Developmental abnormalities and age-related neurodegeneration in a mouse model of Down syndrome

摘要

To study the pathogenesis of central nervous system abnormalities in Down syndrome (DS), we have ana- lyzed a new genetic model of DS, the partial trisomy 16 (Ts65Dn) mouse. Ts65Dn mice have an extra copy of the distal aspect of mouse chromosome 16, a segment homologous to human chromosome 21 that contains much of the genetic material responsible for the DS phenotype. Ts65Dn mice show developmental delay during the postnatal period as well as abnormal behaviors in both young and adult animals that may be analogous to mental retardation.