagging an OR gene genetically with an axonal marker that is cotranslated with the OR by virtue of an internal ribosome entry site (IRES). Here we report full cell counts for 15 gene‐targeted strains of the OR‐IRES‐marker design coexpressing a fluorescent protein. These strains represent 11 targeted OR genes, a 1% sample of the OR gene repertoire. We took an empirical, “count every cell” strategy: we counted all fluorescent cell profiles with a nuclear profile within the cytoplasm, on all serial coronal sections under a confocal microscope, a total of 685,673 cells in 56 mice at postnatal day 21. We then applied a strain‐specific Abercrombie correction to these OSN counts in order to obtain a closer approximation of the true OSN numbers. We found a 17‐fold range in the average (corrected) OSN number across these 11 OR genes. In the same series of coronal sections, we then determined the total volume of the glomeruli (TGV) formed by coalescence of the fluorescent axons. We found a strong linear correlation between OSN number and TGV, suggesting that TGV can be used as a surrogate measurement for estimating OSN numbers in these gene‐targeted strains. J. Comp. Neurol. 524:199–209, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Mammalian pheromones: emerging properties and mechanisms of detection

The concept of mammalian pheromones was established decades before the discovery of any bioactive ligands. Therefore, their molecular identity, native sources, and the meaning of their detection has been largely speculative. There has been recent success in identifying a variety of candidate mouse pheromones and other specialized odors. These discoveries reveal that mammalian pheromones come in a variety of ligand types and they are detected by sensory neurons that are pre-set to promote an array of social and survival behaviors. Importantly, recent findings show that they activate molecularly diverse sensory neurons that differ from canonical odorant detectors. These novel sensory neurons hold future promise to unlock the mystery of how their detection is hardwired to generate behavior.