B6;129-Gabra6^tm1Geh/J

Stock number: 002710
Research areas: Cell Biology Research, Neurobiology Research

Description

Compared to wild-type mice, these Gabra6 knock-out mice exhibit an absence of a dramatic alteration in behavioral response to neuroactive compounds.

Detailed description

Mice homozygous for the Gabra6^tm1Geh mutation are viable and fertile with no gross abnormalities. There were no differences detected in behavioral response to ethanol comparing homozygotes to wildtypes from the two background strains, C57BL/6 and 129/SvJ. These findings suggest that the alpha6 subunit of the gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptor exerts little if any influence on acute functional tolerance, withdrawal hyperexcitability, or protracted tolerance. The only defects discovered thus far are pharmacologic.

Of note, several strains bearing gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA-A) receptor mutations are available from this donating investigator (Dr. Gregg Homanics, University of Pittsburgh), including Gabra1 (Stock No. 004318), Gabra4 (Stock No. 006874), Gabra6 (Stock No. 002710), Gabrb3 (Stock No. 002711), Gabrd (Stock No. 003725), and Gabrg2 (Stock No. 003137).

Development

This strain was developed in the laboratory of Dr. Gregg Homanics at the University of Pittsburgh. The vector containing Pgk-neo was inserted by homologous recombination into exon 8 of the Gabra6 gene. The 129X1/SvJ x 129S1/Sv-derived R1 ES cell line was used.

Allele

Symbol: Gabra6^tm1Geh
Name: targeted mutation 1, Gregg E Homanics
MGI accession ID: MGI:1857173
Generation method: Targeted
Attributes: Null/Knockout
Marker symbol: Gabra6
Marker name: gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) A receptor, subunit alpha 6
Marker synonyms: alpha6; GABA-ARalpha6; Gabra-6
Chromosome: 11
Strain of origin: (129X1/SvJ x 129S1/Sv)F1-Kitl⁺
Molecular note: A neomycin selection cassette was inserted into exon 8. Northern blot analysis on RNA derived from cerebellum of homozygous mice demonstrated that aberrant transcripts were expressed from this allele. Hoever, none of these are predicted to be able to code for a functional protein (J:40242). Later studies showed that this mutation also affected the expression of the Gabra1 and Gabrb2 genes (J:63792).