scholarly journals Functional Interaction Between Drosophila Olfactory Sensory Neurons and Their Support Cells

2022 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sinisa Prelic ◽  
Venkatesh Pal Mahadevan ◽  
Vignesh Venkateswaran ◽  
Sofia Lavista-Llanos ◽  
Bill S. Hansson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sensory Neurons ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Olfactory Sensory Neurons ◽  
Functional Interaction ◽  
Supporting Cells ◽  
Volatile Chemicals ◽  
Odor Detection ◽  
Support Cell

Insects detect volatile chemicals using antennae, which house a vast variety of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) that innervate hair-like structures called sensilla where odor detection takes place. In addition to OSNs, the antenna also hosts various support cell types. These include the triad of trichogen, tormogen, and thecogen support cells that lie adjacent to their respective OSNs. The arrangement of OSN supporting cells occurs stereotypically for all sensilla and is widely conserved in evolution. While insect chemosensory neurons have received considerable attention, little is known about the functional significance of the cells that support them. For instance, it remains unknown whether support cells play an active role in odor detection, or only passively contribute to homeostasis, e.g., by maintaining sensillum lymph composition. To investigate the functional interaction between OSNs and support cells, we used optical and electrophysiological approaches in Drosophila. First, we characterized the distribution of various supporting cells using genetic markers. By means of an ex vivo antennal preparation and genetically-encoded Ca2+ and K+ indicators, we then studied the activation of these auxiliary cells during odor presentation in adult flies. We observed acute responses and distinct differences in Ca2+ and K+ fluxes between support cell types. Finally, we observed alterations in OSN responses upon thecogen cell ablation in mature adults. Upon inducible ablation of thecogen cells, we notice a gain in mechanical responsiveness to mechanical stimulations during single-sensillum recording, but a lack of change to the neuronal resting activity. Taken together, these results demonstrate that support cells play a more active and responsive role during odor processing than previously thought. Our observations thus reveal that support cells functionally interact with OSNs and may be important for the extraordinary ability of insect olfactory systems to dynamically and sensitively discriminate between odors in the turbulent sensory landscape of insect flight.

scholarly journals Functional interaction between Drosophila olfactory sensory neurons and their support cells

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sinisa Prelic ◽  
Venkatesh Pal Mahadevan ◽  
Vignesh Venkateswaran ◽  
Sofia Lavista-Llanos ◽  
Bill S. Hansson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sensory Neurons ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Olfactory Sensory Neurons ◽  
Functional Interaction ◽  
Supporting Cells ◽  
Volatile Chemicals ◽  
Odor Detection ◽  
Support Cell

AbstractInsects detect volatile chemicals using antennae, which house a vast variety of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) that innervate hair-like structures called sensilla where odor detection takes place. In addition to OSNs, the antenna also hosts various support cell types. These include the triad of trichogen, tormogen and thecogen support cells that lie adjacent to their respective OSNs. The arrangement of OSN supporting cells occurs stereotypically for all sensilla and is widely conserved in evolution. While insect chemosensory neurons have received considerable attention, little is known about the functional significance of the cells that support them. For instance, it remains unknown whether support cells play an active role in odor detection, or only passively contribute to homeostasis, e.g. by maintaining sensillum lymph composition. To investigate the functional interaction between OSNs and support cells, we used optical and electrophysiological approaches in Drosophila. First, we characterized the distribution of various supporting cells using genetic markers. By means of an ex vivo antennal preparation and genetically-encoded Ca2+ and K+ indicators, we then studied the activation of these auxiliary cells during odor presentation in adult flies. We observed acute responses and distinct differences in Ca2+ and K+ fluxes between support cell types. Finally, we observed alterations in OSN responses upon thecogen cell ablation in mature adults. Upon inducible ablation of thecogen cells, we notice a gain in mechanical responsiveness to mechanical stimulations during single-sensillum recording, but a lack of change to neuronal resting activity. Taken together, these results demonstrate that support cells play a more active and responsive role during odor processing than previously thought. Our observations thus reveal that support cells functionally interact with OSNs and may be important for the extraordinary ability of insect olfactory systems to dynamically and sensitively discriminate between odors in the turbulent sensory landscape of insect flight.

