Analysis of the molecular mechanism regulating synaptic functions in the mouse cerebellar cortex using a system for conditional knockout in the cells constituting synapses.

本研究旨在揭示小脑皮层谷氨酸受体复合物的分子动力学与突触功能调控的关系。我们首先开发了一种在构成突触的细胞中进行条件性敲除的系统。通过对细胞类型选择性基因敲除小鼠的分析，我们发现浦肯野细胞谷氨酸受体的活性可以调节攀爬和平行纤维突触的突触前功能，Bergmann胶质细胞表达的β-catenin可能在小脑层状结构的形成中起着不可或缺的作用。

The aim of this study was to reveal the relationship between molecular dynamics of glutamate receptor complex and regulation of synaptic function in cerebellar cortex. We first developed a system for conditional knockout in the cells constituting synapses. By analyzing the cell type-selective knockout mice, we found that the activity of glutamate receptors in Purkinje cells may regulate the presynaptic function at climbing and parallel fiber synapses and that β-catenin expressed in Bergmann glia may play an indispensable role in the formation of the laminar structure of cerebellum.