Mutant ICR mouse, kuru2, manifests hearing impairment and abnormal behavior.
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.
Hasegawa
Noriko
N
Department of Hygiene, Toita Women's College, 139 Inume-cho, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo, Japan. troy@jikei.ac.jp
Watanabe
Michiko
M
Inoue
Hideo
H
Kobayashi
Takeshi
T
Kojima
Hiromi
H
Manome
Yoshinobu
Y
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