Opposing, spatially-determined epigenetic forces impose restrictions on stochastic olfactory receptor choice.

ABSTRACT: Olfactory receptor (OR) choice represents an example of genetically hardwired stochasticity, where every olfactory neuron expresses one out of ~2000 OR alleles in a probabilistic, yet stereotypic fashion. Here, we propose that topographic restrictions in OR expression are established in neuronal progenitors by two opposing forces: polygenic transcription and genomic silencing, both of which are influenced by dorsoventral gradients of transcription factors NFIA, B, and X. Polygenic transcription of OR genes may define spatially constrained OR repertoires, among which one OR allele is selected for singular expression later in development. Heterochromatin assembly and genomic compartmentalization of OR alleles also vary across the axes of the olfactory epithelium and may preferentially elimin

SUBMITTER: Bashkirova EV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10055043 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature