Fig. 4. Segregation of Robo- and Slit-expressing neurones in the VNO at P21. After 2 weeks of postnatal development, sensory neurones are restricted to either the apical (a) or basal zone (b) of the VNO sensory epithelium (B) (see also Fig.7). All pictures depict coronal sections of one half of the VNO. (A) Only residual levels of Robo1 RNA are detectable on both apical and basal cell bodies. (B) By contrast, Robo2 expression is prominent and confined to the basal zone of the VNO sensory epithelium. (C) Higher magnification of B, demonstrating the restriction of Robo2-RNA to basal sensory neurones. Note also the patches of Robo2-expressing neurones in the basal zone. (D,F) Slit1 (D) is more strongly expressed in the apical than basal VNO, while Slit3 RNA (F) is mainly restricted to cell bodies of the apical zone. (E) Slit2 RNA, which was labelling the lateral VNO at P1 (see Fig. 1E), has disappeared at P21. a, apical; b, basal, D, dorsal; V, ventral. Scale bars: in F, 100 µm for A,B,D-F; in C, 50 µm for C.

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