mortality/aging
• most mice die 1 to 2 months after birth with remaining mice dying 2 to 6 months after birth
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homeostasis/metabolism
• serum phenylalanine levels are increased (2732 uM compared to 63 uM in wild-type and heterozygous mice)
• however, phenylalanine levels can be rescued by oral administration of tetrahydrobiopterin
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• insulin-like growth factor 1 levels are severely reduced compared to in wild-type mice
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• dopamine levels are reduced 10-fold in the caudate putamen and cortex compared to in wild-type mice
• 3,4 dihydroxyphenylacetate (DOPAC) levels in the caudate putamen and cortex are below detectable limits unlike in wild-type mice
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• norepinepherine levels in the cortex and cerebellum are reduced
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• sepiapterin accumulation is observed in the brain and liver
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• tetrahydrobiopterin levels are decreased in the brain (to 40.5% of wild-type levels) and liver (to 1.1% of wild-type levels)
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• neopterin levels are increased moderately in the liver and brain by 3 and 5 times, respectively, as much as in wild-type mice
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• serotonin levels in the cortex are reduced compared to in wild-type mice
• however, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid levels are normal
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nervous system
• tyrosine hydrolase (TH) staining in dopaminergic cells gradually becomes faint along dopaminergic fibers and disappears in the caudate putamen unlike in wild-type mice
• almost no nerve fibers stain positive for TH in the striatum
• however, dopaminergic neurons are present
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• brain levels of dopamine, norepinepherine and serotonine are reduced compared to in wild-type mice
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growth/size/body
• within a few days of birth mice exhibit a severe growth retardation and gain almost no weight after 2 weeks of age
• however, growth retardation and other phenotypes (such as phenylalanine levels) can be rescued by oral administration of tetrahydrobiopterin
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behavior/neurological
• mice score worse than wild-type mice on four-limb akinesia and turning tests
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