Aldolase C-positive cerebellar Purkinje cells are resistant to delayed death after cerebral trauma and AMPA-mediated excitotoxicity

While in birds and mammals the cerebellum is a highly convoluted structure that consists of numerous transverse lobules, in most amphibians and reptiles it consists of only a single unfolded sheet. Orthogonal to the lobules, the cerebellum is comprised of sagittal zones that are revealed in the pattern of afferent inputs, the projection patterns of Purkinje cells, and Purkinje cell response properties, among other features. The expression of several molecular markers, such as aldolase C, is also parasagittally organized. Aldolase C, also known as zebrin II (ZII), is a glycolytic enzyme expressed in the cerebellar Purkinje cells of the vertebrate cerebellum. In birds, mammals, and some lizards (Ctenophoresspp.), ZII is expressed in a heterogenous fashion of alternating sagittal bands of high (ZII+) and low (ZII–) expression Purkinje cells. In contrast, turtles and snakes express ZII homogenously (ZII+) in their cerebella, but the pattern in crocodilians is unknown. Here, we examined the expression of ZII in two crocodilian species (Crocodylus niloticus and Alligator mississippiensis) to help determine the evolutionary origin of striped ZII expression in vertebrates. We expected crocodilians to express ZII in a striped (ZII+/ZII–) manner because of their close phylogenetic relationship to birds and their larger and more folded cerebellum compared to that of snakes and turtles. Contrary to our prediction, all Purkinje cells in the crocodilian cerebellum had a generally homogenous expression of ZII (ZII+) rather than clear ZII+/– stripes. Our results suggest that either ZII stripes were lost in three groups (snakes, turtles, and crocodilians) or ZII stripes evolved independently three times (lizards, birds, and mammals).

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The cloning of zebrin II reveals its identity with aldolase C

Development ◽

10.1242/dev.120.8.2081 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 120 (8) ◽

pp. 2081-2090 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

A.H. Ahn ◽

S. Dziennis ◽

R. Hawkes ◽

K. Herrup

Keyword(s):

Purkinje Cells ◽

Cdna Expression Library ◽

Cdna Clones ◽

Expression Library ◽

Aldolase C ◽

Zebrin Ii ◽

Antibody Staining ◽

Afferent Projections ◽

Biochemical Level ◽

Cerebellar Purkinje Cells

The sagittal organization of the mammalian cerebellum can be observed at the anatomical, physiological and biochemical level. Previous screening of monoclonal antibodies produced in our laboratory has identified two intracellular antigens, zebrin I and II, that occur exclusively in adult cerebellar Purkinje cells. As their name suggests, the zebrin antibody staining of the Purkinje cell population is not uniform. Rather, zebrin-positive Purkinje cells are organized in stripes or bands that run from anterior to posterior across most of the cerebellum; interposed between the zebrin-positive cells are bands of Purkinje cells that are zebrin-negative. Comparison of the position of the antigenic bands with the anatomy of afferent projections suggests that the bands are congruent with the basic developmental and functional ‘compartments’ of the cerebellum. We report the isolation of cDNA clones of the 36 × 10(3) M(r) antigen, zebrin II, by screening of a mouse cerebellum cDNA expression library. Sequence analysis reveals a 98% identity between our clone and the glycolytic isozyme, aldolase C. In order to more rigorously demonstrate the identity of the two proteins, we stained adult cerebellum with an independent monoclonal antibody raised against aldolase C. Anti-aldolase staining occurs in a previously unreported pattern of sagittal bands of Purkinje cells; the pattern is identical to that revealed by the zebrin II monoclonal. Further, in situ hybridization of antisense aldolase C riboprobe shows that the accumulation of zebrin II/aldolase C mRNA corresponds to the pattern of the zebrin antigen in Purkinje cells. Zebrin II/aldolase C gene expression is thus regulated at the level of transcription (or mRNA stability). In light of previous work that has demonstrated the cell-autonomous and developmentally regimented expression of zebrin II, further studies of the regulation of this gene may lead to insights about the determination of cerebellar compartmentation.

