Spatiotemporal dynamics of the development of mouse olfactory system from prenatal to postnatal period

Introduction

The olfactory epithelium (OE) and olfactory bulb (OB) are the major components of the olfactory system and play critical roles in olfactory perception. However, the embryonic development of OE and OB by using the olfactory specific genes has not been comprehensively investigated yet. Most previous studies were limited to a specific embryonic stage, and very little is known, till date, about the development of OE.

Methods

The current study aimed to explore the development of mouse olfactory system by spatiotemporal analysis of the histological features by using the olfactory specific genes of olfactory system from the prenatal to postnatal period.

Results

We found that OE is divided into endo-turbinate, ecto-turbinate, and vomeronasal organs, and that putative OB with putative main and accessory OB is formed in the early developmental stage. The OE and OB became multilayered in the later developmental stages, accompanied by the differentiation of olfactory neurons. Remarkably, we found the development of layers of olfactory cilia and differentiation of OE to progress dramatically after birth, suggesting that the exposure to air may facilitate the final development of OE.

Discussion

Overall, the present study laid the groundwork for a better understanding of the spatial and temporal developmental events of the olfactory system.

Dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid deficiency alters olfactory mucosa sensitivity in young mice but has no impact on olfactory behavior

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

We recently showed that perinatal exposure to diets with unbalanced n-6:n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) ratios affects the olfactory mucosa (OM) fatty acid composition. To assess the repercussions of these modifications, we investigated the impact of diets unbalanced in n-3 PUFAs on the molecular composition and functionality of the OM in young mice.

METHODS

After mating, female mice were fed diets either deficient in α-linolenic acid (LOW diet) or supplemented with n-3 long-chain PUFAs (HIGH diet) during the perinatal period. Weaned male offspring were then fed ad libitum with the same experimental diets for 5 weeks. At 8 weeks of age, olfactory behavior tests were performed in young mice. The fatty acid composition of OM and olfactory cilia, as well as the expression of genes involved in different cellular pathways, were analyzed. The electroolfactograms induced by odorant stimuli were recorded to assess the impact of diets on OM functionality.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

Both diets significantly modified the fatty acid profiles of OM and olfactory cilia in young mice. They also induced changes in the expression of genes involved in olfactory signaling and in olfactory neuron maturation. The electroolfactogram amplitudes were reduced in mice fed the LOW diet. Nevertheless, the LOW diet and the HIGH diet did not affect mouse olfactory behavior. Our study demonstrated that consumption of diets deficient in or supplemented with n-3 PUFAs during the perinatal and postweaning periods caused significant changes in young mouse OM. However, these modifications did not impair their olfactory capacities.

Gene therapy rescues olfactory perception in a clinically relevant ciliopathy model of Bardet-Biedl syndrome

Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) is a hereditary genetic disorder that results in numerous clinical manifestations including olfactory dysfunction. Of at least 21 BBS-related genes that can carry multiple mutations, a pathogenic mutation, BBS1M390R, is the single most common mutation of clinically diagnosed BBS outcomes. While the deletion of BBS-related genes in mice can cause variable penetrance in different organ systems, the impact of the Bbs1M390R mutation in the olfactory system remains unclear. Using a clinically relevant knock-in mouse model homozygous for Bbs1M390R, we investigated the impact of the mutation on the olfactory system and tested the potential of viral-mediated, wildtype gene replacement therapy to rescue smell loss. The cilia of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) in Bbs1^M390R/M390R mice were significantly shorter and fewer than those of wild-type mice. Also, both peripheral cellular odor detection and synaptic-dependent activity in the olfactory bulb were significantly decreased in the mutant mice. Furthermore, to gain insight into the degree to which perceptual features are impaired in the mutant mice, we used whole-body plethysmography to quantitatively measure odor-evoked sniffing. The Bbs1^M390R/M390R mice showed significantly higher odor detection thresholds (reduced odor sensitivity) compared to wild-type mice; however, their odor discrimination acuity was still well maintained. Importantly, adenoviral expression of Bbs1 in OSNs restored cilia length and re-established both peripheral odorant detection and odor perception. Together, our findings further expand our understanding for the development of gene therapeutic treatment for congenital ciliopathies in the olfactory system.

