Olfactory sensory neurons that express transient receptor potential channel M5 (TrpM5) or neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) project to defined clusters of glomeruli situated ventrally in the main olfactory bulb. Using genetically labeled mice, we investigated whether expression of NT-3-driven βgal and TrpM5-driven GFP marked overlapping sets of glomeruli and whether expression of these markers was coordinated. Our results indicate that these markers largely characterize independent sets of olfactory sensory neuron axons and glomeruli. Further, in glomeruli in which both TrpM5-GFP and NT-3-βgal labeled axons occur, they are expressed independently. The nature of staining for these two markers also differs within glomeruli. Within each labeled TrpM5-positive glomerulus, the level of TrpM5-GFP expression was similar throughout the glomerular neuropil. In contrast, NT-3-driven βgal expression levels are heterogeneous even within heavily labeled glomeruli. In addition, a population of very small TrpM5-GFP positive glomeruli is apparent while no similar populations of NT-3-βgal glomeruli are evident. Taken together, these data suggest that TrpM5 and NT-3 characterize two largely independent receptor populations both conveying odorant information to the ventral olfactory bulb.
Keywords: olfaction, immunochemistry, mapping, semiochemical, microglomeruli.
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