Olfactory epithelium progenitors: insights from transgenic mice and in vitro biology.
The rodent olfactory epithelium (OE) is capable of prolonged neurogenesis, beginning at E10 in the embryo and continuing throughout adulthood. Significant progress has been made over the last 10 years in revealing the signals that drive induction, differentiation and survival of its Olfactory Receptor Neurons (ORNs). Our understanding of the identity of specific progenitors or precursors that respond to these signals is, however, less well developed, and the search is still on for the elusive, definitive multipotent neuro-glial OE "Stem cell". Here, we review several lines of evidence that support the existence of a heterogeneous population of neural and glial progenitors in the olfactory mucosa, and highlight the differences in the identity and activity of progenitors found in the embryonic and adult OE. In particular, we show how recent advances in mouse transgenesis, and in the development of in vitro assays of progenitor activity, have helped to demonstrate the existence of multiple classes of olfactory mucosa-based progenitors.
Murdoch
Barbara
B
Departments of Zoology and Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Roskams
A Jane
AJ
D000071916:AC133 Antigen; D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D039902:Multipotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D064231:Nestin; D009830:Olfactory Bulb / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology; D051842:Olfactory Marker Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D009831:Olfactory Mucosa / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology; D018034:Olfactory Receptor Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D010455:Peptides / Q000032:analysis; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000032:analysis
D000071916:AC133 Antigen; D015703:Antigens, CD; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D006023:Glycoproteins; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D064231:Nestin; D051842:Olfactory Marker Protein; D010455:Peptides; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; C499317:Ascl1 protein, mouse; C577484:NES protein, human; C577485:Nes protein, mouse