Publications by authors named "Heather M Sickles"

Olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) are thought to use activity-dependent and independent mechanisms to regulate the expression of axon guidance genes. However, defining the molecular mechanisms that underlie activity-dependent OSN guidance has remained elusive. Only a handful of genes have been identified whose expression is regulated by activity.

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Notch receptors are expressed in neurons and glia in the adult nervous system, but why this expression persists is not well-understood. Here we examine the role of the Notch pathway in the postnatal mouse main olfactory system, and show evidence consistent with a model where Notch2 is required for maintaining sustentacular cell function. In the absence of Notch2, the laminar nature of these glial-like cells is disrupted.

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Background: In the mouse olfactory system, the role of the olfactory bulb in guiding olfactory sensory neuron (OSN) axons to their targets is poorly understood. What cell types within the bulb are necessary for targeting is unknown. What genes are important for this process is also unknown.

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