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Updated: Jul 7, 2026

In-Vivo Calcium Imaging of Sensory Neurons in the Rat Trigeminal Ganglion
Published on: February 9, 2024
Solitary chemoreceptor cell survival is independent of intact trigeminal innervation
Brian Gulbransen1, Wayne Silver, Thomas E Finger
1Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Neuroscience Program and Rocky Mountain Taste and Smell Center, School of Medicine University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA.
Abstract:
Nasal solitary chemoreceptor cells (SCCs) are a population of specialized chemosensory epithelial cells presumed to broaden trigeminal chemoreceptivity in mammals (Finger et al. [2003] Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 100:8981-8986). SCCs are innervated by peptidergic trigeminal nerve fibers (Finger et al. [2003]) but it is currently unknown if intact innervation is necessary for SCC development or survival. We tested the dependence of SCCs on innervation by eliminating trigeminal nerve fibers during development with neurogenin-1 knockout mice, during early postnatal development with capsaicin desensitization, and during adulthood with trigeminal lesioning. Our results demonstrate that elimination of innervation at any of these times does not result in decreased SCC numbers. In conclusion, neither SCC development nor mature cell maintenance is dependent on intact trigeminal innervation.
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