Glutamatergic cerebellar neurons differentially contribute to the acquisition of motor and social behaviors

Meike E. Heijden, Alejandro G. Rey Hipolito, Linda H. Kim, Dominic J. Kizek, Ross M. Perez, Tao Lin and Roy V. Sillitoe ()
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Meike E. Heijden: Baylor College of Medicine
Alejandro G. Rey Hipolito: Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s Hospital
Linda H. Kim: Baylor College of Medicine
Dominic J. Kizek: Baylor College of Medicine
Ross M. Perez: Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s Hospital
Tao Lin: Baylor College of Medicine
Roy V. Sillitoe: Baylor College of Medicine

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-18

Abstract: Abstract Insults to the developing cerebellum can cause motor, language, and social deficits. Here, we investigate whether developmental insults to different cerebellar neurons constrain the ability to acquire cerebellar-dependent behaviors. We perturb cerebellar cortical or nuclei neuron function by eliminating glutamatergic neurotransmission during development, and then we measure motor and social behaviors in early postnatal and adult mice. Altering cortical and nuclei neurons impacts postnatal motor control and social vocalizations. Normalizing neurotransmission in cortical neurons but not nuclei neurons restores social behaviors while the motor deficits remain impaired in adults. In contrast, manipulating only a subset of nuclei neurons leaves social behaviors intact but leads to early motor deficits that are restored by adulthood. Our data uncover that glutamatergic neurotransmission from cerebellar cortical and nuclei neurons differentially control the acquisition of motor and social behaviors, and that the brain can compensate for some but not all perturbations to the developing cerebellum.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38475-9

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