Odorant Response Kinetics from Cultured Mouse Olfactory Epithelium at Different Ages in vitro

Abstract

Mammalian olfactory epithelium can withstand the external environment, undergo life-long regeneration, and respond to thousands of odorant stimuli, making it an attractive system for a variety of studies. Previously, we described a long-lived olfactory coculture of olfactory epithelium and bulb tissues and we present here the kinetic properties of that culture system. Neonatal mouse epithelial-bulbar explants were grown for periods as long as 121 days in vitro (DIV), nearly doubling the survival time of our previously longest lived cultures. Cultures at all ages responded to air-borne odorants. The youngest cultures (1–15 DIV) showed shorter half-rise and half-decay times than older cultures (21–121 DIV), and were more variable in their half-decay times. Zinc nanoparticles enhanced electro-olfactogram responses of both younger and older cultures and both groups were immunopositive for olfactory marker protein. The results show that our olfactory culture model can support mature, odorant-responsive olfactory receptor neurons that possess many of the response features of in situ olfactory receptor neurons.

Genomics of mature and immature olfactory sensory neurons

“…Both developmental stages also express >1,100 genes encoding proteins that bind zinc or are predicted to bind zinc. Although the unusual sensitivity of OSNs to zinc might lie within the functions of these gene products (Lim et al, 2009; Viswaprakash et al, 2010) it is very possible that elevated zinc in the olfactory epithelium affects proteins that do not normally bind zinc.…”

Zinc nanoparticles interact with olfactory receptor neurons

“…We recently demonstrated that zinc nanoparticles enhanced EOG responses of cultured olfactory neurons. The fact that zinc nanoparticle enhancement was observed in both young and mature cultures as well as in dissected olfactory epithelium indicates the importance of this phenomenon for initial events in olfaction (Viswaprakash et al 2009b).…”

Zinc Nanoparticles Enhance Brain Connectivity in the Canine Olfactory Network: Evidence From an fMRI Study in Unrestrained Awake Dogs

“…Based on previous in vitro ( 18 , 20 , 36 ) and in vivo ( 21 ) studies, we concluded that olfactory enhancement by the zinc nanoparticles is composed of two components. One component is based at the level of olfactory sensory receptors, and the second part of the olfactory enhancement is positioned at higher levels of olfactory perception.…”