Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 13, 2026

Constructing an Olfactometer for Rodent Olfactory Behavior Studies Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Hyperscanning Study in Psychological Counseling
Published on: April 11, 2025
Multilayer regulation underlies the functional precision and evolutionary potential of the olfactory system
Jérôme Mermet1, Steeve Cruchet1, Asfa Sabrin Borbora1
1Center for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Developing precise sensory neurons involves imperfect gene expression and programmed cell death (PCD), allowing for evolutionary adaptation in olfactory systems. This developmental flexibility aids sensory pathway evolution.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Sensory neurons require precise specification for accurate neural representation.
- These neurons must also possess the capacity for evolutionary change.
- The Drosophila olfactory system provides a model to study this developmental paradox.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the paradox of reproducible neuronal specification versus evolutionary change.
- To create a comprehensive single-cell transcriptomic atlas of developing Drosophila olfactory sensory lineages.
- To identify mechanisms ensuring functional precision in the olfactory system.
Main Methods:
- Single-cell transcriptomics
- Developmental lineage mapping
- Analysis of programmed cell death (PCD) pathways
- Transcriptional profiling of olfactory sensory neurons in Drosophila
Main Results:
- Transcriptional control of sensory receptor expression is robust but imperfect.
- Functional precision is enhanced by the intersection of receptor subunit expression.
- Programmed cell death (PCD) patterns refine neuronal populations by removing "empty" or promiscuously expressing neurons.
- Lineage-specific transcriptional control of PCD introduces heterogeneity in neuronal numbers.
Conclusions:
- Functional precision in the adult olfactory system masks underlying developmental imprecision.
- This developmental imprecision may provide a substrate for the evolution of sensory pathways.
- The study reveals a multi-layered mechanism for achieving olfactory receptor specificity and neuronal population control.
More Related Videos
10:16Perforated Patch-clamp Recording of Mouse Olfactory Sensory Neurons in Intact Neuroepithelium: Functional Analysis of Neurons Expressing an Identified Odorant Receptor
Published on: July 13, 2015
12:13Multi-unit Recording Methods to Characterize Neural Activity in the Locust Schistocerca Americana Olfactory Circuits
Published on: January 25, 2013
Related Concept Videos
Olfaction
The olfactory receptors are embedded in the cilia of the...
Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway
The olfactory...
Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure
Regulation of Expression Occurs at Multiple Steps
Regulation of Expression Occurs at Multiple Steps
Transcription results in the generation of precursor (pre-mRNA) that consists of both exons and introns, which needs further processing before being translated to a...
Regulation of Expression at Multiple Steps