Odor exposure reveals non-uniform expression profiles of c-Jun protein in rat olfactory bulb neurons

Abstract In the main olfactory bulb, neurons are arranged strategically in distinct layers among which translaminar synaptic transmission can be made from the superficial, sensory to the deep, output layers that account for the processing of olfactory information. To search for stimulus–transcription coupling thought to be operated differentially in several cell types, c-Jun expression was examined immunohistochemically in rat olfactory bulb following 30-min odor stimulation with acetic acid and 1-butanol. c-Jun was rapidly induced in neuronal cell nuclei belonging to periglomerular, tufted, mitral and granule cells. The disappearance of c-Jun, however, differed between each cell type. In the glomerular layer, the glomeruli composed of c-Jun-expressing periglomerular cells were seen. Different odors led to labeling of different sets of glomeruli. The labeled periglomerular cells disappeared within 2 h. In all the deeper layers, however, a rather homogeneous label was noted for the tufted, mitral and granule cells present throughout the olfactory bulb, regardless of the difference in odor. In tufted and mitral cells, the c-Jun expression persisted for 4 days after odor stimulation. In the granule cell layer, numerous granule cells increased c-Jun immunoreactivity which lasted for 1 day following odor application. In control rats which were given clean air, the basal amount of c-Jun expression was seen confined to scattered granule cells. The results suggest that c-Jun is expressed in a variety of odorant-stimulated bulb neurons with a time course being dependent on cell type.