The dilute-lethal (dl) gene attacks a Ca2+ store in the dendritic spine of Purkinje cells in mice.
The absence of smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER) in the dendritic spine of Purkinje cells was found in dilute-lethal (dl) mouse cerebella as detected by immunohistochemistry using anti-inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate receptor antibody and electron microscopy. Since SER in the spine has been suggested to play a crucial role for synaptic regulation as an intracellular Ca2+ store (for reviews, see [Miller, R.J., Prog. Neurobiol., 37 (1991) 255-285: Simpson, P.B., Challiss, R.A.J. and Nahorski, S.R., Trends Neurosci., 18 (1995) 299-306]), a neurological defect, characterized by clonic convulsions with opisthotonus and ataxia, in the dilute-lethal mouse with homozygous trait may be attributable to the absence of SER in the dendritic spine of Purkinje cells.
Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya University, Japan. taka@riem.nagoya-u.ac.jp
Y
Y
Takagishi
S
S
Oda
S
S
Hayasaka
K
K
Dekker-Ohno
T
T
Shikata
M
M
Inouye
H
H
Yamamura
D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D003712:Dendrites / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005804:Genes, Lethal; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009154:Mutation; D011689:Purkinje Cells / Q000648:ultrastructure*
D002118:Calcium