Neuropilin-2 is required for the proper targeting of ventral glomeruli in the mouse olfactory bulb

Mol Cell Neurosci. 2010 Jul;44(3):233-45. doi: 10.1016/j.mcn.2010.03.010. Epub 2010 Apr 2.

Abstract

Recent evidence shows that olfactory sensory neurons expressing a given odorant receptor (OR) are not necessarily confined to one of four zones, rather arranged in an overlapping manner in the olfactory epithelium (OE). In this study, in situ hybridization of OE sections with the OR probes indicated that the OR genes, the mRNAs of which were detected in an array of glomeruli on olfactory bulb (OB) along the anterodorsal/posteroventral (AD/PV) axis, are expressed in subareal zones within the most ventral zone, zone 4, along the dorsomedial/ventrolateral (DM/VL) axis. We also found that Neuropilin-2 (Nrp2) is expressed in a DM-low to VL-high gradient within zone 4 of OE. Furthermore, in Nrp2 mutant mice, we observed multiple glomeruli for zone 4 ORs in OB. These results suggest that the graded expression of Nrp2 in OE is required for the proper targeting of ventral glomeruli along the AD/PV axis in OB.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Body Patterning
  • In Situ Hybridization
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Neuropilin-2 / genetics
  • Neuropilin-2 / metabolism*
  • Olfactory Bulb* / anatomy & histology
  • Olfactory Bulb* / metabolism
  • Olfactory Mucosa* / anatomy & histology
  • Olfactory Mucosa* / metabolism
  • Receptors, Odorant / genetics
  • Receptors, Odorant / metabolism*
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism
  • Sensory Receptor Cells / cytology
  • Sensory Receptor Cells / metabolism

Substances

  • Neuropilin-2
  • Receptors, Odorant
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins