The Origin, Development and Molecular Diversity of Rodent Olfactory Bulb Glutamatergic Neurons Distinguished by Expression of Transcription Factor NeuroD1

• Published in: PloS one 2015-06, Vol.10 (6), p.e0128035-e0128035
• Main Authors: Roybon, Laurent, Mastracci, Teresa L, Li, Joyce, Stott, Simon R W, Leiter, Andrew B, Sussel, Lori, Brundin, Patrik, Li, Jia-Yi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors - genetics; Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors - metabolism; Basic Medicine; Beta2 protein; Brain; Brain research; Cell Line; Cell Lineage; Central nervous system; Ectopic Gene Expression; Embryonic development; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Genes; Genetic engineering; Glutamatergic transmission; Glutamic Acid - metabolism; Helix-loop-helix proteins; Helix-loop-helix proteins (basic); Lateral Ventricles - cytology; Lateral Ventricles - growth & development; Medical and Health Sciences; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper; Mice; Mitral cells; Molecular chains; Nerve Tissue Proteins - genetics; Nerve Tissue Proteins - metabolism; Neural stem cells; Neurogenesis; Neurons; Neurons - cytology; Neurons - metabolism; Neurosciences; Neurovetenskaper; Olfactory bulb; Olfactory Bulb - cytology; Olfactory Bulb - growth & development; Populations; Proteins; Rodents; Stem cells; Subpopulations; T-Box Domain Proteins - metabolism; Transcription factors; Transgenic animals; Transgenic mice
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0128035

Production of olfactory bulb neurons occurs continuously in the rodent brain. Little is known, however, about cellular diversity in the glutamatergic neuron subpopulation. In the central nervous system, the basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor NeuroD1 (ND1) is commonly associated with glutamatergic neuron development. In this study, we utilized ND1 to identify the different subpopulations of olfactory bulb glutamategic neurons and their progenitors, both in the embryo and postnatally. Using knock-in mice, transgenic mice and retroviral transgene delivery, we demonstrate the existence of several different populations of glutamatergic olfactory bulb neurons, the progenitors of which are ND1+ and ND1- lineage-restricted, and are temporally and regionally separated. We show that the first olfactory bulb glutamatergic neurons produced - the mitral cells - can be divided into molecularly diverse subpopulations. Our findings illustrate the complexity of neuronal diversity in the olfactory bulb and that seemingly homogenous neuronal populations can consist of multiple subpopulations with unique molecular signatures of transcription factors and expressing neuronal subtype-specific markers.