Testicular orphan nuclear receptor 4 (TR4) has been suggested to play important roles in the development and functioning of the central nervous system (CNS). We find reduced myelination in TR4 knockout (TR4(-/-)) mice, which is particularly obvious in forebrains and in early developmental stages. Further analysis reveals that CC-1-positive (CC-1+) oligodendrocytes are decreased in TR4(-/-) forebrains. The O4+ signals are also reduced in TR4(-/-) forebrains when examined at postnatal d 7. However, the number and proliferation rate of platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha-positive (PDGFalphaR+) oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) remain unaffected in these regions, suggesting that loss of TR4 interrupts oligodendrocyte differentiation. This is further supported by the observation that CC-1+ oligodendrocytes derived from 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine incorporating OPCs are significantly reduced in TR4(-/-) forebrains. We also find higher Jagged1 expression levels in axon fiber-enriched regions in TR4(-/-) forebrains, suggesting a more activated Notch signaling in these regions that correlates with previous reports showing that Notch activation inhibits oligodendrocyte differentiation. Together, our results suggest that TR4 is required for proper myelination in the CNS and is particularly important for oligodendrocyte differentiation and maturation in the forebrain regions. The altered Jagged1-Notch signaling in TR4(-/-) forebrain underlies a potential mechanism that contributes to the reduced myelination in the forebrain.

Since Testicular Receptor 4 (TR4) was cloned, efforts have been made to elucidate its physiological function. To examine the putative functions of TR4, the conventional TR4 knockout (TR4(-/-)) mouse model was generated. Throughout postnatal and adult stages, TR4(-/-) mice exhibited behavioral deficits in motor coordination, suggesting impaired cerebellar function. Histological examination of the postnatal and adult TR4(-/-) cerebellum revealed gross abnormalities in foliation. Further analyses demonstrated changes in the lamination of the TR4(-/-) cerebellar cortex, including reduction in the thickness of both the molecular layer (ML) and the internal granule layer (IGL). Analyses of the developing TR4(-/-) cerebellum indicate that the lamination irregularities observed may result from disrupted granule cell proliferation within the external granule cell layer (EGL), delayed inward migration of post-mitotic granule cells, and increased apoptosis during cerebellar development. In addition, abnormal development of Purkinje cells was observed in the postnatal TR4(-/-) cerebellum, as indicated by aberrant dendritic arborization. In postnatal, neuronal-specific TR4 knockout mice, architectural changes in the cerebellum were similar to those seen in TR4(-/-) animals, suggesting that TR4 function in neuronal lineages might be important for cerebellar morphogenesis, and that the effect on Purkinje cell development is likely mediated by changes elsewhere, such as in granule cells, or is highly dependent on developmental stage. Together, our findings from various TR4 knockout mouse models suggest that TR4 is required for normal cerebellar development and that failure to establish proper cytoarchitecture results in dysfunction of the cerebellum and leads to abnormal behavior.

Since testicular orphan nuclear receptor 4 (TR4) was cloned, its physiological functions remain largely unknown. In this study, the TR4 knockout (TR4(-/-)) mouse model was used to investigate the role of TR4 in the adult cerebellum. Behaviorally, these null mice exhibit unsteady gait, as well as involuntary postural and kinetic movements, indicating a disturbance of cerebellar function. In the TR4(-/-) brain, cerebellar restricted hypoplasia is severe and cerebellar vermal lobules VI and VII are underdeveloped, while no structural alterations in the cerebral cortex are observed. Histological analysis of the TR4(-/-) cerebellar cortex reveals reductions in granule cell density, as well as a decreased number of parallel fiber boutons that are enlarged in size. Further analyses reveal that the levels of GABA and GAD are decreased in both Purkinje cells and interneurons of the TR4(-/-) cerebellum, suggesting that the inhibitory circuits signaling within and from the cerebellum may be perturbed. In addition, in the TR4(-/-) cerebellum, immunoreactivity of GluR2/3 was reduced in Purkinje cells, but increased in the deep cerebellar nuclei. Together, these results suggest that the behavioral phenotype of TR4(-/-) mice may result from disrupted inhibitory pathways in the cerebellum. No progressive atrophy was observed at various adult stages in the TR4(-/-) brain, therefore the disturbances most likely originate from a failure to establish proper connections between principal neurons in the cerebellum during development.