Studies on Dispersion of Rabbit Olfactory Cells

Mechanical , chemical, and enzymat ic techniques (4, 6, 8, 14, 18, 19) have been reported for dissociat ion of cells f rom liver, kidney, intestinal, ovarian, bra in , and embryonic tissues; bu t a method for obta in ing cell suspensions f rom the olfactory epi the l ium has not been reported in the l i terature. Earl ier investigations of olfaction have utilized olfactory tissue wi thout a t t empt ing to study individual ly the cellular const i tuents of the olfactory epithelium. Research on the olfactory receptor mechanism has concent ra ted mainly on odoran t molecules, ana tomica l descriptions, and electrophysiological studies (3, 11, 12, 15, 16, 2O-22). This paper describes means for acquisit ion and handl ing of cell dispersions f rom olfactory epithelial tissue. T he cell suspensions include the sensing bipolar cells, support ing sustentacular cells, ciliated co lumnar respiratory cells, and other cells which presumably are of lesser or of no impor tance in the odor-sensing mechanism. Uti l izat ion of these techniques should facilitate isolation of specific cell types; and subsequent biochemical investigations should lead to a bet ter unders tand ing of the biological odor-sensing mechanism. M A T E R I A L S A N D M E T H O D S