Expression of the dm-20 isoform of the plp gene in olfactory nerve ensheathing cells: evidence from developmental studies.

The olfactory bulb is a specialized area of the CNS with well-defined areas containing both myelinated, and non-myelinated axons. The presence of plp gene transcripts has been demonstrated previously in the olfactory bulb, but no detailed description of plp gene activity in this complex area of the CNS is available. In this study we describe the developmental expression of the two plp gene isoforms, plp and dm-20, and their products in the mouse olfactory bulb. plp gene activity was present in the non-myelinated olfactory nerve layer of the bulb from E14 through to adult ages. Expression in the deeper layers of the bulb, associated with myelination of the second order axons, was apparent from P10 onwards. dm-20 was the predominant isoform expressed at the transcript level in the olfactory nerve layer and was the only isoprotein demonstrable by immunostaining. This expression was associated with the resident glial cell of the non-myelinated olfactory nerve layer, the olfactory nerve ensheathing cell. Selective expression of the DM-20 isoprotein in the non-myelin forming olfactory nerve ensheathing cells implies a role for DM-20 other than as a structural myelin protein. Further study of this specialized glial cell may prove useful in elucidating the specific functions(s) of the DM-20 isoprotein.