Phenotyping
The majority of mutagenized mice used in the core phenotyping program is of C57BL/6J origin (50%), a smaller percentage is of A.B6-Tyr+ origin (25%) and others (25%) are derived from mutagenized embryonic stem cells. These mice were tested in a series of high- or low-throughput screens for specific phenotypic domains, i.e. screens were chosen to provide multiple measures for the detection of neurological phenotypes and to enhance the likelihood of detecting new mutants. Pedigrees were screened for abnormalities of motor function, seizure threshold, vision, hearing, gustation, neuro-development, as well as various metabolic functions and general activity levels in a multi-domain screen using the Comprehensive Lab Animal Monitoring System (CLAMS™). In addition, mice of mixed background, C57BL/6J and BALB/cByJ were placed in an aging colony to be screened for age-related disorders. Standard histology is performed on all mouse lines selected for further investigation.
Links to protocols: Observation; CLAMSTM(former CCMS); Gait Analysis; Gustation; Vision and eye; Seizure threshold; Creatine kinase; Auditory brainstem response (ABR); Acoustic startle response( ASR); Developmental Screen. At this time the NMF concentrates its efforts on screens of overt phenotypes, vision and eye, and seizure threshold abnormalities.
