Doublecortin-immunoreactive neurons in the piriform cortex are sensitive to the long lasting effects of early life stress

• DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1446912
• Publication Date: 2024-09-16T05:10:43Z
• Authors: María Abellán-Álvaro; Anna Teruel-Sanchis; Maria Francisca M...; Enrique Lanuza; Mónica Santos; Carmen Agustín-Pavón
• Keywords: Doublecortin; Piriform cortex

The olfactory system is a niche of continuous structural plasticity, holding postnatal proliferative neurogenesis in the bulbs and population immature neurons piriform cortex. These cortex are generated during embryonic development, retain expression immaturity markers such as doublecortin, slowly mature integrate into circuit animal ages. To study how early life experiences affect this cortical neurons, we submitted mice C57/Bl6J strain to protocol maternal separation for 3 h per day from 21. Control were continuously with their mothers. After weaning, undisturbed until 6 weeks age, when they weighted tested elevated plus-maze, standard test anxiety-like behavior, check phenotypical effects. Mice then perfused, brains processed immunofluorescent detection doublecortin endogenous proliferation marker Ki67. We found that induced significant increase body weight males, but not females. Further, maternally separated displayed increased exploratory-like behavior (i.e., head dipping, velocity total distance traveled plus maze), no differences or corticosterone levels after behavioral testing. Finally, observed number complex cortex, bulbs, separation. Interestingly, most bulb, express epigenetic reader MeCP2. In summary, mild stress results, adolescence, male-specific weight, alteration exploratory behaviors, an suggesting maturation process.