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Updated: May 21, 2026

Quadruple Immunostaining of the Olfactory Bulb for Visualization of Olfactory Sensory Axon Molecular Identity Codes
Published on: June 5, 2017
IgSF8: a developmentally and functionally regulated cell adhesion molecule in olfactory sensory neuron axons and
Arundhati Ray1, Helen B Treloar
1Department of Neurosurgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520‐8082, USA. arundhati.ray@yale.edu
Immunoglobulin superfamily protein IgSF8 facilitates olfactory sensory neuron synapse formation. Its expression in the olfactory bulb is transient, decreasing after synapse maturation, but it interacts with CD9 in developing synapses.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Molecular Biology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Olfactory sensory neuron (OSN) axons form synapses in the olfactory bulb (OB).
- The Immunoglobulin (Ig) superfamily protein IgSF8 is expressed in OSN axons and developing synapses.
- Tetraspanin CD9 is involved in membrane microdomain regulation and cellular processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of IgSF8 in OSN synapse formation.
- To determine the expression pattern and interactions of IgSF8 during olfactory system development and regeneration.
Main Methods:
- Immunoprecipitation to identify IgSF8 interacting proteins.
- In vitro studies of IgSF8 and CD9 localization in OSN axons and growth cones.
- Analysis of IgSF8 expression in lesioned and functionally blocked olfactory systems.
Main Results:
- IgSF8 expression is transient during glomerular formation and decreases after synaptic maturation.
- IgSF8 interacts with tetraspanin CD9 in the olfactory bulb, localizing to puncta in axons and growth cones.
- IgSF8 is detected in regenerating OSN terminals and persists in glomeruli when synaptic maturation is blocked.
Conclusions:
- IgSF8 plays a role in facilitating OSN synapse formation.
- The interaction with CD9 and its dynamic expression suggest IgSF8 is involved in regulating synaptic development and plasticity.
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