Possible ATP trafficking by ATP-shuttles in the olfactory cilia and glucose transfer across the olfactory mucosa

Odor transduction in the cilia of olfactory sensory neurons involves several ATP-requiring enzymes. ATP is generated by glycolysis in the ciliary lumen, using glucose incorporated from surrounding mucus, and by oxidative phosphorylation in the dendrite. During prolonged stimulation, the cilia maintain ATP levels along their length, by unknown means. We used immunochemistry, RT-PCR, and immunoblotting to explore possible underlying mechanisms. We found the ATP-shuttles, adenylate and creatine kinases, capable of equilibrating ATP. We also investigated how glucose delivered by blood vessels in the olfactory mucosa reaches the mucus. We detected, in sustentacular and Bowman's gland cells, the crucial enzyme in glucose secretion glucose-6-phosphatase, implicating both cell types as putative glucose pathways. We propose a model accounting for both processes.

Energy Requirements of Odor Transduction in the Chemosensory Cilia of Olfactory Sensory Neurons Rely on Oxidative Phosphorylation and Glycolytic Processing of Extracellular Glucose

The mechanisms that power the physiological events occurring in cilia, flagella, and microvilli are of fundamental importance for the functions of these important and ubicuous organelles. The olfactory epithelium is mostly populated by ciliated olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) and surrounding sustentacular cells (SCs) with apical microvilli. The only OSN dendrite extends to the surface forming a knob projecting several chemosensory cilia of ∼50 × 0.2 μm, devoid of inner membranes embedded in a mucus layer. Upon odorant binding, odor receptors couple to G-protein activating adenylyl cyclase, producing cAMP. cAMP opens cyclic nucleotide-gated channels allowing a Ca²⁺ influx that opens Ca²⁺-activated Cl^- channels, generating the receptor potential. Many enzymes are activated in chemotransduction to hydrolyze ATP. The knob contains approximately two mitochondria; assuming that the cilia ATP is 1 mm and diffuses along it at ∼10 μm in 500 ms, ATP from the knob mitochondria may not fulfill the demands of transduction over the full length of the cilium, which suggests an additional ATP source. We measured millimolar glucose in rat mucus; we detected glucose transporter GLUT3 in rat and toad (Caudiverbera caudiverbera) OSN cilia, SC microvilli, and glycolytic enzymes in rat cilia. We also found that the cilia and knob can incorporate and accumulate 2-deoxyglucose (glucose analog), but not when blocking GLUT. Glucose removal and the inhibition of glycolysis or oxidative phospholylation impaired the odor response. This evidence strongly suggests that glycolysis in the cilia and knob oxidative phosphorylation together fuel chemotransduction.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT How processes occurring in cilia and flagella are powered is a matter of general interest. Substantial progress has been made in unraveling the sensory transduction mechanisms, commonly occurring in such structures; however, the energy sources powering them have been scarcely explored. Accessibility to the specialized sensory organelles and their small dimensions have been limiting factors. Olfactory sensory neurons chemosensory cilia are elongated, mucus embedded, fully exposed structures particularly amenable for a multidisciplinary study of this problem, as done here. We demonstrate the occurrence and functionality of glucose uptake and glycolysis in the cilia. We support that odor transduction relies on ATP generated by oxidative phosphorylation in the dendrite and glycolytically in the cilia using glucose internalized from the mucus.

Deletion of Type 3 Adenylyl Cyclase Perturbs the Postnatal Maturation of Olfactory Sensory Neurons and Olfactory Cilium Ultrastructure in Mice

Type 3 adenylyl cyclase (Adcy3) is localized to the cilia of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) and is an essential component of the olfactory cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) signaling pathway. Although the role of this enzyme in odor detection and axonal projection in OSNs was previously characterized, researchers will still have to determine its function in the maturation of postnatal OSNs and olfactory cilium ultrastructure. Previous studies on newborns showed that the anatomic structure of the main olfactory epithelium (MOE) of Adcy3 knockout mice (Adcy3^-/-) is indistinguishable from that of their wild-type littermates (Adcy3^+/+), whereas the architecture and associated composition of MOE are relatively underdeveloped at this early age. The full effects of sensory deprivation on OSNs may not also be exhibited in such age. In the present study, following a comparison of postnatal OSNs in seven-, 30-, and 90-day-old Adcy3^-/- mice and wild-type controls (Adcy3^+/+), we observed that the absence of Adcy3 leads to cumulative defects in the maturation of OSNs. Upon aging, Adcy3^-/- OSNs exhibited increase in immature cells and reduction in mature cells along with elevated apoptosis levels. The density and ultrastructure of Adcy3^-/- cilia were also disrupted in mice upon aging. Collectively, our results reveal an indispensable role of Adcy3 in postnatal maturation of OSNs and maintenance of olfactory cilium ultrastructure in mice through adulthood.

