Detection of alpha-L fucose containing carbohydrates in mouse immature olfactory neurons

The cellular location of alpha-L fucose was studied in mice olfactory epithelium (OE) using the Ulex europaeus agglutinin-I (UEA-I) and Tetragonolobus purpureas agglutinin (TPA). In adult mice, UEA-I and TPA revealed a layer of cells that mostly correspond to immature olfactory neurons. Moreover, autoradiographic studies after 3H-T incorporation showed that UEA-I cell labelling occurred during the week following the division of neural cell precursors. In newborn animals, active neurogenesis process is associated with a higher number of UEA-I labelled cells. Olfactory neurogenesis may thus involve a transient event of protein fucosylation, preceding axonal growth.