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J. Biol. Chem., Vol. 277, Issue 46, 44285-44291, November 15, 2002

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Inhibition of Caspases Protects Cerebellar Granule Cells of the Weaver Mouse from Apoptosis and Improves Behavioral Phenotype^*

Jun Peng, Zhijin Wu^§, Yongqin Wu, Mike Hsu^§, Fang Feng Stevenson, Rapee Boonplueang^§, Suzanne K. Roffler-Tarlov^¶, and Julie K. Andersen^§

From the  Buck Institute for Age Research, Novato, California 94945, ^§ Program in Molecular Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, and the ^¶ Departments of Neuroscience and Anatomy and Cell Biology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02111

The homozygous mouse mutant weaver exhibits a massive loss of cerebellar granule neurons postnatally. The death of these cells is associated with a single amino acid mutation in the G protein-activated inwardly rectifying potassium channel, Girk2. Evidence suggests that both the mutated Girk2 channel and the calcium channel-associated N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor play important roles in the apoptotic death of weaver cerebellar granule cells, but the downstream events associated with this process are unknown. In this study, we demonstrate that the consequences of the mutation result in caspase activation. In addition, our results show that caspase inhibition in vivo decreases caspase activation and granule cell apoptosis and significantly improves behavioral deficits associated with the weaver's phenotype.

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