Open AccessFVB.129P2‐Pde6b + Tyr c‐ch /Ant, a sighted variant of the FVB/N mouse strain suitable for behavioral analysis
Author(s) -
Errijgers V.,
Van Dam D.,
Gantois I.,
Van Ginneken C. J.,
Grossman A. W.,
D’Hooge R.,
De Deyn P. P.,
Kooy R. F.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
genes, brain and behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.315
H-Index - 91
eISSN - 1601-183X
pISSN - 1601-1848
DOI - 10.1111/j.1601-183x.2006.00282.x
Subject(s) - strain (injury) , physics , psychology , biology , anatomy
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.