Detection of alpha-L fucose containing carbohydrates in mouse immature olfactory neurons

The cellular location of alpha-L fucose was studied in mice olfactory epith elium (OE) using the Ulex europaeus agglutinin-I (UEA-I) and Tetragonolobus purpureas agglutinin (TPA), In adult mice, UEA-I a nd TPA revealed a layer of cells that mostly correspond to immature olfactory neurons. Moreover, a utoradiographic studies after H-3-T incorporation showed that UEA-I cell la belling occurred during the week following the division of neural cell prec ursors. In newborn animals, active neurogenesis process is associated with a higher number of UEA-I labelled cells, Olfactory neurogenesis may thus in volve a transient event of protein fucosylation, preceding axonal growth. ( C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.