PMC

Comparison of motor activity and motor learning in tambaleante (tbl^−/−), Lurcher (Lc/+), and wild-type (WT) mice evaluated in various motor tasks: fall (A), horizontal bar (B), and vertical pole (C) performed twice a day during 4 days. Significant differences were found between groups in the percentage (%) mean values (left) [One-Way ANOVA F-test, F_{(6, 1158)} = 17.50 (fall); F_{(6, 1158)} = 8.45 (horizontal bar); F_{(6, 1158)} = 45.28 (vertical pole), P < 0.05] as well as in the temporal evolution for each of the tests (right). [Two-Way ANOVA F-test, F_{(4, 360)} = 2.41 (fall); F_{(4, 360)} = 0.56 (horizontal bar); F_{(4, 360)} = 1.62 (vertical pole), P < 0.05]. ♦, significant differences between tambaleante mice; +, between different sessions of wild-type animals; ♠, between Lurcher mice; *, between tambaleante and wild-type mice; ■, between tambaleante and Lurcher animals; and •, between Lurcher and wild-type mice. Lurcher mice data collected from Porras-García et al. ().

Microphotographs of coronal (A, D–I) and sagittal (B,C) sections immunostained with anti-calbindin (A–C) and anti-parvalbumin (D–I) antibodies illustrate the main features of the cerebellum of wild type and 1-year-old tambaleante mice. Scarce Purkinje cells remain throughout the cortex (A–B, arrows), preserving a mirror location on both sides of the cerebellar cortex (A, arrows). Axons of degenerating Purkinje cells show typical axonal torpedoes (C, arrows). Parvalbumin immunoreactivity is restricted to small endings (E, arrows), and is absent in both deep cerebellar and vestibular nuclei neuronal somata (D), in wild-type cerebellum. In tambaleante cerebellum, parvalbumin immunoreactivity is present in neuronal somata of deep cerebellar nuclei (F,G), and in large (H, arrow) and small (I, arrow) terminal endings. I, L, and M, interposed, lateral, and medial cerebellar nuclei. V, vestibular nuclei. Bar = 500 μm (A,B), 200 μm (D,F,G), 30 μm (C), and 20 μm (E,H,I).