title: The patch-like pattern of OR37 receptors is formed by turning off gene expression in non-appropriate areas.
abstract: Olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) expressing the same odorant receptor (OR) gene are generally widely dispersed throughout the olfactory epithelium (OE). In contrast, OSNs expressing any member from the special OR37 subfamily are concentrated in a small patch in the centre of the OE. To evaluate whether transcription of OR37 genes is only possible in the patch region, or if they can generally be chosen also in non-appropriate areas, a transgenic approach was employed that permanently labelled all cells which ever transcribed a representative OR37 gene. It was found that - in addition to cells inside the patch - numerous cells outside were labelled, indicating that they had transcribed the OR37 gene, but then turned it off while choosing another OR gene. Permanent expression of the OR37 gene was exclusively maintained in the patch. The results suggest that mechanisms acting downstream of an initial OR gene choice restrict OR37 expression to the patch.
authors.affiliation: University of Hohenheim, Institute of Physiology, Garbenstrasse 30, 70593 Stuttgart, Germany. strotman@uni-hohenheim.de
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Strotmann
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bader
authors.forename: Hervé
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Luche
authors.forename: Hans Jörg
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Fehling
authors.forename: Heinz
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Breer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D019426:Integrases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009830:Olfactory Bulb / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D018035:Receptors, Odorant / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019147:Vomeronasal Organ / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; C452230:Olfr37 protein, mouse; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018035:Receptors, Odorant; C054562:yellow fluorescent protein, Bacteria; C045073:Cre recombinase; D019426:Integrases