鈥淢OONWALKING鈥� mice may shed some light on the genetics of a debilitating neurological disorder.
The mice, which move backwards when they try to walk forwards on a smooth surface, have a gene for a mutated protein that prompts neurons in the cerebellum, a brain area that controls movement and balance, to die off. The same neurons are destroyed in people with the disorder , which causes unsteadiness and loss of coordination.
The moonwalking seems to occur because the mice place their feet wider apart than normal when they walk, to keep their balance. The movements of people with cerebellar ataxia are similar, but with notable differences. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think there are any human patients who walk backwards,鈥� says Esther Becker of the University of Oxford, who led the team that investigated the mice (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, ).
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鈥淭he million dollar question is whether mutations of this gene also occur in humans with cerebellar ataxia,鈥� says Becker, who is screening people with genetic forms of the condition to find out. The moonwalkers could also provide insight into other forms of ataxia.