title: FVB.129P2-Pde6b(+) Tyr(c-ch)/Ant, a sighted variant of the FVB/N mouse strain suitable for behavioral analysis.
abstract: Mice of the FVB/N strain are severely visual impaired as a result of tyrosinase gene defects, leading to a deficiency of the key enzyme for melanin synthesis in skin and eye and of cyclic guanosine monophosphate phosphodiesterase gene defects, which results in albinism (Tyr(c/c)) and retinal degeneration (Pde6b(rd1/rd1)), respectively. Nevertheless, FVB/N mice are commonly used for the generation of transgenic animals because of their large, strong pronuclei and high breeding performance. However, due to visual impairment of the FVB/N animals, the resulting transgenic animals cannot be used in tests that depend on vision, including tests of cognitive behavior. Therefore, we have bred a sighted version of the FVB/N strain by an outcross between FVB/N and 129P2/OlaHsd, followed by repeated backcrosses to FVB/N mice while selecting against albinism and homozygosity of the retinal degeneration mutation. After 11 generations of backcrossing, sighted animals were intercrossed to generate the congenic FVB.129P2-Pde6b(+) Tyr(c-ch)/Ant strain, which is pigmented (Tyr(c-ch)/(c-ch)) and devoid of the genetic predisposition to retinal degeneration. The accurate visual abilities of the FVB.129P2-Pde6b(+) Tyr(c-ch)/Ant mice, for which we propose the name FVBS/Ant, demonstrated a clear visual evoked potential in the presence of normal eye histology and improved performance in the Morris water maze test.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Genetics, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Errijgers
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Van Dam
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gantois
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Van Ginneken
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Grossman
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: D'Hooge
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: De Deyn
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Kooy
mesh_terms: D000417:Albinism / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D035841:Behavioral Research / Q000379:methods*; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D005106:Exploratory Behavior; D005123:Eye / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D023421:Models, Animal; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010858:Pigmentation / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D012162:Retinal Degeneration / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase; D006152:Cyclic GMP