Constitutive and evoked release of ATP in adult mouse olfactory epithelium.

In adult olfactory epithelium (OE), ATP plays a role in constant cell turnover and post-injury neuroregeneration. We previously demonstrated that constitutive and ATP-evoked ATP release are present in neonatal mouse OE and underlie continuous cell turn-over and post-injury neuroregeneration, and that activation of purinergic P2X receptors is involved in the evoked release. We hypothesized that both releases are present in adult mouse OE.

Cannabinoid receptor signaling induces proliferation but not neurogenesis in the mouse olfactory epithelium.

The olfactory epithelium actively generates neurons through adulthood, and this neurogenesis is tightly regulated by multiple factors that are not fully defined. Here, we examined the role of cannabinoids in the regulation of neurogenesis in the mouse olfactory epithelium. In vivo proliferation and cell lineage studies were performed in mice (C57BL/6 and cannabinoid type 1 and 2 receptor deficient strains) treated with cannabinoids directly (WIN 55,212-2 or 2-arachidonylglycerol ether) or indirectly via inhibition of cannabinoid hydrolytic enzymes.

An endocannabinoid system is present in the mouse olfactory epithelium but does not modulate olfaction.

Endocannabinoids modulate a diverse array of functions including progenitor cell proliferation in the central nervous system, and odorant detection and food intake in the mammalian central olfactory system and larval Xenopus laevis peripheral olfactory system. However, the presence and role of endocannabinoids in the peripheral olfactory epithelium have not been examined in mammals. We found the presence of cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) and cannabinoid type 2 (CB2) receptor protein and mRNA in the olfactory epithelium.

Effect of IP3R3 and NPY on age-related declines in olfactory stem cell proliferation.

Losing the sense of smell because of aging compromises health and quality of life. In the mouse olfactory epithelium, aging reduces the capacity for tissue homeostasis and regeneration. The microvillous cell subtype that expresses both inositol trisphosphate receptor type 3 (IP3R3) and the neuroproliferative factor neuropeptide Y (NPY) is critical for regulation of homeostasis, yet its role in aging is undefined.

An IP3R3- and NPY-expressing microvillous cell mediates tissue homeostasis and regeneration in the mouse olfactory epithelium.

Calcium-dependent release of neurotrophic factors plays an important role in the maintenance of neurons, yet the release mechanisms are understudied. The inositol triphosphate (IP3) receptor is a calcium release channel that has a physiological role in cell growth, development, sensory perception, neuronal signaling and secretion. In the olfactory system, the IP3 receptor subtype 3 (IP3R3) is expressed exclusively in a microvillous cell subtype that is the predominant cell expressing neurotrophic factor neuropeptide Y (NPY).