| First Author | Kaneko-Goto T | Year | 2008 |
| Journal | Neuron | Volume | 57 |
| Issue | 6 | Pages | 834-46 |
| PubMed ID | 18367085 | Mgi Jnum | J:136050 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:3795031 | Doi | 10.1016/j.neuron.2008.01.023 |
| Citation | Kaneko-Goto T, et al. (2008) BIG-2 mediates olfactory axon convergence to target glomeruli. Neuron 57(6):834-46 |
| abstractText | Olfactory sensory neurons expressing a given odorant receptor converge axons onto a few topographically fixed glomeruli in the olfactory bulb, leading to establishment of the odor map. Here, we report that BIG-2/contactin-4, an axonal glycoprotein belonging to the immunoglobulin superfamily, is expressed in a subpopulation of mouse olfactory sensory neurons. A mosaic pattern of glomerular arrangement is observed with strongly BIG-2-positive, weakly positive, and negative axon terminals in the olfactory bulb, which is overlapping but not identical with those of Kirrel2 and ephrin-A5. There is a close correlation between the BIG-2 expression level and the odorant receptor choice in individual sensory neurons. In BIG-2-deficient mice, olfactory sensory neurons expressing a given odorant receptor frequently innervate multiple glomeruli at ectopic locations. These results suggest that BIG-2 is one of the axon guidance molecules crucial for the formation and maintenance of functional odor map in the olfactory bulb. |
