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The sleep disorder canine narcolepsy is caused by a mutation in the hypocretin (orexin) receptor 2 gene CELL Lin, L., Faraco, J., Li, R., KADOTANI, H., Rogers, W., Lin, X. Y., Qiu, X. H., de Jong, P. J., Nishino, S., Mignot, E. 1999; 98 (3): 365-376

Abstract

Narcolepsy is a disabling sleep disorder affecting humans and animals. It is characterized by daytime sleepiness, cataplexy, and striking transitions from wakefulness into rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. In this study, we used positional cloning to identify an autosomal recessive mutation responsible for this sleep disorder in a well-established canine model. We have determined that canine narcolepsy is caused by disruption of the hypocretin (orexin) receptor 2 gene (Hcrtr2). This result identifies hypocretins as major sleep-modulating neurotransmitters and opens novel potential therapeutic approaches for narcoleptic patients.

View details for Web of Science ID 000081950300011

View details for PubMedID 10458611