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
APP, PSEN1 APP K670_M671delinsNL (Swedish), APP I716V (Florida), APP V717I (London), PSEN1 M146L (A>C), PSEN1 L286V APP: Transgenic; PSEN1: Transgenic Alzheimer's Disease Amyloid pathology starting at 2 months, including amyloid plaques. Accumulation of intraneuronal Aβ before amyloid deposition. Gliosis and synapse degeneration. Neuron loss in cortical layer 5 and subiculum. No neurofibrillary tangles. Age-dependent memory deficits including spatial memory, stress-related memory, and memory stablization. Motor phenotype. Yes C57BL/6 x SJL B6SJL-Tg(APPSwFlLon,PSEN1*M146L*L286V)6799Vas/Mmjax The Jackson Lab; available through the JAX MMRRC Stock# 034840; Live. Oakley et al., 2006
APP APP V717I (London) APP: Transgenic Alzheimer's Disease, Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy Plaques start in the subiculum, spreading to the frontal cortex as dense and diffuse aggregates. Prominent amyloid deposits in brain vessels after 15 months. Microbleeds. Amyloid-associated inflammation. CSF Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio decreases from 15 months. Dystrophic neurites containing hyperphosphorylated tau, but no tangle pathology. From the age of 6 months, spatial and non-spatial orientation and memory deficits by Morris water maze. Impaired associative learning. Increased agitation/anxiety from 8 weeks. Reduced ambulation, especially with age. Hyperactivity and aggression. Yes Originally generated on FVB/N background; available at reMYND as C57BL/6xFVB/N Tg(Thy1-APPLon)2Vln/0 Increased mortality (72% by day 180). Increased incidence of seizures. Available through the KU Leuven Research and Development Office; the CRO reMYND offers research services with this line. Moechars et al., 1999
APP, PSEN1 APP V717I (London), PSEN1 A246E APP: Multi-transgene; PSEN1: Transgenic Alzheimer's Disease, Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy Soluble, oligomeric Aβ at 2 months and increases with age. Amyloid plaques at 6-9 months, earlier than APP(V717I) single transgenics. Plaques start in the subiculum and spread to the frontal cortex. Amyloid-associated inflammation. CAA pathology at 8 months; microbleeds at 12-15 months. Dystropic neurites containing hyperphosphorylated tau, but no tangle pathology. From the age of 5 months, spatial and non-spatial orientation and memory deficits by Morris Water Maze. Impaired associative learning, hyperactivity, anxiety, and aggression. Yes Originally generated on FVB/N background; available at reMYND as C57BL/6xFVB/N Tg(Thy1-APPLon)2Vln/0; Tg(Thy1-PSEN1*A246E)2Vln/0 The CRO reMYND offers research services with this line. Dewachter et al., 2000
APP APP K670_M671delinsNL (Swedish), APP V717F (Indiana) APP: Transgenic Alzheimer's Disease Rapid, early plaque development, with thioflavin S-positive amyloid deposits at 3 months; dense cored plaques and neuritic pathology by 5 months. Plaques become more extensive with age. More Aβ42 than Aβ40. Activated microglia appear concurrently with plaques, whereas GFAP+ astrocytes follow later, about 13-14 weeks. Dystrophic neurites at 5 months . Early impairment in acquisition and learning reversal in the reference memory version of the Morris water maze by 3 months. Cognitive deficits in the step-down inhibitory avoidance test at 7 months but not at 2 months. Similar to wild-type in motility, exploratory activity, or neuromuscular function at 7 months as evaluated by the rotarod, hole board and grip strength tests. Yes Hybrid C3H/He-C57BL/6 Cholinergic dysfunction: decrease in the number of cholinergic neurons in the nucleus basalis magnocellularis by 7 months as measured by ChAT immunoreactivity. Enhanced auditory startle response and modest reduction in prepulse inhibition. Available through the Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto Chishti et al., 2001