Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 17, 2026

Quadruple Immunostaining of the Olfactory Bulb for Visualization of Olfactory Sensory Axon Molecular Identity Codes
Published on: June 5, 2017
Role of interleukin-15 in the development of mouse olfactory nerve
Tsuyoshi Umehara1, Jun Udagawa, Kaoru Takamura
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Shimane University, Izumo, Japan. umehara@med.shimane-u.ac.jp
Abstract:
Interleukin (IL)-15 interacts with components of the IL-2 receptor (R) and exhibits T cell-stimulating activity similar to that of IL-2. In addition, IL-15 is widely expressed in many cell types and tissues, including the central nervous system. We provide evidence of a novel role of IL-15 in olfactory neurogenesis. Both IL-15 and IL-15R alpha were expressed in neuronal precursor cells of the developing olfactory epithelium in mice. Adult IL-15R alpha knockout mice had fewer mature olfactory neurons and proliferating cells than wild-type. Our results suggest that IL-15 plays an important role in regulating cell proliferation in olfactory neurogenesis.
Related Concept Videos
Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure
Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway
The olfactory...
