Histology and in situ hybridization histochemistry of the intracellular signal transduction system in neurological mutant animals.

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Neurological mutant mice were investigated to observe morphological abnormalities, such as, degeneration of neurons, disruptions of laminations, abnormal neuronal processes, and abnormal synapse or neuronal circuit formation. We also investigated the localization of neuronal protein and genes, to understand the functional significance of these substances in neurons.Neocortex of dreher mutant mice and hippocampus of weaver mice were observed by histological methods. Various abnormalities were found, such as, aggregation of ectopic Pukinje cells. Morphological abnormalities were not confined to cerebellum, but they were found in various locations in central nervous systems. These reports will be necessary for future study by immunohistopchemistry and in situ hybridization histochemistry.We used in situ hybridization histochemistry to search for the expression of mRNAs of protein phosphatases type 2Abeta, 2B,2Cbeta, in Purkinje cells of normal mice, and staggerer (sg/sg) and reeler (rl/rl) mutant mice, two strains with known Purkinje cell disorders. The expression of the mRNAs was comparable in the normal and reeler Purkinje cells, but considerably reduced in the staggerer Purkinje cells. We interpret this finding as indicating : (a) the staggerer mutant gene may directly affect the phosphatase component of the protein phosphorylation-dephosphorylation cycle in the sg/sg Punkinje cells ; or (b) the reduced mRNA expression may be a secondary phenomenon, resulting from abnormal Purkinje cell function due to the lack of synaptic input.