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Zebrin II Is Expressed in Sagittal Stripes in the Cerebellum of Dragon Lizards (Ctenophorus sp.)

Brain Behavior and Evolution ◽

10.1159/000452857 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 88 (3-4) ◽

pp. 177-186 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Douglas R. Wylie ◽

Daniel Hoops ◽

Joel W. Aspden ◽

Andrew N. Iwaniuk

Keyword(s):

Purkinje Cells ◽

Posterior Part ◽

Glycolytic Enzyme ◽

Ancestral Condition ◽

Aldolase C ◽

Evolutionary Origins ◽

Zebrin Ii ◽

Heterogeneous Expression ◽

Cerebellar Purkinje Cells

Aldolase C, also known as zebrin II (ZII), is a glycolytic enzyme that is expressed in cerebellar Purkinje cells of the vertebrate cerebellum. In both mammals and birds, ZII is expressed heterogeneously, such that there are sagittal stripes of Purkinje cells with high ZII expression (ZII+) alternating with stripes of Purkinje cells with little or no expression (ZII-). In contrast, in snakes and turtles, ZII is not expressed heterogeneously; rather all Purkinje cells are ZII+. Here, we examined the expression of ZII in the cerebellum of lizards to elucidate the evolutionary origins of ZII stripes in Sauropsida. We focused on the central netted dragon (Ctenophorus nuchalis) but also examined cerebellar ZII expression in 5 other dragon species (Ctenophorus spp.). In contrast to what has been observed in snakes and turtles, we found that in these lizards, ZII is heterogeneously expressed. In the posterior part of the cerebellum, on each side of the midline, there were 3 sagittal stripes consisting of Purkinje cells with high ZII expression (ZII+) alternating with 2 sagittal stripes with weaker ZII expression (ZIIw). More anteriorly, most of the Purkinje cells were ZII+, except laterally, where the Purkinje cells did not express ZII (ZII-). Finally, all Purkinje cells in the auricle (flocculus) were ZII-. Overall, the parasagittal heterogeneous expression of ZII in the cerebellum of lizards is similar to that in mammals and birds, and contrasts with the homogenous ZII+ expression seen in snakes and turtles. We suggest that a sagittal heterogeneous expression of ZII represents the ancestral condition in stem reptiles which was lost in snakes and turtles.

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Ultrastorcture of Cerebellar Purkinje Cells in Rats Subjected To Partial Global Cerebral Ischemia

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100120060 ◽

1985 ◽

Vol 43 ◽

pp. 674-675

Author(s):

R.V.W. Dimlich ◽

M.H. Biros

Keyword(s):

Cerebral Ischemia ◽

Purkinje Cells ◽

Cell Types ◽

Microscopic Level ◽

Global Cerebral Ischemia ◽

Light Microscopic Level ◽

Cerebellar Damage ◽

Cerebellar Injury ◽

Cerebellar Purkinje Cells ◽

Cell Changes

In severe cerebral ischemia, Purkinje cells of the cerebellum are one of the cell types most vulnerable to anoxic damage. In the partial (forebrain) global ischemic (PGI) model of the rat, Paljärvi noted at the light microscopic level that cerebellar damage is inconsistant and when present, milder than in the telencephalon, diencephalon and rostral brain stem. Cerebellar injury was observed in 3 of 4 PGI rats following 5 minutes of reperfusion but in none of the rats after 90 min of reperfusion. To evaluate a time between these two extremes (5 and 90 min), the present investigation used the PGI model to study the effects of ischemia on the ultrastructure of cerebellar Purkinje cells in rats that were sacrificed after 30 min of reperfusion. This time also was chosen because lactic acid that is thought to contribute to ischemic cell changes in PGI is at a maximum after 30 min of reperfusion.

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