Nature Communications (Jul 2021)

Purkinje cell axonal swellings enhance action potential fidelity and cerebellar function

  • Daneck Lang-Ouellette,
  • Kim M. Gruver,
  • Amy Smith-Dijak,
  • François G. C. Blot,
  • Chloe A. Stewart,
  • Pauline de Vanssay de Blavous,
  • Connie H. Li,
  • Carter Van Eitrem,
  • Charlotte Rosen,
  • Phyllis L. Faust,
  • Martijn Schonewille,
  • Alanna J. Watt

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-24390-4
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 1
pp. 1 – 13

Abstract

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Axonal swellings have been found on Purkinje cell axons in the cerebellum both during development and disease. The authors show that axons with swellings propagate action potentials with higher fidelity than those without and that mice with more axonal swellings learn cerebellar-related tasks better.