Age-related changes in p2 odorant receptor mapping in the olfactory bulb.

The ability to identify odors is dependent on the spatial mapping of odorant receptors onto fixed positions within the olfactory bulb. In elderly adults, odor identification and discrimination is often impaired. The objective of this study was to determine if there are age-related changes in odorant receptor mapping. We studied 8 groups of mice ranging in age from 2 weeks to 2.5 years and mapped the projection of P2 odorant receptors onto targeted glomeruli within medial and lateral domains of the olfactory bulb. A total of 60 mice were used to measure the number of P2 glomeruli, bulb length, the position of each glomerulus, and the amount of P2 axons targeting each glomerulus. We found that over 70% of olfactory bulbs contained multiple P2 glomeruli, bulb length increased 42% between the ages of 2 and 13 weeks, and the position of P2 glomeruli shifted with bulb growth. In most cases, targeted glomeruli were either completely or partially filled with P2 axons. In some cases, targeting was diffuse, with glomeruli receiving only a few stray P2-labeled axons. The frequency of diffuse targeting was rare (<4%) in adult mice 3-6 months in age. However, significant increases in diffuse targeting were observed in older mice, reaching 10% at 1 year and 22% at 2 years of age. These findings suggest that odorant receptor mapping becomes more disrupted in old age and could account for impaired olfactory function in elderly adults.