structures, that lies beneath the rostral end of the nasal cavity, is thought to be the primary site for the detection of pheromones in mammals (Halpern, 1987; Wysocki & Meredith, 1987). Sensory transduction in the VNO is poorly understood, but is likely to be distinct from sensory transduction in the olfactory epithelium (Liman, 1996). In the olfactory epithelium, G protein-coupled receptors a...

In mammals, neurogenesis continues during adulthood in restricted places of the nervous system, namely the subventricular zone, the dentate gyms and the olfactory epithelium. A dual role of the second messenger nitric oxide has been reported in such places, either promoting or inhibiting proliferation of neuronal precursors depending on the cellular signal implicated. In this review the regulat...

Our previous study showed the presence of γ-amonobutyrate (GABA) system composed of GABA synthesize enzyme glutamate decarboxylase (GAD), GABA and GABA receptors in lower airway tract epithelial cells of GAD67-GFP knock-in mice. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of GABA system in upper airway tract. To observe GAD expression, mucous membranes of upper airway tract of adult m...

Henipaviruses are emerging zoonotic viruses and causative agents of encephalitis in humans. However, the mechanisms of entry into the central nervous system (CNS) in humans are not known. Here, we evaluated the possible role of olfactory epithelium in virus entry into the CNS. We characterized Hendra virus (HeV) and Nipah virus (NiV) infection of primary human olfactory epithelial cultures. We ...

Abstract Noses are extremely sophisticated chemical detectors allowing animals to use scents interpret and navigate their environments. Odor detection starts with the activation of odorant receptors (ORs), expressed in mature olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) populating mucosa. Different odorants, or different concentrations same odorant, activate unique ensembles ORs. This mechanism combinatori...

Newborn feeding, maternal, bonding, growth and wellbeing depend upon intact odor recognition in the early postnatal period. Antenatal stress may affect postnatal odor recognition. We investigated the exact role of a neurotransmitter, nitric oxide (NO), in newborn olfactory function. We hypothesized that olfactory neuron activity depended on NO generated by neuronal NO synthase (NOS). Utilizing ...

Understanding the mechanisms involved in maintaining lifelong neurogenesis has a clear biological and clinical interest. In the present study, we performed olfactory nerve transection on larval Xenopus to induce severe damage to the olfactory circuitry. We surveyed the timing of the degeneration, subsequent rewiring and functional regeneration of the olfactory system following injury. A range o...