Research Models

Commonly Used Mouse Models

Name Genes Mutations Modification Disease Neuropathology Behavior/Cognition Visualization Promoter/Regulatory Elements Genetic Background Strain Name Other Phenotypes Availability Primary Paper
Psen1, APP, MAPT APP K670_M671delinsNL (Swedish), MAPT P301L, PSEN1 M146V Psen1: Knock-In; APP: Transgenic; MAPT: Transgenic Alzheimer's Disease Age-related, progressive neuropathology including plaques and tangles. Extracellular Aβ deposits by 6 months in frontal cortex, more extensive by 12 months. No tau pathology at 6 months, but evident at 12 months. Synaptic dysfunction, including LTP deficits, prior to plaques and tangles. Cognitive impairment by 4 months. Impairments first manifest as a retention/retrieval deficit and not as a learning deficit, and occur prior to plaques and tangles. Deficits in both spatial and contextual based paradigms. Clearance of intraneuronal Aβ by immunotherapy rescues the early cognitive deficits in a hippocampal-dependent task. Yes C7BL/6;129X1/SvJ;129S1/Sv B6;129-Psen1tm1Mpm Tg(APPSwe,tauP301L)1Lfa/Mmjax The Jackson Lab; available through the JAX MMRRC Stock# 034830; Live Oddo et al., 2003
MAPT MAPT P301L MAPT: Transgenic Alzheimer's Disease, Frontotemporal Dementia Pathologic hyperphosphorylation and conformational change of parenchymal tau in brain tissues starting at 7 months. Tangle-like pathology is mainly observed in the brain stem and spinal cord, and to a lesser extent in the midbrain and cerebral cortex. Age-dependent increase in total tau in CSF. Age-associated deficits in a passive avoidance task (starting at 5 months) and a novel object recognition task (starting at 9 months). At a young age (~2 months) outperforms wild-type littermates in object recognition memory. Progressive motor impairment and reduced activity, accompanied by increased clasping of hind and then forelimbs around seven months. Yes FVB/N Thy1-hTau.P301L Premature death around 8-12 months, preceded by weight loss, hyperkyphosis, reduced activity, and upper airway dysfunction. The CRO reMYND offers research services with this line.  Terwel et al., 2005