Impaired delay but normal trace eyeblink conditioning in PLCβ4 mutant mice

To elucidate the functional role of phospholipase C beta4 (PLC beta4), which is highly expressed in the Purkinje cells of the rostral cerebellum, cerebellar long-term depression (LTD) and delay and trace eyeblink conditioning were investigated in PLC beta4-deficient mice. Rostral cerebellar LTD and delay eyeblink conditioning were severely impaired, whereas trace eyeblink conditioning was not. These results indicate that PLC beta4 is essential for LTD in the rostral cerebellum and delay conditioning, but not trace conditioning. Rostral cerebellar LTD may be required as a neural substrate for delay conditioning, but is not required for trace conditioning. NeuroReport 12:2919-2922 (C) 2001 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.