Friedreich ataxia is the most common autosomal recessive disorder of the cerebellum, causing degeneration of spinal sensory neurons and spinocerebellar tracts. The disease is caused by severely reduced levels of frataxin, a mitochondrial protein involved in iron metabolism. An experimental model has been generated by crossing mice homozygous for a conditional allele of the Fxn gene with mice heterozygous for a deleted exon 4 of Fxn carrying a tissue-specific Cre transgene under control of the muscle creatine kinase promoter.
Read More: Sensorimotor skills in Fxn KO/Mck mutants deficient for frataxin in muscle
