Primary olfactory axons form ectopic glomeruli in mice lacking p75NTR

The restricted expression of the low affinity nerve growth factor receptor p75NTR by olfactory ensheathing cells suggests that this molecule is involved in the development of the olfactory nerve pathway. To begin to understand the role of p75NTR, we examined the development of the primary olfactory system in p75NTR(-/-) and wild-type mice. Our results demonstrate that, although p75NTR is not essential for the initial assembly of the olfactory nerve, it plays an important role in the postnatal maturation of the olfactory bulb. In the absence of p75NTR, there is exuberant growth of some primary olfactory axons into the olfactory bulb. These axons either aberrantly bypass the glomerular layer and project into deeper lamina or grow into an abnormal bleb of tissue protruding from the medial surface of the dorsocaudal olfactory bulb. These blebs become apparent in neonatal mice and contain axons expressing olfactory marker protein that form ectopic glomerular-like tufts. Histochemical staining with the plant lectin Dolichos biflorus agglutinin revealed that axons sorted out and selectively converged on glomeruli within these blebs. Our results suggest that p75NTR indirectly influences axon growth but not glomerular targeting and plays a role in the postnatal maturation of laminar cytoarchitecture in the olfactory bulb.