| First Author | Cattanach BM | Year | 1988 |
| Journal | Mouse News Lett | Volume | 81 |
| Pages | 63-64 | Mgi Jnum | J:14143 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:62318 | Citation | Cattanach BM, et al. (1988) Rump shaker, a new neurological mutation. Mouse News Lett 81:63-64 |
| abstractText | Full text of MNL contribution: New Mutants. 1. Rump shaker, a new neurological mutation. Several animals exhibiting a marked quivering or shaking of the hindquarters have been found in a small stock of mice homozygous for the Robertsonian translocation, Rb(1.3)lBnr. Crosses of the variant animals to mice from a distantly related Rb(1.3)lBnr stock (to avoid the infertility problems of translocation heterozygosity) have so far yielded only normal offspring (n = 19). However, intercrosses of these have produced 109 young of which 35 displayed the abnormal behaviour, thus providing good evidence that the effect is attributable to a recessive gene. Accordingly the mutation has been denoted rump shaker (rsh) and, as no mutagenic treatment had been given, it may be considered to be of spontaneous origin. The behavioural effect is detectable at about 12 days of age; it is quite evident at weaning and in young adults but tends to decline with age. The shaking characteristically occurs during locomotion and disappears when the animals are at rest. In many respects therefore rsh resembles qk and shi but, unlike these mutants, rsh mice are of normal size and viability, do not develop seizures and both sexes are fully fertile. Crosses with qk have produced only normal young (n = 29) confirming that rsh is not allelic with qk. Linkage tests with Tw on chromosome 18 have been initiated to determine if rsh could be allelic with shi which, on the basis of somatic cell hybrid work with the MBP gene (thought identical to shi), should be located on this chromosome (Roach et al., Cell 42, 149-155, 1985). Preliminary neuropathological studies show differences from both qk and shi. Although there is severe generalised hypomyelinisation of the central nervous system with the myelin sheath around the axons being either very thin or absent, the peripheral nervous system appears normal. In addition, immunochemical studies demonstrate myelin basic protein. (Cattanach and Rasberry, with Dr. I.R. Griffiths, Glasgow Veterinary School) |
