| First Author | Adelbrecht C | Year | 1997 |
| Journal | Neuroreport | Volume | 8 |
| Issue | 4 | Pages | 969-74 |
| PubMed ID | 9141074 | Mgi Jnum | J:40245 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:87588 | Doi | 10.1097/00001756-199703030-00030 |
| Citation | Adelbrecht C, et al. (1997) An immunocytochemical study of a G-protein-gated inward rectifier K+ channel (GIRK2) in the weaver mouse mesencephalon. Neuroreport 8(4):969-74 |
| abstractText | IT has been suggested that a mutation in a G-protein-gated inward rectifier K+ channel (GIRK2) is responsible for inducing cell death in the cerebellum of homozygous weaver (wv/wv) mutant mice. These mice also display a progressive, massive loss of mesencephalic dopaminergic neurones. Using an immunocytochemical method, we detected GIRK2-positive cell bodies and fibres in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNC) and the ventral tegmental area (VTA) of control (+/+) mice. Cell counts of both GIRK2- and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive neurones demonstrated a marked loss of SNC cell bodies, especially in 12-month-old (12M) wv/wv mice. A considerable proportion of GIRK2-positive cell bodies were preserved, however. In addition, no loss of GIRK2-positive neurones was observed in the VTA of 12M wv/wv mice, despite of a significant reduction in TH-positive cell bodies. These results suggest that expression of the mutated channel is not a sufficient condition to induce cell death in the ventral mesencephalon of the wv/wv mice. |
