Centrioles are amplified via rosette formation in cycling progenitors of olfactory sensory neurons

Olfaction in most animals is mediated by neurons bearing cilia that are accessible to the environment. Olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) in chordates usually have multiple cilia, each with a centriole at its base. OSNs differentiate from stem cells in the olfactory epithelium, and how the epithelium generates cells with many centrioles—about 16 in mouse—is not yet understood. We show that centrioles are amplified via centriole rosette formation in both embryonic development and turnover of the olfactory epithelium in adults, and rosette-bearing cells often have free centrioles in addition. Cells with amplified centrioles can go on to divide, with centrioles clustered at each pole. Additionally, we found that immediate neuronal precursors amplify centrioles concomitantly with elevation of mRNA for Plk4 and Stil, key regulators of centriole duplication. Our findings highlight the importance of accounting for centriole amplification in neuron regeneration therapies derived from olfactory epithelia.