Mechanical constraints on cell plasticity: insights from the olfactory epithelium
Abstract
The olfactory epithelium (OE) is a unique model to study how mechanical forces and tissue architecture regulate stem cell plasticity. In vertebrate, its lifelong neurogenesis and regenerative capacity depend on horizontal basal cells and globose basal cells, whose plasticity is gated by niche architecture and morphogenetic cues. While molecular pathways in OE development and regeneration are well-characterized, the role of physical forces, from basal niche stiffness to lamellar folding, remains unexplored. This review integrates single-cell analyses, developmental studies, and mechanobiology to propose that the unique structure of the OE (pseudostratified epithelium, spatial compartmentalization) and conserved pathways (YAP, CXCR4, retinoic acid) coordinate plasticity across ontogeny. We discuss how disrupted mechanoregulation might drive olfactory deficits in aging, infection (COVID-19), congenital disorders (Kallmann syndrome), cancer, and outline key questions and processes to decode the mechanobiological rules governing stem cell and progenitor plasticity. A table summarising the tools available at the cellular and tissue levels for manipulating forces and visualising their effects is provided.
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BibTeX
@article{aguillon2026mechanical,
title = {{Mechanical constraints on cell plasticity: insights from the olfactory epithelium}},
author = {Raphaël Aguillon and Pascale Dufourcq and Julie Batut},
journal = {Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.3389/fcell.2026.1841670},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05777324v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Mechanical constraints on cell plasticity: insights from the olfactory epithelium
AU - Raphaël Aguillon
AU - Pascale Dufourcq
AU - Julie Batut
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/14
JO - Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology
DO - 10.3389/fcell.2026.1841670
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05777324v1
AB - The olfactory epithelium (OE) is a unique model to study how mechanical forces and tissue architecture regulate stem cell plasticity. In vertebrate, its lifelong neurogenesis and regenerative capacity depend on horizontal basal cells and globose basal cells, whose plasticity is gated by niche architecture and morphogenetic cues. While molecular pathways in OE development and regeneration are well-characterized, the role of physical forces, from basal niche stiffness to lamellar folding, remains unexplored. This review integrates single-cell analyses, developmental studies, and mechanobiology to propose that the unique structure of the OE (pseudostratified epithelium, spatial compartmentalization) and conserved pathways (YAP, CXCR4, retinoic acid) coordinate plasticity across ontogeny. We discuss how disrupted mechanoregulation might drive olfactory deficits in aging, infection (COVID-19), congenital disorders (Kallmann syndrome), cancer, and outline key questions and processes to decode the mechanobiological rules governing stem cell and progenitor plasticity. A table summarising the tools available at the cellular and tissue levels for manipulating forces and visualising their effects is provided.
SN - 2296-634X
ER -