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Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure

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The process of olfaction, also known as the sense of smell, is a sophisticated chemical response system. The specialized sensory neurons that facilitate this process, known as olfactory receptor neurons, are situated in an upper segment of the nasal cavity, known as the olfactory epithelium. Olfactory sensory neurons are bipolar, with their dendrites extending from the epithelium's apex into the mucus that lines the nasal cavity. Airborne molecules, when inhaled, traverse the olfactory...

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The Olfactory System as a Model to Study Axonal Growth Patterns and Morphology In Vivo

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Published on: October 30, 2014

Olfactory axon guidance: the modified rules.

Gerald A Schwarting¹, Timothy R Henion

¹Shriver Center and Department of Cell Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA. gerald.schwarting@umassmed.edu

Journal of Neuroscience Research

|June 6, 2007

Summary

Olfactory axon guidance in mice relies on more than just odorant receptors (ORs). This review explores non-OR factors crucial for directing sensory axons to their correct targets in the olfactory bulb.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Sensory Biology
Molecular Biology

Background:

The olfactory system provides a model for studying sensory axon guidance within the central nervous system (CNS).
In mice, approximately 1,000 neuronal subsets, each expressing a unique odorant receptor (OR), project to specific glomeruli in the olfactory bulb (OB).
Unlike other sensory systems, olfactory axon guidance to the OB does not appear to rely on target-derived attractants or repellents.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the role of non-odorant receptor (non-OR) factors in olfactory axon guidance.
To highlight recent findings suggesting that axon identity and guidance depend on graded expression of various cues.
To emphasize the importance of these non-OR factors in achieving precise targeting within the olfactory bulb.

Main Methods:

Review of existing literature on olfactory system development and axon guidance.
Analysis of studies investigating molecular mechanisms of sensory axon targeting.
Synthesis of evidence for the role of non-OR guidance cues.

Main Results:

Odorant receptor (OR) proteins were historically considered the primary mediators of olfactory axon guidance.
Emerging evidence indicates that olfactory axon identity and precise targeting may rely on a broader set of guidance cues.
These non-OR factors, expressed in a graded manner, contribute significantly to the convergence of specific neuronal subsets onto glomerular loci in the olfactory bulb.

Conclusions:

Olfactory axon guidance is a complex process involving multiple molecular factors.
Non-OR guidance cues play a critical role in ensuring accurate projections to the olfactory bulb.
Understanding these non-OR factors is essential for comprehending the intricate wiring of the olfactory system.