The mouse "Purkinje cell degeneration" (pcd) is characterized by a primary loss of Purkinje cells, as well as by retrograde and secondary partial degeneration of cerebellar granule cells and inferior olivary neurons; this neurological mutant can be considered as an animal model of human degenerative ataxia. To determine the consequences of this cerebellar pathology on the noradrenergic system, noradrenaline transporters as well as alpha1-, alpha2- and beta-adrenergic receptors were evaluated by quantitative ligand binding autoradiography in adult control and pcd mice using, respectively, [3H]nisoxetine, [3H]prazosin, [3H]idazoxan and [3H]CGP12177. In cerebellar cortex and deep nuclei of pcd mutants, [3H]nisoxetine labelling of noradrenaline transporters was higher than in control mice. However, when binding densities were corrected by surface area, they remained unchanged in the cerebellar cortex but associated with 25% and 40% lower levels of labelling of alpha1 and beta receptors, as well as a very important increase (275%) of alpha2 receptors. In deep cerebellar nuclei, surface corrections did not reveal any changes either in transporter or in receptor densities. Higher densities of [3H]nisoxetine labelling were found in several regions related with the cerebellum, namely inferior olive, inferior colliculus, vestibular, reticular, pontine, raphe and red nuclei, as well as in primary motor and sensory cerebral cortex; they may reflect an increased noradrenergic innervation related to motor adjustments for the cerebellar dysfunction. Increased [3H]nisoxetine labelling was also measured in vegetative brainstem regions and in dorsal hypothalamus, implying altered autonomic functions and possible compensation in pcd mutants. Other changes found in extracerebellar regions affected by the mutation, such as thalamus and the olfactory system implicated both noradrenaline transporters and adrenergic receptors. In contrast to the important alterations of the noradrenergic system in cerebellar cortex, the lack of receptor changes in deep cerebellar nuclei suggests that local adaptations may be sufficient to minimize the consequence of the cerebellar atrophy on motor control. An intense labelling by [3H]idazoxan of the inner third of the molecular layer was a novel, albeit unexplained finding, and could represent a postsynaptic subset of alpha2-adrenergic receptors.