Immunohistochemical detection of olfactory-specific sensory transduction proteins in olfactory neuroblastoma

Olfactory neuroblastoma (ONB) is a malignant tumor found in the superior nasal cavity. Although there is not adequate molecular evidence, ONB is considered to develop from olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs). Here, we immunohistochemically detected intense signals for the olfactory-specific sensory transduction proteins, Gαolf, adenylyl cyclase III, and cyclic-nucleotide-gated channel A2 in ONB, together with the conventional ONB marker, neuron-specific enolase, while the established OSN markers, olfactory marker protein and growth-associated protein 43, were not detected. These results indicate that ONB and OSNs share the same lineage and that the detected transduction proteins could serve as specific tumor markers for ONB.

Research highlights▶ Olfactory neuroblastoma can be stained by toluidine blue and anti-NSE antibody. ▶ Olfactory neuroblastoma does not express the established markers for olfactory sensory neurons, namely, OMP and GAP43. ▶ Olfactory neuroblastoma expresses olfactory-specific signal transduction proteins, Golf, adenylate cyclase, and cyclic-nucleotide-gated channel. ▶ Olfactory neuroblastoma and olfactory sensory neurons may share the same cellular lineage. ▶ New specific tumor markers for olfactory neuroblastoma are proposed.