Reinnervation of the olfactory bulb after section of the olfactory nerve in monkey (Saimiri sciureus)

Section of the fila olfactoria in squirrel monkey, a non-human primate, induces rapid degeneration of the sensory axon terminals in the olfactory bulb glomeruli. A population of axons, from newly formed sensory neurons in the olfactory neuroepithelium, regrow, passes the lamina cribrosa and, upon reaching the olfactory bulb, reinnervates the glomeruli. A new set of synaptic contacts is reformed between the sensory terminals and the post-synaptic dendritic processes of the glomeruli. Our observations indicate that this portion of the CNS of a non-human primate can be reinnervated after deafferentiation, and that active synaptogenesis occurs.