Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, United States
Abhishek Sohni
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, School of Medicine University of California, San Diego, San Diego, United States
Shivam Pandya
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, School of Medicine University of California, San Diego, San Diego, United States
Richard L Gallo
Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, United States
Kun Zhang
Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, United States
Heidi Cook-Andersen
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, School of Medicine University of California, San Diego, San Diego, United States; Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, United States
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, School of Medicine University of California, San Diego, San Diego, United States; Institute of Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, United States
The UPF3B-dependent branch of the nonsense-mediated RNA decay (NMD) pathway is critical for human cognition. Here, we examined the role of UPF3B in the olfactory system. Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis demonstrated considerable heterogeneity of olfactory sensory neuron (OSN) cell populations in wild-type (WT) mice, and revealed that UPF3B loss influences specific subsets of these cell populations. UPF3B also regulates the expression of a large cadre of antimicrobial genes in OSNs, and promotes the selection of specific olfactory receptor (Olfr) genes for expression in mature OSNs (mOSNs). RNA-seq and Ribotag analyses identified classes of mRNAs expressed and translated at different levels in WT and Upf3b-null mOSNs. Integrating multiple computational approaches, UPF3B-dependent NMD target transcripts that are candidates to mediate the functions of NMD in mOSNs were identified in vivo. Together, our data provides a valuable resource for the olfactory field and insights into the roles of NMD in vivo.
