title: Mutant ICR mouse, kuru2, manifests hearing impairment and abnormal behavior.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Establishment of mutant animals presents valuable information on corresponding human diseases. We established a mutant mouse, kuru2, from the previously reported Ascites ICR Mouse.
  
  
  METHODS
  Epileptic individuals of Ascites ICR Mouse were mated and maintained with sibling mating. This mouse was characterized by hearing impairment and abnormal behavior such as ataxic gait, disturbance of positional sense, hyperirritability, head-tossing and circling movement.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No detectable auditory brain stem response was evoked from an early stage of life. Abnormal behavior started from 4 to 12 weeks of age. Microscopic examination revealed no major abnormalities in the central nervous system. In the inner ear, the vestibule and cochlea were well developed, however degeneration of the spiral ganglions was observed at a late age. The genetic mode was autosomal recessive.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Since this mouse has a distinctive phenotype, the animal may provide an understanding of hereditary hearing impairment and abnormal behavior.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hygiene, Toita Women's College, 139 Inume-cho, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo, Japan. troy@jikei.ac.jp
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.forename: Michiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kojima
authors.forename: Yoshinobu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Manome
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007758:Ear, Inner / Q000473:pathology; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D020234:Gait Ataxia / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D010375:Pedigree; D010641:Phenotype