title: crv4, a mouse model for human ataxia associated with kyphoscoliosis caused by an mRNA splicing mutation of the metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 (Grm1).
abstract: We describe a novel spontaneous autosomal recessive mutation, cervelet-4 (crv4), which arose in a BALB/c strain. Mice homozygous for the mutation exhibit principally a reduced body size, a congenital neurological phenotype characterized by ataxic gait and intention tremor, with no gross anomalies observed in brain or cerebellum, and skeletal anomalies. Using linkage analysis, we mapped the crv4 locus to the proximal region of chromosome 10, at the location of the Grm1 gene. Genetic complementation crosses between crv4 and Grm1 KO mice confirmed that crv4 is a new allele of Grm1. Molecular analysis of the Grm1 gene in mutant mice revealed the insertion of a 190-bp LTR fragment in intron 4. Our results also indicated that the presence of the LTR fragment caused the disruption of the Grm1 normal splicing process and complete absence of the wild-type protein. crv4 is an interesting model to extend the study of Grm1 function and the pathological effects of Grm1 deficiency in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, G. Gaslini Institute, 16148 Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Valerio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Conti
authors.forename: Asadollah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aghaie
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cilli
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Caridi
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Musante
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Candiano
authors.forename: Maura
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Castagna
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fairen
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ravazzolo
authors.forename: Jean-Louis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Guenet
authors.forename: Aldamaria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Puliti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001259:Ataxia / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002874:Chromosome Mapping / Q000379:methods; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007438:Introns / Q000235:genetics; D007738:Kyphosis / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics*; D010641:Phenotype; D012326:RNA Splicing; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018094:Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018626:Retroelements / Q000235:genetics; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics*; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018094:Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate; D018626:Retroelements; C104077:metabotropic glutamate receptor type 1