Olfactory epithelium changes in germfree mice

Adrien François (1) , Denise Grebert (1) , Moez Rhimi (2) , Mahendra Mariadassou (3) , Laurent Naudon (2, 4) , Sylvie Rabot (2) , Nicolas Meunier (1, 5)

1 NBO - Neurobiologie de l'olfaction
2 MICALIS - MICrobiologie de l'ALImentation au Service de la Santé
3 MaIAGE - Mathématiques et Informatique Appliquées du Génome à l'Environnement [Jouy-En-Josas]
4 Université Paris Saclay (COmUE)
5 UVSQ IECI - Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines - Institut d'études culturelles et internationales

Intestinal epithelium development is dramatically impaired in germfree rodents, but the consequences of the absence of microbiota have been overlooked in other epithelia. In the present study, we present the first description of the bacterial communities associated with the olfactory epithelium and explored differences in olfactory epithelium characteristics between germfree and conventional, specific pathogen-free, mice. While the anatomy of the olfactory epithelium was not significantly different, we observed a thinner olfactory cilia layer along with a decreased cellular turn-over in germfree mice. Using electro-olfactogram, we recorded the responses of olfactory sensitive neuronal populations to various odorant stimulations. We observed a global increase in the amplitude of responses to odorants in germfree mice as well as altered responses kinetics. These changes were associated with a decreased transcription of most olfactory transduction actors and of olfactory xenobiotic metabolising enzymes. Overall, we present here the first evidence that the microbiota modulates the physiology of olfactory epithelium. As olfaction is a major sensory modality for most animal species, the microbiota may have an important impact on animal physiology and behaviour through olfaction alteration.

Domaines: Microbiologie et Parasitologie; Biologie animale; Biochimie, Biologie Moléculaire

Adrien François, Denise Grebert, Moez Rhimi, Mahendra Mariadassou, Laurent Naudon, et al.. Olfactory epithelium changes in germfree mice. Scientific Reports, 2016, 6 (1), ⟨10.1038/srep24687⟩. ⟨hal-03371054⟩