Ciliated OSNs

In most mammalian species, two functionally distinct classes of chemicals (odorants and pheromones) are detected and processed through anatomically segregated neural pathways the main olfactory system and the vomeronasal (accessory olfactory) system (Buck 2000 Mombaerts 2004). Volatile odorants are received by a large repertoire of ORs expressed on ciliated OSNs in the OE and the information is transmitted to the main OB. By contrast, pheromones are mostly received by two families of vomeronasal receptors (VIRs and V2Rs) expressed on microvillous sensory neurons in the vomeronasal organ that project their axons to the accessory OB. 

Fig. 1 Molecular neuroanatomy of the zebrafish olfactory epithelium, a The zebrafish olfactory rosette, b A section of the olfactory rosette hybridized with an olfactory marker protein (OMP) complementary RNA probe. Dark signals represent ciliated olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) in the olfactory epithelium (OE). c Three types of olfactory sensory neurons in fish, d Distinct locations and molecular signatures of ciliated and microvillous OSNs. The ciliated OSNs locate in a...

Fig. 4 Odor map in the zebrafish olfactory bulb. Amino acids and nucleotides are received mostly by V2R-type olfactory receptors on microvillous OSNs and are represented in the lateral region of the OB. In contrast, bile acids are received by OR-type olfactory receptors on ciliated OSNs and are represented in the medial region of the OB. LOT lateral olfactory tract, MOT medial olfactory tract...

Olfactory perception translates abstract chemical features of odorants into meaningful neural information to elicit appropriate behavioral responses (Shepherd, 1994 Buck, 1996). Specialized bipolar olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) are responsible for the initial events in odor recognition. These have ciliated dendrites exposed to the environment, and a single axon that extends into the brain and forms synapses with second order projection neurons (PNs) (Shepherd, 1994 Buck, 1996). In arthropods and mammals, the first olfactory synapse is organized into glomeruli, spherical structures in which afferent olfactory neuron axons synapse with projection neuron dendrites (Hildebrand and Shepherd, 1997). 

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