mortality/aging
• the remaining 17 mutants die between 3 and 6 weeks of age
|
• 12 of 29 mutants die within 21 days after birth
|
• only 12%, instead of the expected 25%, of homozygotes are born, indicating in utero loss
|
growth/size/body
• homozygotes that survive to 6 weeks of age are smaller than wild-type
|
behavior/neurological
• 53% of mutants that survive to 6 weeks of age have hind limb paralysis
• hindlimb paralysis coincides with transection of the spinal cord
|
cardiovascular system
• mutants that die perinatally have extensive areas of recent infarction with hemorrhages throughout the forebrain
|
• most severe defects result in complete spinal cord transection with hemorrhage
|
limbs/digits/tail
short tail
(
J:80624
)
• mutants that survive to 6 weeks of age have shortened tails
|
kinked tail
(
J:80624
)
• mutants that survive to 6 weeks of age have severely kinked tails
|
nervous system
N |
• no lesions of the brain are observed and cortical plates and ventricles appear normal
|
• mutants that die perinatally have extensive areas of recent infarction with hemorrhages throughout the forebrain
|
• most severe defects result in complete spinal cord transection with hemorrhage
|
• mutants that die perinatally have extensive areas of recent infarction with hemorrhages throughout the forebrain
|
• compression and/or transection of the spinal cord due to bony or cartilaginous projections from vertebral bodies into the spinal cord
• areas of spinal compression show scattered myelin debris, demyelination, and marked gliosis
|
skeleton
• mutants have severe axial skeletal deformities
|
• mutants that survive to 6 weeks of age have deformed vertebral columns
|
• in several cases, vertebrae are so malformed that several bodies share a single intervertebral space, resulting in a misalignment of intervertebral spaces and joints
|
• mutants that survive to 6 weeks of age have malformed dorsal laminae
|
• mutants that survive to 6 weeks of age have malformed vertebral bodies that appear as anomalous structures composed of hyaline cartilage, bone, and marrow cells in a disorganized admixture of tissue
• vertebral body malformations are often associated with bony or cartilaginous projections into the spinal cord, resulting in compression and/or transection
|