Figure 4.

Deletion of Shh in DA neurons mediated by DAT promoter-driven IRES-cre does not affect cholinergic neuron number in the STR in aged mice (20 months)

Representative images from WT or DATcre-shh cKO mice at 20 months of age in the STR (A and B) immunostained for CHAT (A′-B′ higher magnification images of the small box in A or B). Unbiased stereological quantification of (CHAT+) neurons in striatum of WT or DATCre-shh cKO mice (C). Similar results are also observed in young adult WT or DATcre-shh cKO mice at 7 months of age (D). mRNA expression of cholinergic neuron marker genes is not different between WT or DATcre-shh cKO mice at 6–9 months of age (E). For each gene, expression is normalized to housekeeping gene HMBS expression. Each data point represents an individual mouse. Mean + SEM. No significant difference between groups (Student’s t test). (n = 13 for control and n = 9 for DATcre-shh cKO for Panel E).