A CAROLINA CENTER TO CHARACTERIZE & MAINTAIN MUTANT MICE

在过去的20年里，生物医学研究经历了促进小鼠基因组操纵的技术的爆炸。 这些技术对于大多数研究者来说都是容易获得的，因此，大量有价值的诱导突变小鼠品系正在不断产生。鉴于单个实验室维护和分发这些品系的成本很高，我们必须建立高效的专家资源中心，以进口、表征和分发突变小鼠。 这些设施应在菌种的维持和繁殖方面保持高标准，促进我们对最广泛有用的菌种的了解，并开发有助于有效产生和分析这些菌种的技术。 在生物医学研究中使用小鼠的长期承诺，正如大量杰出的生物医学研究人员致力于这种方法所证明的。 该中心为大量无病原体小鼠提供最先进的住房和支持设施，沿着核心研究设施，使小鼠模型研究成为可能。 这些包括动物模型、组织学、临床化学和RIA核心。 这些资源在各级都配备了杰出的人员。 UNC-MMRRC的具体目标是：（1）进口、再衍生、基因分型、维持和分发新的小鼠品系。 第一年将进口15个新菌株，以后每年增加到30个新菌株;（2）冷冻保存新的和现有的突变菌株;（3）在数据的获取、储存和交换以及技术开发方面与IMR和其他MMRRC节点进行接口;（4）从组织病理学、生理学、细胞生物学和分子异常方面对特定数量的小鼠品系进行表型表征。 在癌症、心血管生物学、免疫学和神经科学领域，有可能进行广泛分析的专门知识;（5）开发从体细胞有效“克隆”小鼠的能力。 在动物模型核心中，Dr. Boher将扩大奥利弗史密斯博士实验室目前的工作;（6）开发“报告”小鼠品系，以促进特定细胞/组织类型的快速表型分析。 作为单独开发/提供此类菌株或诱导突变体背景的可行性的测试系统，将获得或产生并研究有限数量的在特定细胞类型中表达绿色荧光蛋白（GFP）的菌株。

In the past 20 years biomedical research has experienced an explosion in the technologies that facilitate manipulation of the mouse genome. These technologies are readily accessible to most investigators, and as a result, a tremendous number of valuable induced mutant mouse strains are being continuously generated. Given the high cost to individual laboratories for the maintenance and distribution of such strains, it is essential that we develop high efficiency expert resource centers to import, characterize and distribute mutant mice. Such facilities should maintain high standards in the maintenance and propagation of strains, advance our understanding of the most broadly useful strains, and develop technologies that facilitate the efficient generation and phenotypic analysis of such strains. UNC has had a long standing commitment to the use of the mouse in biomedical research, as evidenced by the large number of prominent UNC investigators committed to this approach. UNC maintains state of the art housing and support facilities for large numbers of pathogen-free mice, along with core research facilities that enable mouse model studies. These include the Animal Models, Histopathology, Clinical Chemistry, and RIA cores. Exceptional personnel staff these resources at all levels. Specific aims of the UNC-MMRRC are to: (1) Import, rederive, genotype, maintain and distribute new mouse strains. In the first year, 15 new strains will be imported, growing to 30 new strains per year in subsequent years; (2) Cryopreserve new and existing mutant strains; (3) Interface with the IMR and other MMRRC nodes in the acquisition, storage, and exchange of data and the development of technologies; (4) Phenotypically characterize a specified number of mouse strains with regard to histopathological, physiological, cell biological and molecular abnormalities. Special expertise at UNC for possible extensive analyses exists in the fields of Cancer, Cardiovascular Biology, Immunology, and Neuroscience; (5) Develop the ability to efficiently "clone" mice from somatic cells. In the UNC Animal Models Core, Dr. Thresher will expand current efforts by the Dr. Oliver Smithies' lab; (6) Develop "reporter" mouse strains that will facilitate rapid phenotyping within particular cell/tissue types. As a test system for the feasibility of developing/providing such strains alone or induced mutant backgrounds, a limited number of strains that express green fluorescent protein (GFP) in specific cell types will be obtained or generated and studied.