It is of interest to understand how new neurons incorporate themselves into the
existing circuitry of certain neuronal populations. One such population of neurons is that
which are born in the subventricular zone (SVZ) and migrate to the olfactory bulb where
they differentiate into granule cells. Another area of interest is the role of brain-derived
neurotrophic factor (BDNF) on the survival and overall health of these neurons. This
study aimed to test whether or not BDNF is a survival factor for adult-born granule cells.
Here were utilized a transgenic mouse model over-expressing BDNF under the α-
calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CAMKIIα) promoter, and tested its
effect on olfactory granule cells under sensory deprived conditions. Results from this
experiment indicated that there was no significant difference in cell death or cell survival when comparing transgenic and wild type animals. We concluded that BDNF is not a
survival factor for adult-born granule cells.