Strain information
 NBRP Rat No: 0100  Strain name: MV/Opu  Commmon Name: myelin vacuolation rat, mv rat Rat Genome Database
Principal Investigator:  Mitsuru Kuwamura  Osaka Metropolitan University       1-58, Rinku-Ourai Kita, Izumisano    598-8531 Osaka     Japan
Tel: 072-463-5342     Fax:  072-463-5346 Email: kuwamura@vet.osakafu-u.ac.jp
Preservation Status:   Embryo        Sperm       Living Animals ../images/Photos/myelin_vacuolation_rat/myelin_vacuolation_rat_1024.jpg ../images/Photos/
Coat Color  albino (c)
Inbred Generations  
Usage Restrictions  In publishing, a citation of the following literature(s) (*) designated by the DEPOSITOR is requested.
Genetic Status
 Inbred  Segregating  Congenic  Consomic  Recombinant
 Coisogenic  Spont. Mutant  Transgene  Ind. Mutant  Category Other 
Comercial Availability
Research Category
 Diabetes Obesity  Neurobiology  Ophthalmology  Dentistry  Cardio Hypertension
 Cancer  Metabolism  Otorhinology  Immunology  Infectious
 Osteosis  Internal Organ  Dermatology  Reproduction  Development
 Behavior  Hematology  Urology  Pharmacology  Research Area Others 
 Control Strain  Marker Strain
Gene Affected Atrn: attractin
Origin The myelin vacuolation (mv) rats showing body tremor were found in an outbred colony of Sprague-Dawley rats at Osaka Osaka Prefecture University in 1999.
Strain characteristics The tremor behavior was exhibited from around 3 weeks of age and inherited as an autosomal recessive trait. The mutant rats had variously sized vacuoles in the neuropil and white matter throughout the central nervous system, especially in the brain stem, cerebellum, and spinal cord. Ultrastructurally these vacuoles mainly consisted of splitting of myelin lamella both in the periaxonal and intermyelinic spaces. No abnormality was found in the number and morphology of oligodendrocytes in MV rats, although the severity and extent of myelin disorder increased with age. Coincident with the myelin abnormalities, there was progressive astrogliosis from 2 weeks. Marked microglial activation was observed exclusively in the gray matter of MV rats from 6 weeks, coincident with severe myelin disruption. Genetic studies revealed 6.914-bp deletion including the whole exon 1 of the attractin (Atrn) gene in MV rats and Northern blot analysis showed no expression of Atrn mRNA in the brain of MV rats. Therefore, the MV rat is a null mutation of the Atrn gene. (Mar 9, 2009)
Breeding Conditions Although affected rats are fertile for both sexes, it is recommended to use heterozygous males and females for mating.
Genotyping Genotyping protocol for Atrn_mv
References Izawa T, Yamate J, Franklin RJ, Kuwamura M.
Abnormal myelinogenesis both in the white and gray matter of the attractin-deficient mv rat.
Brain Res. 2010 Feb 2;1312:145-55.

Izawa T, Takenaka S, Ihara H, Kotani T, Yamate J, Franklin RJ, Kuwamura M.
Cellular responses in the spinal cord during development of hypomyelination in the mv rat.
Brain Res. 2008 Feb 21;1195:120-9.


* Tokuda S, Kuramoto T, Serikawa, T.
PCR-based genotyping of the rat Atrn mutation.
Exp Anim 53(1): 73-76, 2004.

* Kuwamura M, Maeda M, Kuramoto T, Kitada K, Kanehara T, Moriyama M, Nakane Y, Yamate J, Ushijima T, Kotani T, Serikawa T.
The myelin vacuolation (mv) rat with a null mutation in the attractin gene.
Lab Invest. 2002 Oct;82(10):1279-86.
Additional strain information MV