Vervet Monkey (Cercopithecus Aethiops) Genetic Map

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This is the renewal of a project that is developing an integrated genetic resource for investigations of complex traits in the vervet monkey (Cercopithecus aethiops), also known as the African Green monkey. Genetic investigation of complex traits will increasingly include a combination of traditional genetic mapping with identification of candidate genes through gene expression profiling. The renewal of this project will produce an integrated genomewide genetic reference map consisting of microsatellite and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. The development of a microarray resource, covering a wide range of brain and non-brain tissues, at several points of development will enable investigations of gene expression in the vervet. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies will provide anatomic guidance for dissection of brain tissues for microarrays. The tools generated from this project will facilitate investigation of a wide range of human diseases and traits, including complex behaviors and infectious diseases. The utility of such studies derives from the fact that humans are much more similar to other primates than they are to other model organisms such as the mouse. The worldwide shortage of rhesus macaques for biomedical research has created a tremendous need for alternative non-human primate models. Vervets share many biological and behavioral similarities with macaques and are readily available to researchers. This project will further enhance the value of the vervet for biomedical research.