Data and code from: "A spatial code governs olfactory receptor choice and aligns sensory maps in the nose and brain" (Brann et al. 2026 Cell)

# A spatial code governs olfactory receptor choice and aligns sensory maps in the nose and brain

Code and data to replicate analyses in Brann et al. 2026 Cell

## Summary

Although topographical maps organize many peripheral sensory systems, mouse olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) are thought to randomly choose which one of 1,100 possible olfactory receptors (ORs) to express, with spatial organization in the olfactory epithelium limited to a handful of broad anatomical zones that modestly restrict OR choice. Here we reveal that each OR is instead expressed at a unique mean dorsoventral position, thereby instantiating a stereotyped receptor map in the olfactory epithelium. OSN dorsoventral identities are encoded by a coherent gene expression program, which includes key transcription factors and axon guidance molecules; use of this program reflects a dorsoventral gradient in retinoic acid signaling, translates each physical location into a spatially appropriate distribution of potential OR choices, and aligns receptor maps in the nose and brain. Spatial order in the olfactory system, therefore, arises from a continuously varying transcriptional code, one that precisely organizes the many discrete channels responsible for smell.

## Manuscript

For more details, please see our Open Access manuscript: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2026.03.051

# Code

1. The code here in `Brann_olfactory_dorsoventral-zenodo.zip` is a copy of that on GitHub: https://github.com/dattalab/Brann_olfactory_dorsoventral/releases/tag/zenodo/latest. Instructions for how to download and install it can be found in the README.md file.

2. Data is available on the NCBI GEO (accession GSE297068) and raw fastq files are available from the SRA (accession SRP583999).

3. Supplementary data (e.g. preprocessed `.parquet` files) can be found in this repository. To use them in the notebooks, download and add them to the `data/processed/from_zenodo/` folder.