The protocadherin-alpha family is involved in axonal coalescence of olfactory sensory neurons into glomeruli of the olfactory bulb in mouse.
Olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) that express the same odorant receptor project their axons to specific glomeruli in the main olfactory bulb. Protocadherin-alpha (Pcdha) proteins, diverse cadherin-related molecules that are encoded as a gene cluster, are highly concentrated in OSN axons and olfactory glomeruli. Here, we describe Pcdha mutant mice, in which the constant region of the Pcdha gene cluster has been deleted by gene targeting. The mutant mice show abnormal sorting of OSN axons into glomeruli. There are multiple, small, extraneous glomeruli for the odorant receptors M71 and MOR23. These abnormal patterns of M71 and MOR23 glomeruli persist until adulthood. Many M71 glomeruli, but apparently not MOR23 glomeruli, are heterogeneous in axonal innervation. Thus, Pcdha molecules are involved in coalescence of OSN axons into OR-specific glomeruli of the olfactory bulb.
Hasegawa
Sonoko
S
KOKORO-Biology Group, Laboratories for Integrated Biology, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
Hamada
Shun
S
Kumode
You
Y
Esumi
Shigeyuki
S
Katori
Shota
S
Fukuda
Emi
E
Uchiyama
Yasuo
Y
Hirabayashi
Takahiro
T
Mombaerts
Peter
P
Yagi
Takeshi
T
D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology*; D015820:Cadherins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D017353:Gene Deletion; D018390:Gene Targeting; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D005810:Multigene Family / Q000502:physiology*; D009830:Olfactory Bulb / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development*; D009833:Olfactory Pathways / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development*; D018034:Olfactory Receptor Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development*; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000502:physiology*; D018035:Receptors, Odorant / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology
D015820:Cadherins; C502656:Olfr151 protein, mouse; C118713:Olfr16 protein, mouse; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D018035:Receptors, Odorant