title: MouSensor: A Versatile Genetic Platform to Create Super Sniffer Mice for Studying Human Odor Coding.
abstract: Typically, ∼0.1% of the total number of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) in the main olfactory epithelium express the same odorant receptor (OR) in a singular fashion and their axons coalesce into homotypic glomeruli in the olfactory bulb. Here, we have dramatically increased the total number of OSNs expressing specific cloned OR coding sequences by multimerizing a 21-bp sequence encompassing the predicted homeodomain binding site sequence, TAATGA, known to be essential in OR gene choice. Singular gene choice is maintained in these "MouSensors." In vivo synaptopHluorin imaging of odor-induced responses by known M71 ligands shows functional glomerular activation in an M71 MouSensor. Moreover, a behavioral avoidance task demonstrates that specific odor detection thresholds are significantly decreased in multiple transgenic lines, expressing mouse or human ORs. We have developed a versatile platform to study gene choice and axon identity, to create biosensors with great translational potential, and to finally decode human olfaction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY 10065, USA; The Graduate Center Biochemistry, Biology and Biopsychology and Behavioral Neuroscience Programs, City University of New York, New York, NY 10065, USA.
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: D'Hulst
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY 10065, USA; The Graduate Center Biochemistry, Biology and Biopsychology and Behavioral Neuroscience Programs, City University of New York, New York, NY 10065, USA.
authors.forename: Raena B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Mina
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY 10065, USA; The Graduate Center Biochemistry, Biology and Biopsychology and Behavioral Neuroscience Programs, City University of New York, New York, NY 10065, USA.
authors.forename: Zachary
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gershon
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY 10065, USA; The Graduate Center Biochemistry, Biology and Biopsychology and Behavioral Neuroscience Programs, City University of New York, New York, NY 10065, USA.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jamet
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY 10065, USA; The Graduate Center Biochemistry, Biology and Biopsychology and Behavioral Neuroscience Programs, City University of New York, New York, NY 10065, USA.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cerullo
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY 10065, USA; The Graduate Center Biochemistry, Biology and Biopsychology and Behavioral Neuroscience Programs, City University of New York, New York, NY 10065, USA.
authors.forename: Delia
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tomoiaga
authors.affiliation: Developmental Neural Plasticity Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.affiliation: Developmental Neural Plasticity Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Belluscio
authors.affiliation: Corporate Research and Development, Firmenich Inc., Plainsboro, NJ 08536, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.affiliation: Shelby White and Leon Levy Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA.
authors.forename: Yevgeniy
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sirotin
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY 10065, USA; The Graduate Center Biochemistry, Biology and Biopsychology and Behavioral Neuroscience Programs, City University of New York, New York, NY 10065, USA. Electronic address: feinstein@genectr.hunter.cuny.edu.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Feinstein
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009812:Odorants; D009830:Olfactory Bulb / Q000502:physiology*; D009831:Olfactory Mucosa / Q000502:physiology*; D018034:Olfactory Receptor Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D018035:Receptors, Odorant / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D018035:Receptors, Odorant