The Journal of comparative neurology
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The genetic defect in the Purkinje cell degeneration (PCD) mutant mouse completely disrupts the cerebellar corticonuclear connection through intrinsic action on the final integrating unit of the cerebellar cortex, the Purkinje cell (PC). The postsynaptic target neurons of the PC in the deep cerebellar nuclei (DCN) and the vestibular nuclei (VN) are denervated by this PC loss by more than two-thirds of their total y-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic innervation. This massive disinhibition should be reflected in an increased and thus electrophysiologically detectable activity of the respective neurons. ⋯ Direct double labeling of Parv and GABA and of Parv and glycine reveals that the large majority of Parv + neurons colocalize GABA, glycine, or both inhibitory transmitters. These results show that neurons that are postsynaptic to cerebellar PC develop diverse physiological and biochemical reactions in the course of genetically determined PCD. These mechanisms are likely to contribute to the phenotypically mild motor disturbances observed in PCD mutant mice.