Date of Award

7-11-2015

Publication Type

Master Thesis

Degree Name

M.Sc.

Department

Biological Sciences

Keywords

Chinook salmon, glomerular patterning, neural development, olfactory bulb, olfactory sensory neurons

Supervisor

Zielinski, Barbara

Supervisor

Pitcher, Trevor

Rights

info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

Abstract

Axon terminals of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) aggregate into glomeruli, functional units of odour discrimination within the olfactory bulb. Glomerular patterning facilitates assessment of olfactory stimulation-induced changes to neural circuitry. Contemporary studies indicate Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) alevin imprint to olfactory cues, purportedly amino acids, prior to emergence. In this study, OSNs were labelled against keyhole limpet hemocyanin to characterize the development of glomerular territories from hatch to emergence, focusing on calretinin-immunoreactive OSNs. Glomerular territories were distinguishable at hatch, and showed expansion and moderate refinement with maturation into emergent fry. Calretinin-immunoreactive OSNs innervated the dorsolateral and lateral glomerular territories, and four lateral glomeruli, lG1, lG2, lG3/4, and lG6. Neither amino acid exposure nor somatic growth influenced glomerular volume of one glomerulus, lG1. The establishment of glomerular territories at hatch infers a functional olfactory system, but a sensitive stage for visible effects of olfactory experience on glomerular volume requires further investigation.

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