Impaired cerebellar Purkinje cell potentiation generates unstable spatial map orientation and inaccurate navigation

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 10; no. 1; p. 2251
• Main Authors: Lefort, Julie Marie, Vincent, Jean, Tallot, Lucille, Jarlier, Frédéric, De Zeeuw, Chris Innocentius, Rondi-Reig, Laure, Rochefort, Christelle
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 21-05-2019; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 631/378/2629/2630; 631/378/2632/1368; 631/378/87; 9/30; Animals; Calcineurin; Calcineurin - genetics; Calcineurin - metabolism; Cerebellum; Cues; Hippocampus; Hippocampus - physiology; Humanities and Social Sciences; Life Sciences; Long-term depression; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Knockout; Models, Animal; Mouse devices; multidisciplinary; Navigation; Navigation behavior; Neuronal Plasticity - physiology; Neurons and Cognition; Neurosciences; Orientation, Spatial - physiology; Purkinje cells; Purkinje Cells - physiology; Recording sessions; Representations; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Space Perception - physiology; Spatial Navigation - physiology; Stability
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-09958-5

Cerebellar activity supported by PKC-dependent long-term depression in Purkinje cells (PCs) is involved in the stabilization of self-motion based hippocampal representation, but the existence of cerebellar processes underlying integration of allocentric cues remains unclear. Using mutant-mice lacking PP2B in PCs (L7-PP2B mice) we here assess the role of PP2B-dependent PC potentiation in hippocampal representation and spatial navigation. L7-PP2B mice display higher susceptibility to spatial map instability relative to the allocentric cue and impaired allocentric as well as self-motion goal-directed navigation. These results indicate that PP2B-dependent potentiation in PCs contributes to maintain a stable hippocampal representation of a familiar environment in an allocentric reference frame as well as to support optimal trajectory toward a goal during navigation.
It is known that Purkinje cell PKC-dependent depression is involved in the stabilization of self-motion based hippocampal representation. Here the authors describe decreased stability of hippocampal place cells based on allocentric cues in mice lacking Purkinje cell PP2B-dependent potentiation.