[The mouse mutant "Jimpy". Animal model of leukodystrophy]

The Jimpy mouse is an x-linked recessive mutation of the house mouse resulting a myelin deficiency in the central nervous system. It is of interest as an animal model of human leukodystrophy. Clinical symptoms include ataxia and tremor as initial signs, followed by tonic-clonic convulsions prefinally. The myelin deficiency is probably caused by a developmental disturbance of the oligodendrogial cell line. Clinical and pathological findings in the mouse mutant Jimpy show some remarkable similarities to Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease.