Celsr3 inactivation in the brainstem impairs spinal-descending axon development and mouse behaviors in motor coordination and mechanic-induced response

Abstract Inactivation of Celsr3 in the forebrain results in defects of longitudinal axonal tracts such as the corticospinal tract. In this study, we inactivated Celsr3 in the brainstem using En1-Cre mice (Celsr3 cKO) and analyzed axonal and behavioral phenotypes. Celsr3 cKO animals showed an 83% reduction of rubrospinal axons and 30% decrease of corticospinal axons in spinal segments, associated with increased branching of dopaminergic fibers in the ventral horn. A decrease of spinal motoneurons, neuromuscular junctions and electromyographic signal amplitude of the biceps were also found in mutant animals. Mutant mice had impaired motor coordination and defective response to heavy mechanical stimulation, but no disability in walking and food-pellet handling. Transsynaptic tracing demonstrated that rubrospinal axons synapse on spinal neurons in the deep layer of the dorsal horn, and mechanical stimulation of hindpaws induced strong calcium signal of red nuclei in control mice, which was less prominent in mutant mice. In conclusion, Celsr3 regulates development of spinal-descending axons and the motor-network in cell and non-cell autonomous manners, and the maturation of the rubrospinal system is required for motor coordination and response to mechanical stimulation.