AUTHOR=Locke Timothy M. , Fujita Hirofumi , Hunker Avery , Johanson Shelby S. , Darvas Martin , du Lac Sascha , Zweifel Larry S. , Carlson Erik S. TITLE=Purkinje Cell-Specific Knockout of Tyrosine Hydroxylase Impairs Cognitive Behaviors JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience VOLUME=14 YEAR=2020 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cellular-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fncel.2020.00228 DOI=10.3389/fncel.2020.00228 ISSN=1662-5102 ABSTRACT=
Tyrosine hydroxylase (Th) expression has previously been reported in Purkinje cells (PCs) of rodents and humans, but its role in the regulation of behavior is not understood. Catecholamines are well known for facilitating cognitive behaviors and are expressed in many regions of the brain. Here, we investigated a possible role in cognitive behaviors of PC catecholamines, by mapping and testing functional roles of Th positive PCs in mice. Comprehensive mapping analyses revealed a distinct population of Th expressing PCs primarily in the posterior and lateral regions of the cerebellum (comprising about 18% of all PCs). To identify the role of PC catecholamines, we selectively knocked out Th in PCs using a conditional knockout approach, by crossing a Purkinje cell-selective Cre recombinase line,