NEURAL CELL-ADHESION MOLECULES ARE PRESENT IN THE FETAL HUMAN PRIMARYOLFACTORY PATHWAY

Olfactory tissues from human fetuses (17.5-28 weeks of gestation) were stained by immunofluorescence for neural cell adhesion molecules (N-C AMs). Staining for N-CAMs was most prominent in the olfactory nerve bu ndles in the lamina propria, while in the olfactory epithelium, it was present on the olfactory receptor neurons and globose basal cells. Th e basal cells proper and supporting cells lacked N-CAMs. In the olfact ory bulb, only the olfactory nerve and glomerular layers showed modera te labeling for N-CAMs. Western blot analysis showed that the N-CAMs o f the fetal human primary olfactory pathway consisted of three molecul ar isoforms, N-CAM180, N-CAM 140 and N-CAM120.