# Mechanisms of Developmental Plasticity in the Mammalian Olfactory System

> **NIH NIH R01** · STOWERS INSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH · 2020 · $472,697

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract.
 In the mammalian brain, the olfactory bulb is the only region that receives not only continuous infusion of
neuronal progenitor cells from the brain, but also renewed input from the olfactory epithelium. The olfactory
sensory neurons (OSNs) continuously regenerate throughout the life of the animal. The newly-generated
OSNs project precisely to stereotypical positions in the olfactory bulb to maintain a sensory map. It has been
thought that the olfactory system does not exhibit a critical period during development because of its unique,
continuous regenerative capacity. Our recent results show that axonal targeting of the OSNs is sensitive to
deprivation of neural activity and other perturbations during the first postnatal week in olfactory development,
suggesting a critical period in OSN axon targeting. Our data further suggest that two separate developmental
programs underlie the precise targeting of the OSNs before and after the critical period. The switch is
accompanied by a prominent change in the patterns of gene expression. The objective of this application is to
determine the molecular control of the critical period in olfactory system development. By combining genetic
manipulation and transcriptome analyses, we have developed approaches that allow us to directly compare the
developmental programs during early postnatal period and in adulthood. We have identified candidate genes
and we will test their role in determining the axon dynamics during the critical period and their role in
determining the timing of the critical period. These studies will provide mechanistic insights into axon
pathfinding during OSN development and during adult neurogenesis.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9972748
- **Project number:** 5R01DC016696-03
- **Recipient organization:** STOWERS INSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH
- **Principal Investigator:** Congrong Ron Yu
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $472,697
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-07-01 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9972748

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9972748, Mechanisms of Developmental Plasticity in the Mammalian Olfactory System (5R01DC016696-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9972748. Licensed CC0.

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