Mice homozygous for either Ush1cdfcr or Ush1cdfcr-2J display head tossing and hyperactive circling. They are unable to orient themselves in water to swim at the surface. Despite these behavioral traits, these mice are able to breed and have normal life spans. Adult homozygotes have no auditory-evoked brainstem response. This complete deafness was found in an Ush1cdfcr homozygote as early as 21 days of age. Scanning electron micrographs of the organ of Corti at 3 weeks of age reveal disorganized and splayed stereocilia of outer hair cells and, less severely, of inner hair cells along with degeneration of hair cells that yields a disorganized hair cell pattern. While progressive loss of hair cells and a secondary loss of spiral ganglion cells are found and are severe by 8 months of age, no gross morphological abnormalities were discerned in whole mounts of inner ears. At 9 months of age a slight peripheral retinal degeneration is found in mice homozygous for Ush1cdfcr but not Ush1cdfcr-2J. These phenotypes have not been identified in mice heterozygous for either allele. (Johnson et al., 2003.)

These mice carry a spontaneous mutation at the Ush1c locus characterized by head tossing, hyperactive circling, and disorientation in water.

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