Figure 3

Structural plasticity in the piriform cortex of naked mole rats.

(a) PSA-NCAM and DCX are widely expressed in the piriform cortex of neonatal mice. (b) In the adult mouse, DCX⁺/PSA-NCAM⁺ (arrowheads), as well as DCX⁺/PSA-NCAM^- (open arrowheads), are found scattered throughout layer 2a of the piriform cortex. Note, however, that DCX⁺ cells in the adult brain can be mature instead of progenitors¹⁶. (c,d) In the young naked mole rat, a large continuum of DCX⁺ cells (e₁, arrowheads) was found embedded in a PSA-NCAM-containing region. (e–e₃) At 1 year of age, PSA-NCAM immunoreactivity was diminished (e) while DCX⁺ neurons possessed long projections (e₂,e₃). (f,g) In the piriform cortex of 10 (f) and 21 year old (g) naked mole rats, PSA-NCAM was strongly reduced (arrowheads), while DCX was absent. Abbreviations: cc, corpus callosum; CPu, caudate putamen; g, granule cell layer; h, hilus; L, layer; lv, lateral ventricle; pir, piriform cortex. Scale bars = 100 μm (a,d,e,f,g), 40 μm (b,c), 20 μm (e₁,e₂,e₃).