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Toll-Like Receptor 4 Deficiency Impairs Motor Coordination
Jian-Wei Zhu1, Yi-Fei Li1, Zhao-Tao Wang1
1Affiliated Bayi Brain Hospital, Military General Hospital of Beijing PLA, Southern Medical University Beijing, China.
Frontiers in Neuroscience
|February 25, 2016
Summary
Mice lacking Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) exhibit impaired motor coordination and reduced Purkinje cell numbers. This suggests TLR4 is crucial for maintaining cerebellar Purkinje cells and motor function.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Immunology
Background:
- The cerebellum is vital for motor coordination and balance.
- Purkinje cells are the primary output neurons of the cerebellar cortex.
- Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is an innate immune receptor found in the central nervous system, but its role in cerebellar function is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in cerebellum-dependent motor functions.
Main Methods:
- Evaluated motor behavior in TLR4 deficient (TLR4(-∕-)) mice.
- Performed morphological analyses of the cerebellum in TLR4(-∕-) mice.
- Assessed TLR4 expression in different cerebellar cell types.
Main Results:
- TLR4(-∕-) mice displayed significantly impaired motor coordination.
- Cerebellar molecular layer thickness was reduced in TLR4(-∕-) mice.
- Loss of TLR4 led to a decreased number of Purkinje cells, which highly express TLR4.
Conclusions:
- Toll-like receptor 4 plays a novel role in cerebellum-mediated motor coordination.
- TLR4 is essential for maintaining the Purkinje cell population in the cerebellum.
