title: Autosomal dominance in a late-onset motor neuron disease in the mouse.
abstract: A late-onset neurological disease has been identified in a substrain of C57Bl/6 mice. The disorder is characterized by hindlimb weakness and ataxia starting at 5-11 months of age, progressing to severe spastic paralysis of all limbs, with premature death. Histopathology reveals degeneration of upper and lower motoneurons. Both sexes are affected; the mice are fertile, although breeding efficiency is reduced. In outcrosses to wild-type, symptoms have been observed in all obligate heterozygotes, with a similar age range for onset to that of homozygotes. We have designated this autosomal dominant disorder Motor neuron degeneration (Mnd).
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005799:Genes, Dominant; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000473:pathology; D009410:Nerve Degeneration; D009468:Neuromuscular Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012098:Reproduction