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The zebrafish olfactory system

Zebrafish is a widely used model organism in genetic research and developmental biology. The zebrafish olfactory system is structurally similar to that of higher organisms such as mouse, rat, or humans. Yet, the zebrafish olfactory system offers distinct experimental advantages because of its reduced complexity. Estimates are that the zebrafish genome contains around 130 to 150 olfactory receptor genes, while up to 1.300 different genes can be found in mammalian genomes. Olfactory sensory neurons typically express only a single olfactory receptor gene and only one allele of it. Sensory neurons that express the same odorant receptor gene project their axons to olfactory bulb glomeruli.

Odorant receptor gene choice

The remarkable discriminatory power of the olfactory sensory system depends on the specificity of chemosensory receptor cells in the nose and their proper connection to the brain. An individual olfactory sensory neuron chooses only a single allele of a single OR gene for expression. The mechanisms underlying this process are largely unknown. Recently it has been shown that production of a functional OR protein is a key requirement in signalling successful OR gene choice. Sensory neurons that cannot produce a functional OR protein from a chosen OR locus undergo a second round of OR gene choice. A given population of sensory neurons now expresses a variety of ORs which are most likely appropriate for the expression domain in which the sensory neurons reside. The ORs which are expressed as second choice are restricted to a subpopulation of the OR gene repertoire.

Control of OR gene expression

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OSN maturation

The remarkable discriminatory power of the olfactory sensory system depends on the specificity of chemosensory receptor cells in the nose and their proper connection to the brain. An individual olfactory sensory neuron chooses only a single allele of a single OR gene for expression. The mechanisms underlying this process are largely unknown. Recently it has been shown that production of a functional OR protein is a key requirement in signalling successful OR gene choice.

Neurogenesis

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