Umehara Tsuyoshi, Udagawa Jun, Takamura Kaoru, Kimura Mitsuhiro, Ishimitsu Ryotaro, Kiyono Hiroshi, Kawauchi Hideyuki, Otani Hiroki
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Shimane University, Izumo, Japan.
Congenit Anom (Kyoto). 2009 Dec;49(4):253-7. doi: 10.1111/j.1741-4520.2009.00246.x.
Interleukin (IL)-15 interacts with components of the IL-2 receptor (R) and exhibits T cell-stimulating activity similar to that of IL-2. In addition, IL-15 is widely expressed in many cell types and tissues, including the central nervous system. We provide evidence of a novel role of IL-15 in olfactory neurogenesis. Both IL-15 and IL-15R alpha were expressed in neuronal precursor cells of the developing olfactory epithelium in mice. Adult IL-15R alpha knockout mice had fewer mature olfactory neurons and proliferating cells than wild-type. Our results suggest that IL-15 plays an important role in regulating cell proliferation in olfactory neurogenesis.
