Olfactory Enrichment Influences Adult Neurogenesis Modulating GAD67 and Plasticity-Related Molecules Expression in Newborn Cells of the Olfactory Bulb

The olfactory bulb (OB) is a highly plastic region of the adult mammalian brain characterized by continuous integration of inhibitory interneurons of the granule (GC) and periglomerular cell (PGC) types. Adult-generated OB interneurons are selected to survive in an experience-dependent way but the mechanisms that mediate the effects of experience on OB neurogenesis are unknown. Here we focus on the new-generated PGC population which is composed by multiple subtypes. Using paradigms of olfactory enrichment and/or deprivation combined to BrdU injections and quantitative confocal immunohistochemical analyses, we studied the effects of olfactory experience on adult-generated PGCs at different survival time and compared PGC to GC modulation. We show that olfactory enrichment similarly influences PGCs and GCs, increasing survival of newborn cells and transiently modulating GAD67 and plasticity-related molecules expression. However, PGC maturation appears to be delayed compared to GCs, reflecting a different temporal dynamic of adult generated olfactory interneuron integration. Moreover, olfactory enrichment or deprivation do not selectively modulate the survival of specific PGC phenotypes, supporting the idea that the integration rate of distinct PGC subtypes is independent from olfactory experience.