Jun-B expression in Purkinje cells by conjunctive stimulation of climbing fibre and AMPA

CO-APPLICATION of α-amino-3-hydro-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionate (AMPA) and 8-bromo cGMP (8-Br-cGMP) which cause long-term desensitization also induces c-Fos and Jun-B expression in Purkinje cells of cerebellar slices [Nakazawa K, Karachot L, Nakabeppu Y et al. NeuroReport 4, 1275–1278 (1993)]. Here, we report an increased local induction of Jun-B immunoreactivity in Purkinje cells in vivo when electrical stimulation of the inferior olive nucleus (IOn) was conjunctively applied with AMPA on the vermis. The present data further supports the idea that conjunctive heterosynaptic inputs to cerebellar Purkinje cells can trigger active gene transcription thus possibly contributing to cerebellar long-term plasticity. They also demonstrate that Jun-B may be a useful transcriptional marker to study cerebellar coincidence phenomena.