scholarly journals Making Blood: The Haematopoietic Niche throughout Ontogeny

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad A. Al-Drees ◽  
Jia Hao Yeo ◽  
Badwi B. Boumelhem ◽  
Veronica I. Antas ◽  
Kurt W. L. Brigden ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Progenitor Cells ◽  
Blood Cells ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Supporting Cells ◽  
Pathological Conditions ◽  
New Directions ◽  
Mammalian Embryogenesis ◽  
Stem And Progenitor Cells ◽  
Haematopoietic System

Approximately one-quarter of all cells in the adult human body are blood cells. The haematopoietic system is therefore massive in scale and requires exquisite regulation to be maintained under homeostatic conditions. It must also be able to respond when needed, such as during infection or following blood loss, to produce more blood cells. Supporting cells serve to maintain haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells during homeostatic and pathological conditions. This coalition of supportive cell types, organised in specific tissues, is termed the haematopoietic niche. Haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells are generated in a number of distinct locations during mammalian embryogenesis. These stem and progenitor cells migrate to a variety of anatomical locations through the conceptus until finally homing to the bone marrow shortly before birth. Under stress, extramedullary haematopoiesis can take place in regions that are typically lacking in blood-producing activity. Our aim in this review is to examine blood production throughout the embryo and adult, under normal and pathological conditions, to identify commonalities and distinctions between each niche. A clearer understanding of the mechanism underlying each haematopoietic niche can be applied to improvingex vivocultures of haematopoietic stem cells and potentially lead to new directions for transplantation medicine.

scholarly journals Response plasticity of Drosophila olfactory sensory neurons

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorena Halty-deLeon ◽  
Venkatesh Pal Mahadevan ◽  
Bill S. Hansson ◽  
Dieter Wicher
Keyword(s):  
Sensory Neurons ◽  
Time Window ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Receptor Activation ◽  
Olfactory Sensory Neurons ◽  
Response Dynamics ◽  
Olfactory Signal ◽  
Intracellular Ca ◽  
Food Odors ◽  
Vinegar Fly

AbstractIn insect olfaction, sensitization refers to the amplification of a weak olfactory signal when the stimulus is repeated within a specific time window. In the vinegar fly, Drosophila melanogaster, his occurs already at the periphery, at the level of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) located in the antenna. In our study, we investigate whether sensitization is a widespread property in a set of seven types of OSNs, as well as the mechanisms involved. First, we characterize and compare differences in spontaneous activity, response velocity and response dynamics among the selected OSN types. These express different receptors with distinct tuning properties and behavioral relevance. Second, we show that sensitization is not a general property. Among our selected OSNs types, it occurs in those responding to more general food odors, while OSNs involved in very specific detection of highly specific ecological cues like pheromones and warning signals show no sensitization. Moreover, we show that mitochondria play an active role in sensitization by contributing to the increase in intracellular Ca2+ upon weak receptor activation. Thus, by using a combination of single sensillum recordings (SSR), calcium imaging and pharmacology, we widen the understanding of how the olfactory signal is processed at the periphery.Abstract Figure

scholarly journals Cholinergic microvillous cells in the mouse main olfactory epithelium and effect of acetylcholine on olfactory sensory neurons and supporting cells

2011 ◽  
Vol 106 (3) ◽  
pp. 1274-1287 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatsuya Ogura ◽  
Steven A. Szebenyi ◽  
Kurt Krosnowski ◽  
Aaron Sathyanesan ◽  
Jacqueline Jackson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sensory Neurons ◽  
Olfactory Epithelium ◽  
Transient Receptor Potential ◽  
Olfactory Sensory Neurons ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Basal Cells ◽  
Supporting Cells ◽  
Concentration Dependent Manner ◽  
External Stimulation ◽  
Main Olfactory Epithelium

