“Till Death Do Us Part”: A Potential Irreversible Link Between Aberrant Cell Cycle Control and Neurodegeneration in the Adult Olfactory Bulb

Adult neurogenesis (AN) is an ongoing developmental process that generates newborn neurons in the olfactory bulb (OB) and the hippocampus (Hi) throughout life and significantly contributes to brain plasticity. Adult neural stem and progenitor cells (aNSPCs) are relatively limited in number and fate and are spatially restricted to the subventricular zone (SVZ) and the subgranular zone (SGZ). During AN, the distinct roles played by cell cycle proteins extend beyond cell cycle control and constitute key regulatory mechanisms involved in neuronal maturation and survival. Importantly, aberrant cell cycle re-entry (CCE) in post-mitotic neurons has been strongly linked to the abnormal pathophysiology in rodent models of neurodegenerative diseases with potential implications on the etiology and progression of such diseases in humans. Here, we present an overview of AN in the SVZ-OB and olfactory epithelium (OE) in mice and humans followed by a comprehensive update of the distinct roles played by cell cycle proteins including major tumors suppressor genes in various steps during neurogenesis. We also discuss accumulating evidence underlining a strong link between abnormal cell cycle control, olfactory dysfunction and neurodegeneration in the adult and aging brain. We emphasize that: (1) CCE in post-mitotic neurons due to loss of cell cycle suppression and/or age-related insults as well as DNA damage can anticipate the development of neurodegenerative lesions and protein aggregates, (2) the age-related decline in SVZ and OE neurogenesis is associated with compensatory pro-survival mechanisms in the aging OB which are interestingly similar to those detected in Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease in humans, and (3) the OB represents a well suitable model to study the early manifestation of age-related defects that may eventually progress into the formation of neurodegenerative lesions and, possibly, spread to the rest of the brain. Such findings may provide a novel approach to the modeling of neurodegenerative diseases in humans from early detection to progression and treatment as well.