Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) are neural crest‐derived glia that ensheath bundles of olfactory axons from their peripheral origins in the olfactory epithelium to their central targets in the olfactory bulb. We took an unbiased laser microdissection and differential RNA‐seq approach, validated by in situ hybridization, to identify candidate molecular mechanisms underlying mouse OEC development and differences with the neural crest‐derived Schwann cells developing on other peripheral nerves. We identified 25 novel markers for developing OECs in the olfactory mucosa and/or the olfactory nerve layer surrounding the olfactory bulb, of which 15 were OEC‐specific (that is, not expressed by Schwann cells). One pan‐OEC‐specific gene, Ptprz1, encodes a receptor‐like tyrosine phosphatase that blocks oligodendrocyte differentiation. Mutant analysis suggests Ptprz1 may also act as a brake on OEC differentiation, and that its loss disrupts olfactory axon targeting. Overall, our results provide new insights into OEC development and the diversification of neural crest‐derived glia.

中文翻译：

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从激光显微切割和转录组分析方法对嗅鞘细胞发育的见解。

嗅鞘细胞 (OEC) 是神经嵴衍生的神经胶质细胞，其将嗅轴突束从其在嗅上皮的外周起源处包裹到其在嗅球中的中心目标。我们采用无偏激光显微切割和差异 RNA-seq 方法，通过原位杂交验证，以确定小鼠 OEC 发育的候选分子机制以及与其他外周神经上发育的神经嵴衍生的雪旺细胞的差异。我们确定了 25 个用于在嗅球周围的嗅黏膜和/或嗅觉神经层中形成 OEC 的新标志物，其中 15 个是 OEC 特异性的（即不由雪旺细胞表达）。一个泛OEC特异性基因，Ptprz1，编码一种受体样酪氨酸磷酸酶，可阻断少突胶质细胞分化。突变分析表明 Ptprz1 也可能作为 OEC 分化的制动器，并且它的丢失会破坏嗅觉轴突的靶向。总体而言，我们的结果为 OEC 的发展和神经嵴衍生的神经胶质细胞的多样化提供了新的见解。