Abstract
The olfactory organ of juvenile clearnose skates (Raja eglanteria) was studied with the light and electron microscopes. The organ is ovoid in shape, and its free surface is complicated by the presence of some 20 lamellae. Each lamella has a folded surface lined by a typical neurosensory olfactory epithelium. Bipolar olfactory receptor neurons, ciliated sustentacular cells, and basal cells are the pre-eminent cellular components of the epithelium. Two types of receptor neurons, both bearing microvilli but not cilia, were identified. The type 1 neuron is similar to that previously described in other fishes. The type 2 neuron has a characteristic morphology justifying a separate description. Its dendritic knob is larger than that of type 1, and its microvilli, which are shorter and thicker, are straight and regularly arranged. Tight bundles of filaments provide a skeleton to each microvillus, and these filament bundles reach more than 5 μm down into the dendrite. Type 2 receptor neurons have a well-developed Golgi complex and sparse rough endoplasmic reticulum (rER), whereas type 1 receptor neurons have a less well-developed Golgi complex and a conspicuous sytem of rER lamellae. The mucous layer on the epithelial surface is provided by the secretion of goblet cells that are situated mostly in the peripheral regions of each lamella. Secretory granules in the sustentacular cells and glands in the lamina propria were not observed.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Anholt RRH (1987) Primary events in olfactory reception. Trends Biochem Sci 12:58–62
Bannister LH (1965) The fine structure of the olfactory surface of teleostean fishes. Q J Microsc Sci 106:333–342
Bronshtein AA (1976) Fine structure of the elasmobranch (elasmobranchii) olfactory organ. Zh Évol Biokhim Fiziol 12:63–67
Cancalon P (1983) Receptor cells of the catfish olfactory mucosa. Chem Senses 8:203–209
Carr WES, Gleeson RA, Trapido-Rosenthal HG (1990) The role of perireceptor events in chemosensory processes. Trends Neurosci 13:212–215
Delfino G, Bianchi S, Ercolini A (1981) On the olfactory epithelium in cyprinids: a comparison between hypogean and epigean species. Ital J Zool [Suppl] 14:153–180
Dryer L, Graziadei PPC (1993) A pilot study on morphological compartmentalization and heterogeneity of the elasmobranch olfactory bulb. Anat Embryol 188:41–51
Dryer L, Graziadei PPC (1994) Mitral cell dendrites: a comparative approach. Anat Embryol 189:91–106
Eisthen HL (1992) Phylogeny of the vomeronasal system and of receptor cell types in the olfactory and vomeronasal epithelia of vertebrates. Microsc Res Tech 23:1–21
Getchell TV (1986) Functional properties of vertebrate olfactory receptor neurons. Physiol Rev 66:772–818
Getchell TV, Margolis FL, Getchell ML (1984) Perireceptor and receptor events in vertebrate olfaction. Prog Neurobiol 23:317–345
Graziadei PPC (1971) Topological relations between olfactory neurons. Z Zellforsch Mikrosk Anat 118:449–466
Graziadei PPC (1973) The ultrastructure of vertebrates olfactory mucosa. In Friedmann I (ed) The ultrastructure of sensory organs. North-Holland, Amsterdam, pp 269–305
Graziadei PPC (1977) Functional anatomy of the mammalian chemoreceptor system. In: Müller-Schwarze D, Mozell MM (eds) Chemical signals in vertebrates. Plenum Press, New York, pp 435–454
Graziadei PPC (1990) Olfactory development. In: Coleman JR (ed) Development of sensory systems in mammals. John, New York, pp 519–566
Graziadei PPC, Monti Graziadei GA(1985) Neurogenesis and plastisity of the olfactory sensory neurons. In: Hope for a new neurology. Ann N Y Acad Sci 457:127–142
Graziadei PPC, Monti-Graziadei (1992) The influence of the olfactory placode on the development of the telencephalon in Xenopus laevis. Neuroscience 46:617–629
Graziadei PPC, Tucker D (1970) Vomeronasal receptors in turtles. Z Zellforsch Mikrosk Anat 105:498–514
Holl A (1973) Feinstruktur des Riechepithels von Chimaera monstrosa (Holecepheli). Mar Biol 23:59–72
Ichikawa M, Ueda K (1977) Fine structure of the olfactory epithelium in the goldfish, Carassius auratus. Cell Tissue Res 183:445–455
Lancet C (1986) Vertebrate olfactory reception. Ann Rev Neurosci 9:329–355
Luer CA (1989) Elasmobranchs (sharks, skates, and rays) as animal models for biomedical research. In: Woodhead AD, Vivirito K (eds) Nonmammalian animal models for biomedical research. CRC Press, Boco Raton, pp 121–147
Luer CA, Gilbert PW (1985) Mating behavior, egg deposition, incubation period, and hatching in the clearnose skate, Raja eglanteria. Environ Biol Fishes 13:161–171
Magrassi L, Graziadei PPC (1985) Interaction of the transplanted olfactory placode with the optic stalk and the diencephalon in Xenopus laevis embryos. Neuroscience 15:903–921
Meng Q, Yin M (1981) A study on the olfactory organ of skates, rays, and chimaeras. J Fish China 5:209–228
Monti Graziadei GA, Graziadei PPC (1984) The olfactory organ, neural transplantation. In: Sladek JR, Gash DM (eds) Neural transplants. Plenum Press, New York, pp 167–186
Rafols JA, Getchell TV (1983) Morphological relations between the receptor neurons, sustentacular cells and Schwann cells in the olfactory mucosa of the salamander. Anat Rec 206:87–101
Reese TS, Brightman MW (1970) Olfactory surface and central olfactory connexions in some vertebrates. In: Wolstenholme EW, Knight J (eds) Taste and smell in vertebrates. Ciba Foundation Symposium. Churchill, London, pp 115–43
Stout RP, Graziadei PPC (1980) Influence of the olfactory placode on the development of the brain in Xenopus laevis (Daudin). I. Axonal growth and connections of the transplanted olfactory placode. Neuroscience 5:2175–2186
Takami S, Graziadei PPC (1991) Light microscopic study of mitral/tufted cells in the accessory olfactory bulb of the adult rat. J Comp Neurol 311:65–83
Takami S, Hirosawa K (1990) Electronmicroscopic observations on the vomeronasal sensory epithelium of a crotaline snake, Trimeresurus flavoviridis. J Morphol 205:45–61
Theisen B, Zeiske E, Breucker H (1986) Functional morphology of the olfactory organs in the spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias L.) and the small-spotted catshark (Scyliorhinus canicula L.) Acta Zool 67:73–86
Yamamoto M (1982) Comparative morphology of the peripheral olfactory organ in teleosts. In: Hara TJ (ed) Chemoreception in fishes. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp 39–59
Zeiske E, Caprio J, Gruber SH (1986) Morphological and electrophysiological studies on the olfactory organ of the lemon shark, Negaprion brevirostris (Poey). In: Uyeno T, Arai R, Taniuchi T, Matsuura K (eds) Indo-pacific fish biology: proceedings of the second international conference on indo-pacific fishes. Ichthyological Society of Japan, Tokyo, pp 381–391
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Takami, S., Luer, C.A. & Graziadei, P.P.C. Microscopic structure of the olfactory organ of the clearnose skate, Raja eglanteria . Anat Embryol 190, 211–230 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00234300
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00234300