Establishment of a SPF Rhesus Macaque Colony

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goals of this project are to increase the nation's capacity to produce pedigreed specific pathogen free (SPF) Macaca mulatta for AIDS-related research by maintaining a production colony of Indian-origin rhesus monkeys that are SPF for herpes B virus, SIV, SRV, and STLV-1, and to fulfill specific research needs in the immediate and long-term future by providing animals characterized relative to MHC genotype. The specific aims are as follows: 1. Through a detailed program of assessment and removal of positive animals, to provide the following numbers of animals to NIH-funded investigators: 60 in Year 06, 60 in Year 07, 70 in Year 08, 70 in Year 09 and 70 in Year 10. The colony will expand to a steady-state population of around 430 animals, with approximately 140 breeder females, 20 breeder males, and 275 infants and juveniles, enabling a continuing annual harvest of approximately 70 animals for research; 2. To maximize the value of the animals for research purposes by offering to investigators animals that are characterized relative to the following Mamu alleles: Mamu-A*01, -A*02, -A*11, -B*01, -6*03, -B*04, and-B*17.; 3. To maximize the long term efficiency of colony production by a) establishing, managing, and utilizing a pedigree database for genetic management of the colony. The panel of 20 highly informative microsatellite polymorphisms developed in the first 5 years through other funding from NIH/NCRR, along with demographic records to establish this database, will be used to establish and verify pedigree information, manage breeding to avoid inbreeding and maintain genetic variability, while focusing on the primary goal of maximizing production and harvest schedules by utilizing data on mortality, morbidity, and fertility in the colony.