Claims
- 1. A non-natural transgenic mouse with a disruption in at least one allele of the urocortin gene such that said mouse does not express urocortin protein from said allele.
- 2. The transgenic mouse of claim 1, wherein the DNA sequences on said allele coding for said urocortin protein have been deleted.
- 3. The transgenic mouse of claim 2, wherein said DNA sequences have been replaced with a neomycin-resistance gene cassette.
- 4. The transgenic mouse of claim 3, wherein said mouse is heterozygous for said replacement.
- 5. The transgenic mouse of claim 3, wherein said mouse is homozygous for said replacement.
- 6. The progeny of a mating between a mouse of claim 3 and a mouse of another strain.
- 7. A cell isolated from the transgenic mouse of claim 1, whose genome is manipulated to comprise a disruption in at least one allele of the urocortin gene such that said cell does not express urocortin protein encoded by said allele.
- 8. A method of screening a compound for anxiety-modulating activity, comprising the steps of:
a) administering said compound to the transgenic mouse of claim 5;b) testing said mouse for anxiety-related behavior; and c) comparing anxiety-like behavior of said mouse with anxiety-like behavior in a second transgenic mouse of claim 5 to which said compound was not administered.
- 9. The method of claim 8, wherein said anxiety-modulating activity is performance in an elevated plus maze.
- 10. The method of claim 8, wherein said anxiety-modulating activity is performance in an open-field test.
- 11. A method of determining the effects of urocortin on a second protein, comprising the steps of
a). administering an agonist that affects the second protein to the transgenic mouse of claim 5;b) performing an assay of the second protein, wherein said assay is selected from the group consisting of assays of protein expression and assays of protein activity; and, c). comparing assay results on said transgenic mouse with those obtained from a wild type mouse administered the same agonist.
- 12. The method of claim 11, wherein said second protein is selected from the group consisting of corticotropin releasing factor, corticotropin releasing factor receptor 1, corticotropin releasing factor receptor 2, corticotropin and corticotropin receptors.
- 13. A method of screening a compound for modulation of auditory function, comprising the steps of:
a) administering said compound to the transgenic mouse of claim 5;b) testing said mouse for auditory function; and c) comparing auditory function of said mouse with auditory function of a second transgenic mouse of claim 5 to which said compound was not administered.
- 14. The method of claim 13, wherein said testing is by means of measuring auditory brainstem response (ABR) to pure tone frequencies.
- 15. The method of claim 14, wherein said testing is by means of measuring distortion product otoacoustic emissions.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This non-provisional application claims benefit of provisional U.S. Serial No. 60/381,936, filed May 20, 2002, now abandoned.
FEDERAL FUNDING LEGEND
[0002] This invention was produced in part using funds from the Federal government under grant no. NIH DK26741. Accordingly, the Federal government has certain rights in this invention.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60381936 |
May 2002 |
US |