Insertion of a neomycin selection cassette in the Amigo1 locus alters gene expression in the olfactory epithelium leading to region-specific defects in olfactory receptor neuron development.

During development of the nervous system, neurons connect to one another in a precisely organized manner. Sensory systems provide a good example of this organization, whereby the composition of the outside world is represented in the brain by neuronal maps. Establishing correct patterns of neural circuitry is crucial, as inaccurate map formation can lead to severe disruptions in sensory processing.

Uniaxial Hydroxyapatite Growth on a Self-Assembled Protein Scaffold.

Biomineralization is a crucial process whereby organisms produce mineralized tissues such as teeth for mastication, bones for support, and shells for protection. Mineralized tissues are composed of hierarchically organized hydroxyapatite crystals, with a limited capacity to regenerate when demineralized or damaged past a critical size. Thus, the development of protein-based materials that act as artificial scaffolds to guide hydroxyapatite growth is an attractive goal both for the design of ordered nanomaterials and for tissue regeneration.

Kirrel2 is differentially required in populations of olfactory sensory neurons for the targeting of axons in the olfactory bulb.

The formation of olfactory maps in the olfactory bulb (OB) is crucial for the control of innate and learned mouse behaviors. Olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) expressing a specific odorant receptor project axons into spatially conserved glomeruli within the OB and synapse onto mitral cell dendrites. Combinatorial expression of members of the Kirrel family of cell adhesion molecules has been proposed to regulate OSN axonal coalescence; however, loss-of-function experiments have yet to establish their requirement in this process.

Loss of Kirrel family members alters glomerular structure and synapse numbers in the accessory olfactory bulb.

The accessory olfactory system controls social and sexual behaviours in mice, both of which are critical for their survival. Vomeronasal sensory neuron (VSN) axons form synapses with mitral cell dendrites in glomeruli of the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB). Axons of VSNs expressing the same vomeronasal receptor (VR) converge into multiple glomeruli within spatially conserved regions of the AOB.