Summary
The ultrastructure of differentiating rat presumptive olfactory bulb in organ culture was investigated with particular reference to mitral cell differentiation and formation of synapses. The presumptive olfactory bulb and olfactory mucosa were dissected en bloc from rat embryos on the fifteenth day of gestation and cultured for 7 days, after which the expiants were examined by electron microscopy. The presumptive olfactory bulb had differentiated into a laminated structure with layers corresponding to the glomerular, external plexiform and mitral cell layers. Mitral-like cells were identified by their location and large cell size. Ultrastructural observations indicated that they were relatively well-differentiated. Their dendrites extended into the glomerular layer in which they were postsynaptic to incoming olfactory axons. The distal part of these dendrites frequently contained coated vesicles. Both asymmetrical and symmetrical synapses were found. The symmetrical synapses involved dendrodendritic contacts between periglomerular cells. Synapses in reciprocal arrangements were not observed in the organ cultures.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Altman J (1971) Coated vesicles and synaptogenesis. A developmental study in the cerebellar cortex of the rat. Brain Res 30:311–322
Bartlett WP, Banker GA (1984) An electron microscopic study of the development of axons and dendrites by hippocampal neurons in culture. I. Cells which develop without intercellular contacts. J Neurosci 4:1944–1953
Bastiani MJ, Goodman CS (1984) Neuronal growth cones: Specific interactions mediated by filopodial insertion and induction of coated vesicles. Proc Natl Acad Sci, USA 81:1849–1853
Bayer SA (1983) 3H-thymidine-radiographic studies of neurogenesis in the rat olfactory bulb. Exp Brain Res 50:329–340
Bursztajn S, Fischbach GD (1979) Coated vesicles in cultured myotubes contain acetylcholine receptors. Soc Neurosci Abstr 5:477
Chuah MI, Farbman AI (1983) Olfactory bulb increases marker protein in olfactory receptor cells. J Neurosci 3:2197–2205
Chuah MI, Farbman AI, Menco BPhM (1985) Influence of olfactory bulb on dendritic knob density of rat olfactory receptor neurons in vitro. Brain Res 338:259–266
Corrigall WA, Crain SM, Borstein MB (1976) Electrophysiological studies of fetal mouse olfactory bulb expiants during development of synaptic functions in culture. J Neurobiol 7:521–536
Derer P, Caviness VS, Sidman RL (1975) Early cortical histogenesis in the primary olfactory cortex of the mouse. Anat Rec 181:345 (abstract)
DeLong GR, Coulombre AJ (1965) Development of the retinotectal topographic projection in the chick embryo. Exp Neurol 13:351–363
Doucette JR (1984) The glial cells in the nerve fiber layer of the rat olfactory bulb. Anat Rec 210:385–391
Dyson SE, Jones DG (1984) Synaptic remodelling during development and maturation: Junction differentiation and splitting as a mechanism for modifying connectivity. Dev Brain Res 13:125–137
Farbman AI (1976) Differentiation of olfactory receptors in combination with olfactory bulb in organ culture. Soc Neurosci Abstr 2:147
Farbman AI (1977) Differentiation of olfactory receptor cells in organ culture. Anat Rec 189:187–200
Farbman AI, Margolis FL (1980) Olfactory marker protein during ontogeny: Immunohistochemical localization. Dev Biol 74:205–215
Hinds JW (1968a) Autoradiographic study of histogenesis in the mouse olfactory bulb. I. Time of origin of neurons and neuroglia. J Comp Neurol 134:287–304
Hinds JW (1968b) Autoradiographic study of histogenesis in the mouse olfactory bulb. II. Cell proliferation and migration. J Comp Neurol 134:305–322
Hinds JW (1972a) Early neuron differentiation in the mouse olfactory bulb. I. Light microscopy. J Comp Neurol 146:233–252
Hinds JW (1972b) Early neuron differentiation in the mouse olfactory bulb. II. Electron microscopy. J Comp Neurol 146:253–276
Hinds JW, Hinds PL (1976a) Synapse formation in the mouse olfactory bulb. I. Quantitative studies. J Comp Neurol 169:15–40
Hinds JW, Hinds PL (1976b) Synapse formation in the mouse olfactory bulb. II. Morphogenesis. J Comp Neurol 169:41–62
Hinds JW, Ruffett TL (1973) Mitral cell development in the mouse olfactory bulb: Reorientation of the perikaryon and maturation of the axon initial segment. J Comp Neurol 151:281–306
Jahr CE, Nicoll RA (1980) Dendro-dendritic inhibition: demonstration with intracellular recording. Science 207:1473–1475
Karnovsky MJ (1965) A formaldehyde-glutaraldehyde fixative of high osmolality for use in electron microscopy. J Cell Biol 27:137 (Abstr)
Kim SU (1972) Light and electron microscope study of neurons and synapses in neonatal mouse olfactory bulb cultured in vitro. Exp Neurol 36:336–349
Margolis FL (1972) A brain protein unique to the olfactory bulb. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 69:1221–1224
Monti-Graziadei GA, Margolis FL, Harding TW, Graziadei PP (1977) Immunocytochemistry of the olfactory marker protein. J Histochem Cytochem 25:1311–1316
Pinching AJ, Powell TPS (1971) The neuropil of the glomeruli of the olfactory bulb. J Cell Sci 9:347–377
Price JL, Powell TPS (1970) The mitral and short axon cells of the olfactory bulb. J Cell Sci 7:631–651
Rees RP, Bunge MB, Bunge RP (1976) Morphological changes in neuritic growth cone and target neuron during synaptic junction development in culture. J Cell Biol 68:240–263
Reynolds ES (1963) The use of lead citrate at high pH as an electron opaque stain in electron microscopy. J Cell Biol 17:208–213
Richardson KD, Jarett L, Finke EH (1960) Embedding in epoxy resins for ultra thin sectioning in electron microscopy. Stain Technol 35:313–323
Sheffield JB, Fischman DA (1970) Intercellular junctions in the developing neural retina of the chick embryo. Z Zellforsch 104:405–418
Shepherd GM (1972) Synaptic organization of the mammalian olfactory bulb. Physiol Rev 52:864–917
Shepherd GM (1977) The olfactory bulb: a simple system in the mammalian brain. In: Brookhart JM, Mountcastle VB, Kandel ER, Geiga SR (eds) Handbook of physiology -Section 1: The nervous system, vol 1. American Physiological Society Bethesda Maryland, pp 945–968
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Chuah, M.I., Farbman, A.I. Mitral cell differentiation and synaptogenesis of rat presumptive olfactory bulb in organ culture. Cell Tissue Res. 243, 359–365 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00251052
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00251052