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Updated: Jun 21, 2026
08:42
Whole Mount Labeling of Cilia in the Main Olfactory System of Mice
Published on: December 27, 2014
Tenascin-C is an inhibitory boundary molecule in the developing olfactory bulb
Helen B Treloar1, Arundhati Ray, Lu Anne Dinglasan
1Department of Neurosurgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8082, USA. helen.treloar@yale.edu
Summary
Tenascin-C (Tnc) inhibits olfactory sensory neuron axon growth in the developing olfactory bulb. Tnc acts as a boundary molecule, delaying glomerular development and olfactory behavior acquisition in mice.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Extracellular Matrix Biology
Background:
- Tenascin-C (Tnc) exhibits a boundary-like expression in the developing mouse olfactory bulb (OB).
- Olfactory sensory neuron (OSN) axon sorting in the olfactory nerve layer (ONL) is critical before glomerular formation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the hypothesis that Tnc inhibits OSN axon growth in the developing OB prior to glomerulogenesis.
- To elucidate the role of Tnc in olfactory bulb development and axon guidance.
Main Methods:
- In vitro analyses of OSN neurite outgrowth inhibition by Tnc.
- Stripe assays to assess OSN axon preference regarding Tnc.
- Analysis of glomerular development in Tnc-null mice compared to wild-type controls.
Main Results:
- Tnc dose-dependently inhibited OSN neurite outgrowth in vitro.
- OSN axons preferentially avoided Tnc in stripe assays.
- Tnc-null mice exhibited delayed glomerular development, with immature and fused glomeruli at birth.
- Glomerular maturation was delayed in Tnc-null mice, with axons showing delayed coalescence into structures.
Conclusions:
- Tenascin-C acts as an inhibitory boundary molecule in the developing olfactory bulb.
- Tnc plays a crucial role in regulating OSN axon guidance and glomerular formation.
- The absence of Tnc leads to delays in olfactory bulb development and associated behaviors.
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