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Updated: Jul 10, 2026

The Olfactory System as a Model to Study Axonal Growth Patterns and Morphology In Vivo
Published on: October 30, 2014
Nitric oxide in the crustacean brain: regulation of neurogenesis and morphogenesis in the developing olfactory
J L Benton1, D C Sandeman, B S Beltz
1Neuroscience Program, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts 02481, USA. jbenton@wellesley.edu
Abstract:
Nitric oxide (NO) plays major roles during development and in adult organisms. We examined the temporal and spatial patterns of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) appearance in the embryonic lobster brain to localize sources of NO activity; potential NO targets were identified by defining the distribution of NO-induced cGMP. Staining patterns are compared with NOS and cyclic 3,5 guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) distribution in adult lobster brains. Manipulation of NO levels influences olfactory glomerular formation and stabilization, as well as levels of neurogenesis among the olfactory projection neurons. In the first 2 days following ablation of the lateral antennular flagella in juvenile lobsters, a wave of increased NOS immunoreactivity and a reduction in neurogenesis occur. These studies implicate nitric oxide as a developmental architect and also support a role for this molecule in the neural response to injury in the olfactory pathway.
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