Purkinje cells located in the adult zebrafish valvula cerebelli exhibit variable functional responses

Purkinje cells are critically involved in processing the cerebellar functions by shaping and coordinating commands that they receive. Here, we demonstrate experimentally that in the adult zebrafish valvular part of the cerebellum, the Purkinje cells exhibited variable firing and functional responses and allowed the categorization into three firing classes. Compared with the Purkinje cells in the corpus cerebelli, the valvular Purkinje cells receive weak and occasional input from the inferior olive and are not active during locomotion. Together, our findings expand further the regional functional differences of the Purkinje cell population and expose their non-locomotor functionality.

Automated summary

This study demonstrates experimentally that Purkinje cells in the valvular part of the cerebellum in adult zebrafish exhibit variable firing patterns and functional responses, categorizing into three classes. Compared to Purkinje cells in the corpus cerebelli, valvular Purkinje cells receive weak and occasional input from the inferior olive and are inactive during locomotion. These findings expand the understanding of regional functional differences among Purkinje cells and highlight their non-locomotor functionalities.