Comparative anatomy of the cerebellar cortex in mice lacking vimentin, GFAP, and both vimentin and GFAP

Axonal plasticity and functional recovery after spinal cord injury in mice deficient in both glial fibrillary acidic protein and vimentin genes

“…Although previous studies have demonstrated phenotypic alterations in mice lacking GFAP (11,12,33) or Vim (25,34), surprisingly we observed no alteration of the astroglial response to a neurological insult in the absence of only one of the two proteins. In parallel, axonal sprouting was not substantially modified.…”

“…5HT-IR on the intact side went back to control value in both wild-type (L) and double mutant (N) mice and outlines their target, the motoneurons. (Bar ϭ 75 m.) formation and hypertrophy of astrocytic processes is impaired and extend a recent report that the lack of glial filaments modifies astroglial architecture (25). Moreover, we demonstrate that this impaired astroglial reactivity is associated with increased sprouting of supraspinal systems (serotonergic and corticospinal axons), largely from the intact side.…”

“…Indeed, we found that, in the absence of both IF proteins, astrocytes were morphologically immature (16,25). It is well known that, in the immature CNS, regenerating fibers can grow through lesions (26).…”

Role of GFAP in CNS injuries

“…Use of 125 I-albumin revealed leakage of the blood-brain barrier in the lumbar spinal cord of mice over 1 year of age. These differences in tissue architecture in the spinal cord and optic nerve were apparently region specific, as no differences were seen in the cerebrum, brainstem, or cerebellum; although subsequently, Gimenez et al [10] did report the presence of some disruption of myelin sheaths in the cerebellar white matter and granular layer of the Pekny et al [7] GFAP null mouse. The other three laboratories may have missed observing the hydrocephalus because their mice were not followed beyond 14 months of age, but they also did not observe the changes in myelination, vascularization and blood-brain barrier that occurred much earlier in the Liedtke line.…”

“…Findings for the cerebellum of GFAP null mice mirror those of the spinal cord in inconsistency. Shibuki et al [14] observed no differences in the structure of the cerebellum between GFAP null and wild type mice using detailed light and electron microscopic studies, but ultrastructural analysis by Gimenez et al [10] found Bergmann glial processes were shorter and thinner, and more extracellular space was present. Glial coverage was incomplete of Purkinje cell soma, Purkinje dendrites, the vasculature, and the pial surface, and the endfeet did not appear to adhere as tightly to the pial surface.…”