These transgenic mice express the cholera toxin intracellular enzymatic subunit A1 under the direction of the human dopamine receptor D1, <i>DRD1</i>, promoter.  Expression of the cholera toxin in the D1 dopamine receptor subtype-expressing neurons results in chronic potentiation of neural activity in this specific neuron subset.  CNS expression of the transgene is regionally restricted and is detected only in the piriform cortex layer II, the amygdalar intercalated nucleus (ICN), and the somatosensory cortical areas  layer II-III. Transgenic mice have elevated cortical cAMP levels. Transgenic mice exhibit trichotillomania-like excessive grooming, plucking, scratching and non-aggressive biting behavior during self- and social-grooming, as early as 3 weeks of age. These behaviors can result in skin, tail or periorbital (eye area) lesions on the transgenic mice and to skin or tail lesions on their cagemates.  Hyperlocomotion (increased motion, wall leaping, gnawing) that is similar to drug induced hyperactivity, other psychomotor abnormalities are also displayed by transgenic mice as well as obsessive-compulsive disorder-like episodes of generalized perseveration of all otherwise normal behaviors.  Transgenic mice exhibit increased anxiety response, as measured by behavioral indicators such as increased thigmotaxis (tendency to remain along the perimeter walls of an open area), and Tourette's Syndrome-like behaviors (juvenile-onset tics in both transgenic males and females, with increased tic severity and flurries in transgenic males). Transgenic mice may appear slightly smaller than wildtype littermates and can develop a more hunched and scruffy appearance in adulthood.   Homozygous and hemizygous mice have significant breeding difficulty, viability obstacles, and reduced transgene inheritance (see details below). This mutant mouse strain may be useful in studies of Gilles De La Tourette Syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and Trichotillomania.<p> 

Homozygous and hemizygous females do not breed and are not good mothers due to their anxiety and grooming-biting phenotype (leading to biting of litters). Homozygous and hemizygous males are fertile, but may sometimes bite their litters. Transgenic mice housed with cagemates may inadvertently but repeatedly injure them (e.g., tail loss, skin wounds) by excessively biting during social grooming; these injuries can be minimized by housing transgenic mice with multiple cagemates and including an interior domicile (mouse dome) in the cage as a retreat. When breeding wildtype or BALB/c females with transgenic males at The Jackson Laboratory Repository, pups exhibit diminished transgene inheritance (~33% rather than the expected ~50%).

These transgenic mice express the cholera toxin intracellular enzymatic subunit A1 under the direction of the human dopamine receptor D1, DRD1, promoter.  Expression of the cholera toxin in the D1 dopamine receptor subtype neurons results in chronic potentiate neural activity in this specific neuron subset.  This mutant mouse strain may be useful in studies of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Gilles De La Tourette Syndrome and Trichotillomania.

Typically mice are recovered in 12-16 weeks. Contact Customer Service to place an order or for more information.

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.jax.org/jax-mice-and-services/customer-support" rel="noreferrer">Contact Customer Service</a> for more information.