Development and expression of cytoplasmic antigens in Purkinje cells recognized by monoclonal antibodies

Summary Five monoclonal antibodies reacting with intracellular constituents of Purkinje cells were investigated by means of indirect immunofluorescence on fresh-frozen sections of the cerebellum and retina from developing and adult normal and mutant mice. Antibodies PC1, PC2 and PC3, which recognize Purkinje cells, but no other cerebellar neuron type, label these cells from day 4 onward. PC4 antigen is expressed in addition to Purkinje cells also in granule cells and neurons of deep cerebellar nuclei and appears in Purkinje cells at day 4. M1 antigen (Lagenaur et al. 1980) is first detectable in Purkinje cell bodies by day 5; it is also detectable in deep cerebellar neurons. In the adult retina, only PC4 antigen is detectably expressed and is localized in the inner segments of photoreceptor cells.The neurological mutants weaver, reeler,jimpy and wobbler show detectable levels of these antigens in Purkinje cells. However, the mutants staggerer and Purkinje cell degeneration are abnormal in expression PC1, PC2, PC3, and M1 antigens. Staggerer never starts to express the antigens during development, whereas Purkinje cell degeneration first expresses the antigens, but then loses antigen expression after day 23. PC4 antigen is detectable in the remaining Purkinje cells in staggerer and Purkinje cell degeneration mice at all ages tested in this study. Deep cerebellar neurons are positive for both antigens, PC4 and M1, in all mutants and at all ages studied. In retinas of staggerer and Purkinje cell degeneration mutants, PC4 antigen is normally detectable in the inner segments of photoreceptor cells, even when these have started to degenerate in the case of Purkinje cell degeneration.