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Updated: Feb 13, 2026
08:59
Ex Vivo Preparations of the Intact Vomeronasal Organ and Accessory Olfactory Bulb
Published on: August 4, 2014
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Age-dependent decrease in glomeruli and receptor cells containing α1-2 fucose glycan in the mouse main olfactory
Daisuke Kondoh1, Motoki Sasaki2, Nobuo Kitamura2
1Laboratory of Veterinary Anatomy, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Nishi 2-11 Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan. kondoh-d@obihiro.ac.jp.
Cell and Tissue Research
|March 20, 2018
Summary
Alpha1-2 fucose glycan is crucial for the main olfactory system in young mice but less so in older mice. The vomeronasal system, however, consistently requires this glycan throughout life.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Glycobiology
- Olfactory System Research
Background:
- Olfactory epithelium (OE) and vomeronasal organ (VNO) receptor cells project to the main olfactory bulb (MOB) and accessory olfactory bulb (AOB).
- Alpha1-2 fucose (α1-2Fuc) glycan is vital for neurite outgrowth and synaptic plasticity in the developing olfactory system.
- Previous studies confirmed α1-2Fuc glycan localization in young adult mice; its persistence in aging olfactory systems remained uninvestigated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the age-dependent localization of α1-2Fuc glycan in the mouse olfactory system.
- To compare α1-2Fuc glycan expression in the main and accessory olfactory pathways across different age groups.
Main Methods:
- Histochemical analysis of the MOB, AOB, OE, and VNO from 1-, 3-, and 8-month-old mice.
- Specific detection of α1-2Fuc glycan using Ulex europaeus agglutinin-I (UEA-I) lectin.
Main Results:
- UEA-I binding sites in the MOB were consistent across ages, but the proportion of positive glomeruli decreased significantly with aging.
- Older mice showed a significant reduction in UEA-I-positive receptor cells in the OE compared to young mice.
- No significant age-related differences in UEA-I binding were observed in the AOB and VNO.
Conclusions:
- The main olfactory pathway's reliance on α1-2Fuc glycan diminishes with age.
- The vomeronasal pathway maintains a consistent requirement for α1-2Fuc glycan throughout the lifespan.
- These findings highlight age-specific roles of α1-2Fuc glycan in distinct olfactory pathways.
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