NEURON-LIKE CELLS ON THE APICAL SURFACE OF THE DEVELOPING RAT OLFACTORY EPITHELIUM

Using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), we encountered a new phenome non in developing olfactory structures. A few cells with single slende r processes that sprout from their cell bodies were found lying on the surface of the developing olfactory epithelium in 15 and 16 day old r at embryos. These slender processes resemble leading processes as they often have filopodia or filopodium-like structures at their distal en ds. This finding suggests a presence of a small population of olfactor y epithelial cells that resemble, but need not be, neurons. Their loca tion may reflect cell shedding, but the fact that they extend processe s over the epithelial surface may also mean that the cells were caught while they were migrating. (C) 1997 Published by Elsevier Science Ire land Ltd.