Odorant receptors govern the formation of a precise topographic map.
Olfactory neurons expressing a given odorant receptor project with precision to 2 of the 1800 glomeruli within the olfactory bulb to create a topographic map of odor quality. We demonstrate that deletions or nonsense mutations in the P2 odorant receptor gene cause the axons of these cells to wander rather than converge on a specific glomerulus. Receptor substitution experiments that replace the P2 gene with the coding region of the P3 gene result in the projection of P3-->P2 axons to a glomerulus touching the wild-type P3 glomerulus. These data, along with additional receptor substitutions, indicate that the odorant receptor plays an instructive role in the establishment of the topographic map.
Wang
F
F
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA.
Nemes
A
A
Mendelsohn
M
M
Axel
R
R
D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology; D009812:Odorants; D009830:Olfactory Bulb / Q000502:physiology*; D009833:Olfactory Pathways / Q000502:physiology*; D018034:Olfactory Receptor Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D018035:Receptors, Odorant / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000096:biosynthesis
D018035:Receptors, Odorant; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D001616:beta-Galactosidase