title: Activation of the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling reporter in developing mouse olfactory nerve layer marks a specialized subgroup of olfactory ensheathing cells.
abstract: Wnt reporter TOPgal mice carry a beta-galactosidase (betagal) gene under the control of the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling responsive elements. We found that the intensely immunolabeled betagal+ cells were co-immunolabeled with Nestin and formed a tangentially oriented single-cell layer in the "connecting or docking zone" where the olfactory sensory axons attached to the brain surface during mid-gestation. During early postnatal development, betagal+ cells were located in the inner olfactory nerve layer (ONLi) and co-labeled with olfactory ensheathing cell (OEC) markers S100beta and NPY but not with lineage-specific markers for neurons, oligodendrocytes, astrocytes, and microglia, demonstrating that the TOPgal marked a subpopulation of OECs. By confocal microscopy, we found that TOPgal activated processes extended along the developing glomerulus and formed multiple tunnel-like structures that ensheathe and bridge olfactory sensory axonal bundles from ONLi to the glomerulus, which may play a key role in glomerulus formation and convergent sorting of the peripheral olfactory axons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, and Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Shriners Hospitals for Children-Northern California, Sacramento, California 95817, USA.
authors.forename: Ya-Zhou
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Andrei
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Molotkov
authors.forename: Lanying
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Yunhong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: David E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Pleasure
authors.forename: Cheng-Ji
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D001369:Axons / Q000378:metabolism*; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D064231:Nestin; D009478:Neuropeptide Y / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D009832:Olfactory Nerve / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology*; D020218:Response Elements / Q000502:physiology*; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; C577484:NES protein, human; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C577485:Nes protein, mouse; D064231:Nestin; D009478:Neuropeptide Y; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit; D009418:S100 Proteins; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin