CYCLIC NUCLEOTIDE ACCUMULATION <i>IN VITRO</i> IN THE CEREBELLUM OF ‘NERVOUS’ NEUROLOGICALLY MUTANT MICE

Abstract

Abstract— Slices of cerebellum from Purkinje cell‐deficient, neurologically mutant ‘nervous’ mice or normal littermates synthesized cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP during in vitro incubations. Resting levels of cyclic AMP were the same in the two groups, but accumulations in the presence of kainic acid, a glutamic acid analogue, or norepinephrine were significantly greater in the ‘nervous’ mice. Resting levels of cyclic GMP were lower in the ‘nervous’ mice, but the elevations produced by kainic acid were the same in both groups. Adenylate and guanylate cyclase activities in the cerebellum were not affected by the mutation. These findings indicate that cyclic nucleotide synthesis in the cerebellum does not occur solely in the Purkinje cell population.