Generation and characterization of cerebellar granule neurons specific knockout mice of Golli-MBP

Abstract Golli–myelin basic proteins, produced by the myelin basic protein gene, are widely expressed in the neurons and oligodendrocytes of the central nervous system. Previous reports have shown that Golli–myelin basic protein is necessary for myelination and neuronal maturation during central nervous system development. In this study, we established Golli–myelin basic proteins–floxed mice to elucidate the cell-type-specific effect of Golli–myelin basic proteins knockout–generated conditional knockout mice (Golli–myelin basic proteinsfl/fl; E3CreN), in which Golli–myelin basic proteins was specifically deleted in the cerebellar granule neurons, where abundant Golli–myelin basic proteins were expressed in wild-type mice. To investigate the role of Golli–myelin basic proteins in cerebellar granule neurons, we performed a pathohistological analysis using Golli–myelin basic proteinsfl/fl; E3CreN mice. However, they did not show any morphological changes or degeneration of the major cellular components of the cerebellum. Furthermore, behavioral analysis showed that Golli–myelin basic proteinsfl/fl; E3CreN mice were healthy and did not display any abnormal behavior. These results suggested that the loss of Golli–myelin basic proteins in cerebellar granule neurons does not lead to cerebellar perturbations or behavioral abnormalities. This mouse model could be employed to analyze the effect of Golli–myelin basic proteins deletion in specific cells of the central nervous system and other cell types expressing Golli–myelin basic proteins, such as those of the immune system.