The mammalian olfactory epithelium is made up of ciliated olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs), supporting cells, basal cells, and microvillous cells. Previously, we reported that a population of nonneuronal microvillous cells expresses transient receptor potential channel M5 (TRPM5). Using transgenic mice and immunocytochemical labeling, we identify that these cells are cholinergic, expressing the signature markers of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and the vesicular acetylcholine transporter. This result suggests that acetylcholine (ACh) can be synthesized and released locally to modulate activities of neighboring supporting cells and OSNs. In Ca2+ imaging experiments, ACh induced increases in intracellular Ca2+ levels in 78% of isolated supporting cells tested in a concentration-dependent manner. Atropine, a muscarinic ACh receptor (mAChR) antagonist suppressed the ACh responses. In contrast, ACh did not induce or potentiate Ca2+ increases in OSNs. Instead ACh suppressed the Ca2+ increases induced by the adenylyl cyclase activator forskolin in some OSNs. Supporting these results, we found differential expression of mAChR subtypes in supporting cells and OSNs using subtype-specific antibodies against M1 through M5 mAChRs. Furthermore, we found that various chemicals, bacterial lysate, and cold saline induced Ca2+ increases in TRPM5/ChAT-expressing microvillous cells. Taken together, our data suggest that TRPM5/ChAT-expressing microvillous cells react to certain chemical or thermal stimuli and release ACh to modulate activities of neighboring supporting cells and OSNs via mAChRs. Our studies reveal an intrinsic and potentially potent mechanism linking external stimulation to cholinergic modulation of activities in the olfactory epithelium.

scholarly journals Semiochemical responsive olfactory sensory neurons are sexually dimorphic and plastic

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aashutosh Vihani ◽  
Xiaoyang Serene Hu ◽  
Sivaji Gundala ◽  
Sachiko Koyama ◽  
Eric Block ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sensory Neurons ◽  
Olfactory Epithelium ◽  
Phenotypic Variability ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Receptor Expression ◽  
Olfactory Sensory Neurons ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Main Olfactory Epithelium ◽  
Distinct Cell ◽  
Male Specific

AbstractUnderstanding how genes and experiences work in concert to generate phenotypic variability will provide a better understanding of individuality. Here, we considered this in the context of the main olfactory epithelium, a chemosensory structure with over a thousand distinct cell-types, in mice. We identified a subpopulation of at least three types of olfactory sensory neurons, defined by receptor expression, whose abundances were sexually dimorphic. This subpopulation of olfactory sensory neurons was over-represented in sex-separated female mice and responded robustly to the male-specific semiochemicals 2-sec-butyl-4,5-dihydrothaizole and (methylthio)methanethiol. Sex-combined housing led to a robust attenuation of the female over-representation. Testing of Bax null mice revealed a Bax-dependence in generating the sexual dimorphism in sex-separated mice. Altogether, our results suggest a profound role of experience in influencing homeostatic neural lifespan mechanisms to generate a robust sexually dimorphic phenotype in the main olfactory epithelium.

scholarly journals Semiochemical responsive olfactory sensory neurons are sexually dimorphic and plastic

eLife ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aashutosh Vihani ◽  
Xiaoyang Serene Hu ◽  
Sivaji Gundala ◽  
Sachiko Koyama ◽  
Eric Block ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sensory Neurons ◽  
Olfactory Epithelium ◽  
Phenotypic Variability ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Receptor Expression ◽  
Olfactory Sensory Neurons ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Sequencing Analysis ◽  
Main Olfactory Epithelium ◽  
Distinct Cell

Understanding how genes and experience work in concert to generate phenotypic variability will provide a better understanding of individuality. Here, we considered this in the main olfactory epithelium, a chemosensory structure with over a thousand distinct cell types in mice. We identified a subpopulation of olfactory sensory neurons, defined by receptor expression, whose abundances were sexually dimorphic. This subpopulation of olfactory sensory neurons was over-represented in sex-separated mice and robustly responsive to sex-specific semiochemicals. Sex-combined housing led to an attenuation of the dimorphic representations. Single-cell sequencing analysis revealed an axis of activity-dependent gene expression amongst a subset of the dimorphic OSN populations. Finally, the pro-apoptotic gene Baxwas necessary to generate the dimorphic representations. Altogether, our results suggest a role of experience and activity in influencing homeostatic mechanisms to generate a robust sexually dimorphic phenotype in the main olfactory epithelium.

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