ESTABLISHMENT OF SPECIFIC PATHOGEN FREE RHESUS AND PIGTAIL MACAQUE COLONIES

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. Primary support for the subproject and the subproject's principal investigator may have been provided by other sources, including other NIH sources. The Total Cost listed for the subproject likely represents the estimated amount of Center infrastructure utilized by the subproject, not direct funding provided by the NCRR grant to the subproject or subproject staff. Opportunistic human viruses and their simian counterparts are similar in their genetic makeup and induce a similar spectrum of diseases in their immunosuppressed hosts. Experimental lentivirus infection in rhesus macaques is widely recognized as the most important animal model for AIDS-related opportunistic infection research. The objective of this project is to enhance infrastructure for AIDS-related research in nonhuman primates by developing an expanded definition SPF Indian rhesus macaque breeding colony to support research focused on AIDS-related opportunistic infections. The projects seeks to expand the Center's current population of expanded SPF rhesus macaques to a target population of 100 adult breeder females by annually recruiting extensively screened juvenile females from the Center's SPF Indian rhesus macaque resource and retaining female offspring. Specific aims include: 1) establishing and managing an expanded SPF Indian-origin rhesus macaque breeding colony free of cytomegalovirus, rhadinovirus, lymphocryptovirus, Cercopithecine herpesvirus 1, simian virus 40, simian T lymphotropic virus 1, D type simian retroviruses, simian immunodeficiency virus and spumaretrovirus (foamy) infections; 2) maintenance of colony genetic diversity and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) typing for selected class I and II alleles; and 3) renovation of 4,030 sq. ft. of shell space to provide indoor group housing and support areas separate from other macaques to protect the expanded SPF colony. The colony is maintained in state-of-the-art barrier housing and is comprised of approximately 140 adult and juvenile animals. Approximately 24 expanded SPF macaques are made available for research projects annually.