OLFACTORY-BULB ELECTROCORTICOGRAM MODIFIC ATIONS OF STAGGERER MUTANT MICE

Electrophysiological observations have been made on normal C57-BL/6J a nd staggerer mutant mice, Morphological observations have given eviden ce it existed vaious neurones modifications which affected the olfacto ry bulb in the mutant mice, Olfactory bulb electrocorticograms (ECoG) of mutant have shown rave bursts of potentials of longer time duration than in normal mice. These bursts were less affected by odor stimulat ions (ammonia and urine of opposite sexes) than in the normal mice and never varied under urine odor influence in female mutant Evoked poten tial induced by the odors had long latency and long duration (up to 50 ms vs 30 ms). In a large amount of them, the late phases and the late oscillatory potentials which generally followed the evoked potential, were absent. All these results improved the idea that staggerer mutat ion, which mainly affected the N-CAM gene, not only induced cerebellar deseases, but also fonctionally affects the olfactory bulb.