title: Role of interleukin-15 in the development of mouse olfactory nerve.
abstract: Interleukin (IL)-15 interacts with components of the IL-2 receptor (R) and exhibits T cell-stimulating activity similar to that of IL-2. In addition, IL-15 is widely expressed in many cell types and tissues, including the central nervous system. We provide evidence of a novel role of IL-15 in olfactory neurogenesis. Both IL-15 and IL-15R alpha were expressed in neuronal precursor cells of the developing olfactory epithelium in mice. Adult IL-15R alpha knockout mice had fewer mature olfactory neurons and proliferating cells than wild-type. Our results suggest that IL-15 plays an important role in regulating cell proliferation in olfactory neurogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Shimane University, Izumo, Japan. umehara@med.shimane-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Umehara
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Udagawa
authors.forename: Kaoru
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takamura
authors.forename: Mitsuhiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Ryotaro
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ishimitsu
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kiyono
authors.forename: Hideyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kawauchi
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Otani
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D019409:Interleukin-15 / Q000502:physiology*; D053720:Interleukin-15 Receptor alpha Subunit / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009831:Olfactory Mucosa / Q000196:embryology*; D009832:Olfactory Nerve / Q000196:embryology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019409:Interleukin-15; D053720:Interleukin-15 Receptor alpha Subunit; D012333:RNA, Messenger