Fig 2.

Representative images of the olfactory mucosa at 3 days post-infection with VEEV TC-83 in C3H/HeN mice. Representative serial images of the olfactory epithelium of 5- to 6-week-old, female, C3H/HeN mice infected with VEEV TC-83 (lower panels) or inoculated with PBS (upper panels). The staining used for each set of PBS or TC-83 infected tissues is shown above each panel. The far-left panel shows hematoxylin- and eosin-stained (H&E) tissue with an arrow pointing to destruction /necrosis in the olfactory epithelium for TC-83. Pyknosis and karyorrhexis can be seen near the epithelial layer. Mock-inoculated tissues stained with have an intact lining of pseudostratified cells in olfactory epithelium. The adjacent serial section shows IHC staining with the anti-VEE glycoprotein (GP) antibody counterstained with hematoxylin. The GP antigen was present in lesions in the TC-83-infected epithelial cells (center, arrow). The third panel from the left shows the distribution of the LDLRAD3 receptor by IHC. The LDLRAD3 signal was reduced in infected olfactory epithelium (see center, arrow) compared to surrounding no infected epithelium. In LDLRAD3, IHC of mock-inoculated epithelium, dense signals present in apical to middle part of the olfactory epithelium and OMP in adjacent sections. In the final panel, OMP in the mock-inoculated mice was observed in the cilia (arrow), dendrites, soma, and axon bundles (A—lamina propria) of olfactory neurons. In TC-83-infected epithelium, the OMP was reduced in the olfactory neurons in infected area (center arrow) compared to surrounding epithelium. Labels: Bowman’s gland (B), and axon bundles of olfactory neurons (A) located in the lamina propria. Scale bar = 20 µm.