Lateralization, maturation, and anteroposterior topography in the lateral habenula revealed by ZIF268/EGR1 immunoreactivity and labeling history of neuronal activity

•The lateral habenular nucleus (LHb) was activated in early postnatal days.•Stress activated the LHb over a similar period.•The LHb activation was lateralized with no directional bias at the population level.•The stress activated the posterior LHb in early and the anterior LHb in later.•Lateralization, maturation, and anteroposterior topography of the LHb are indicated. We report habenular lateralization in a simple transgenic mouse model used for labeling a facet of neuronal activity history. A transgenic construct comprised of a zif268/egr1 immediate-early gene promoter and a gene for normal Venus fluorescent protein with a membrane tag converted promoter activity into long-life fluorescent proteins, which was thought to describe a facet of neuronal activity history by summing neuronal activity. In addition to mapping the immediate-early gene-immunopositive cells, this method helped demonstrate the functionality of the lateral habenular nucleus (LHb). During postnatal development, the LHb was activated between postnatal days 10 and 16. The water-immersion restraint stress also activated the LHb over a similar period. LHb activation was functionally lateralized, but had no directional bias at the population level. Moreover, the posterior LHb was activated in the early stage after the stress, while the anterior LHb was activated in the later stage. Our results indicate lateralization, maturation, and anteroposterior topography of the LHb during postnatal development and the stress response.