Neuronal differentiation and developmental characteristics in the dentate gyrus of staggerer mutant mice

Homozygous staggerer (RORa(sg/sg)) mice showed a severe ataxia caused by cerebellum degeneration. Decreased and dysfunctional Rora is a main cause of this neurologic phenotype. The phenotype of staggerer mice has been well known in cerebellum. However, there has been rarely reported about cerebrum even though of staggerer is expressed in merely cerebellum but hippocampus, thalamus, cortex, and olfactory bulb. The expressions of Ki67, doublecortin (DCX), and NeuN, which are cell proliferation, neuronal differentiation and mature neuron markers, respectively, were measured with immunohistochemistry in dentate gyrus in staggerer mice in order to uncover whether staggerer can affect the change in dentate gyrus. The immunoreactivities of DCX and NeuN were significantly reduced in the dentate gyrus of staggerer mice than normal control, while Ki67 were rarely unchanged in staggerer mice. These results suggest that staggerer mutation has an influence on the neuronal differentiation and development not only in cerebellum but also in dentate gyrus.