Abnormal features in mutant cerebellar Purkinje cells lacking junctophilins

Junctional membrane complexes (JMCs) generated by junctophilins are required for Ca(2+)-mediated communication between cell-surface and intracellular channels in excitable cells. Knockout mice lacking neural junctophilins (JP-DKO) show severe motor defects and irregular cerebellar plasticity due to abolished channel crosstalk in Purkinje cells (PCs). To precisely understand aberrations in JP-DKO mice, we further analyzed the mutant PCs. During the induction of cerebellar plasticity via electrical stimuli, JP-DKO PCs showed insufficient depolarizing responses. Immunochemistry detected mild impairment in synaptic maturation and hyperphosphorylation of protein kinase Cgamma in JP-DKO PCs. Moreover, gene expression was slightly altered in the JP-DKO cerebellum. Therefore, the mutant PCs bear marginal but widespread abnormalities, all of which likely cause cerebellar motor defects in JP-DKO mice.