Identification of accessory olfactory system and medial amygdala in the zebrafish

Zebrafish larvae imprint on visual and olfactory cues of their kin on day 5 and 6 postfertilization, respectively. Only imprinted (but not non-imprinted) larvae show strongly activated crypt (and some microvillous) cells demonstrated by pERK levels after subsequent exposure to kin odor. Here, we investigate the olfactory bulb of zebrafish larvae for activated neurons located at the sole glomerulus mdG2 which receives crypt cell input. Imprinted larvae show a significantly increased activation of olfactory bulb cells compared to non-imprinted larvae after exposure to kin odor. Surprisingly, pERK activated Orthopedia-positive cell numbers in the intermediate ventral telencephalic nucleus were higher in non-imprinted, kin odor stimulated larvae compared to control and to kin-odor stimulated imprinted larvae and control. Moreover, DiI tracing experiments in adult zebrafish show a neuronal circuit from crypt/microvillous olfactory sensory neurons via dorsomedial olfactory bulb and intermediate ventral telencephalic nucleus (thus, arguably the teleostean medial amygdala) to tuberal hypothalamus, demonstrating for the first time an accessory olfactory system in teleosts.