An Olfactory Cilia Pattern in the Mammalian Nose Ensures High Sensitivity to Odors

In many sensory organs, specialized receptors are strategically arranged to enhance detection sensitivity and acuity. It is unclear whether the olfactory system utilizes a similar organizational scheme to facilitate odor detection. Curiously, olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) in the mouse nose are differentially stimulated depending on the cell location. We therefore asked whether OSNs in different locations evolve unique structural and/or functional features to optimize odor detection and discrimination. Using immunohistochemistry, computational fluid dynamics modeling, and patch clamp recording, we discovered that OSNs situated in highly stimulated regions have much longer cilia and are more sensitive to odorants than those in weakly stimulated regions. Surprisingly, reduction in neuronal excitability or ablation of the olfactory G protein in OSNs does not alter the cilia length pattern, indicating that neither spontaneous nor odor-evoked activity is required for its establishment. Furthermore, the pattern is evident at birth, maintained into adulthood, and restored following pharmacologically induced degeneration of the olfactory epithelium, suggesting that it is intrinsically programmed. Intriguingly, type III adenylyl cyclase (ACIII), a key protein in olfactory signal transduction and ubiquitous marker for primary cilia, exhibits location-dependent gene expression levels, and genetic ablation of ACIII dramatically alters the cilia pattern. These findings reveal an intrinsically programmed configuration in the nose to ensure high sensitivity to odors.

Centrin 2 is required for mouse olfactory ciliary trafficking and development of ependymal cilia planar polarity

Centrins are ancient calmodulin-related Ca(2+)-binding proteins associated with basal bodies. In lower eukaryotes, Centrin2 (CETN2) is required for basal body replication and positioning, although its function in mammals is undefined. We generated a germline CETN2 knock-out (KO) mouse presenting with syndromic ciliopathy including dysosmia and hydrocephalus. Absence of CETN2 leads to olfactory cilia loss, impaired ciliary trafficking of olfactory signaling proteins, adenylate cyclase III (ACIII), and cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channel, as well as disrupted basal body apical migration in postnatal olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs). In mutant OSNs, cilia base-anchoring of intraflagellar transport components IFT88, the kinesin-II subunit KIF3A, and cytoplasmic dynein 2 appeared compromised. Although the densities of mutant ependymal and respiratory cilia were largely normal, the planar polarity of mutant ependymal cilia was disrupted, resulting in uncoordinated flow of CSF. Transgenic expression of GFP-CETN2 rescued the Cetn2-deficiency phenotype. These results indicate that mammalian basal body replication and ciliogenesis occur independently of CETN2; however, mouse CETN2 regulates protein trafficking of olfactory cilia and participates in specifying planar polarity of ependymal cilia.

Identification of Cl(Ca) channel distributions in olfactory cilia

Identification of detailed features of neuronal systems is an important challenge in the biosciences today. Transduction of an odor into an electrical signal occurs in the membranes of the cilia. The Cl(Ca) channels that reside in the ciliary membrane are activated by calcium, allow a depolarizing efflux of Cl(-) and are thought to amplify the electrical signal to the brain.In this paper, a mathematical model consisting of partial differential equations is developed to study two different experiments; one involving the interaction of the cyclic-nucleotide-gated (CNG) and Cl(Ca) channels and the other, the diffusion of Ca(2+) into cilia. This work builds on an earlier study (Mathematical modeling of the Cl(Ca) ion channels in frog olfactory cilia. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 2006; Math. Comput. Modelling 2006; 43:945-956; Biophys. J. 2006; 91:179-188), which suggested that the CNG channels are clustered at about 0.28 of the length of a cilium from its open end. Closed-form solutions are derived after certain reductions in the model are made. These special solutions provide estimates of the channel distributions. Scientific computation is also used. This preliminary study suggests that the Cl(Ca) ion channels are also clustered at about one-third of the length of a cilium from its open end.

Stomatin-related olfactory protein, SRO, specifically expressed in the murine olfactory sensory neurons

We identified a stomatin-related olfactory protein (SRO) that is specifically expressed in olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs). The mouse sro gene encodes a polypeptide of 287 amino acids with a calculated molecular weight of 32 kDa. SRO shares 82% sequence similarity with the murine stomatin, 78% with Caenorhabditis elegans MEC-2, and 77% with C. elegans UNC-1. Unlike other stomatin-family genes, the sro transcript was present only in OSNs of the main olfactory epithelium. No sro expression was seen in vomeronasal neurons. SRO was abundant in most apical dendrites of OSNs, including olfactory cilia. Immunoprecipitation revealed that SRO associates with adenylyl cyclase type III and caveolin-1 in the low-density membrane fraction of olfactory cilia. Furthermore, anti-SRO antibodies stimulated cAMP production in fractionated cilia membrane. SRO may play a crucial role in modulating odorant signals in the lipid rafts of olfactory cilia.