Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 1, 2026
06:32
Quadruple Immunostaining of the Olfactory Bulb for Visualization of Olfactory Sensory Axon Molecular Identity Codes
Published on: June 5, 2017
Regulation and function of axon guidance and adhesion molecules during olfactory map formation
Gerald A Schwarting1, Timothy R Henion
1Department of Cell Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01655, USA. gerald.schwarting@umassmed.edu
Journal of Cellular Biochemistry
|May 28, 2011
Summary
Olfactory map formation relies on cAMP signaling and cell adhesion molecules for guiding sensory neuron connections. Further research explores how these guidance cues are established and the role of pathways like glycosylation.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Molecular Biology
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- The olfactory system provides a model for studying neural circuit wiring.
- Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) signaling is crucial for olfactory bulb glomerular positioning.
- Cell adhesion molecules are implicated in regulating axon interactions during olfactory map formation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current understanding of olfactory axon guidance mechanisms.
- To highlight the role of cAMP-dependent pathways in olfactory topography.
- To explore emerging questions regarding guidance cue establishment and function, including glycosylation.
Main Methods:
- This is a review article, synthesizing existing research.
- It focuses on molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways.
- Key molecules impacting olfactory axon guidance are discussed.
Main Results:
- A model for olfactory wiring involves cAMP signaling and cell adhesion molecules.
- These molecules guide axons from peripheral neurons to central targets.
- The review identifies gaps in understanding cue establishment and function.
Conclusions:
- Advances in understanding olfactory map formation have been significant.
- cAMP-dependent mechanisms are central to olfactory axon guidance.
- Further investigation into guidance cue regulation and novel pathways like glycosylation is warranted.
Related Concept Videos
01:03Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure
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...
01:20Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway
Humans detect odors with the help of specialized cells located in the upper part of the nasal cavity, called olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs). ORNs possess hair-like structures called cilia, which are receptive to sensations from the inhaled air. When an odorant molecule binds to a specific receptor on the cell of the cilia, it leads to a series of events that ultimately cause the ORN to send electrical signals to the olfactory bulb in the brain through the olfactory nerves.
The olfactory...
The olfactory...
01:25Olfaction
The sense of smell is achieved through the activities of the olfactory system. It starts when an airborne odorant enters the nasal cavity and reaches olfactory epithelium (OE). The OE is protected by a thin layer of mucus, which also serves the purpose of dissolving more complex compounds into simpler chemical odorants. The size of the OE and the density of sensory neurons varies among species; in humans, the OE is only about 9-10 cm2.
The olfactory receptors are embedded in the cilia of the...
The olfactory receptors are embedded in the cilia of the...
01:32Assembly of Complex Microtubule Structures
Complex microtubule structures are present in resting cells and in dividing cells. In resting cells, they are responsible for maintaining the cellular architecture, tracks for intracellular transport, positioning of organelles, assembly of cilia and flagella. They mediate the bipolar spindle assembly for chromosomal segregation and positioning of the cell division plate in dividing cells. The formation of microtubule complex structures depends on the cell type, cell stage, and cell function.
01:32Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration
A migrating cell changes its shape during the cyclic events of attachment and detachment from the substratum and repositions the cell organelles correspondingly. These complex events are orchestrated by the dynamic cytoskeletal network comprising actin filaments, intermediate filaments, and microtubules. Cytoskeletal crosstalk — the direct and indirect communication between the different components — is crucial for this coordination. Direct communication involves various linker proteins that...
01:21Chemotaxis and Direction of Cell Migration
Cells can detect chemical cues in their environment and reorganize the cytoskeleton to migrate toward them or away from them. This directional migration, called chemotaxis, is essential during embryogenesis and development, immune response, tissue repair and regeneration, and reproduction. These chemical cues can either attract or repel the cell's movement. For example, axon development is determined by a combination of chemoattractants and chemorepellents that direct the growing axon towards...