Bar Harbor, Maine – Biomedical research has the greatest potential for improving human health when it is conducted with well-characterized models. But will mouse-based research performed today stand the test of time – or will it be confounded by genetic drift, the constant tendency of genes to mutate spontaneously over time?
Until recently, researchers have had little control over genetic drift in laboratory mouse strains. This is particularly troublesome in light of the recent discoveries that copy number variations (CNVs) are ubiquitous in many organisms (including humans and mice) and account for a significant and previously unsuspected genome-changing dynamic (JAX® NOTES 2009). As early as the 1970s, Whittingham (1974) and Bailey (1977), a Jackson Laboratory (JAX) scientist, anticipated this problem and discussed the possibility of using cryopreservation to limit genetic drift in inbred mouse strains. JAX scientist Dr. Mobraaten discussed the possibility again in 1986 (Mobraaten 1986). In 2003, JAX scientists Drs. Wiles, Eicher, and Taft devised and implemented a viable strategy for effectively stopping cumulative genetic drift in inbred mouse strains (Taft et al. 2006). Their method has since been the basis of JAX’s unique Genetic Stability Program (GSP) and is now protected by US patent 7,592,501: Methods for Maintaining Genetic Stability of Inbred Animal Strains. (To watch a video interview with Drs. Taft and Wiles, visit www.jax.org/jaxmice/news/2009/09patented.)
The Jackson Laboratory’s GSP
JAX’s GSP is the only one of its kind. It literally freezes genetic drift in its tracks by refreshing foundation stocks with cryopreserved pedigree embryos or gametes approximately every five generations. So far, JAX has produced and cryopreserved approximately 25-year supplies of gametes and embryos from the following commonly used JAX® Mice strains:
Limiting genetic drift in these strains is particularly important because they have been extensively sequenced: The C57BL/6J strain was completely sequenced by the Mouse Genome Sequencing Consortium (Waterston et al. 2002); the DBA/2J strain was partly sequenced by Celera Genomics (Marshall 2001); and sequences for the NOD/ShiLtJ, C3H/HeJ, C57BL/6NJ, and 12 other JAX® Mice strains will be available soon from the Sanger Institute Mouse Genomes Project (www.sanger.ac.uk/modelorgs/mousegenomes).
JAX is continually expanding its GSP program by cryopreserving the germplasm of additional inbred strains each year. In the very near future, germplasm from inbred strain C57BL/10J (00665) will be cryopreserved.
For more information about JAX’s genetic quality and stability programs, visit www.jax.org/jaxmice/genetichealth.
References
JAX® NOTES. 2009. Copy number variations (CNVs): a new level of genomic complexity revealed. JAX® Notes 513:5-6.
Marshall E. 2001. Genome sequencing. Celera assembles mouse genome; public labs plan new strategy. Science 292:822.
Mobraaten LE. 1986. Mouse embryo cryobanking. J In Vitro Fert Embryo Transf 3:28-32.
Taft RA, Davisson M, Wiles MV. 2006. Know thy mouse. Trends Genet 22:649-53.
Waterston RH et al. 2002. Initial sequencing and comparative analysis of the mouse genome. Nature 420:520-62.
Until recently, researchers have had little control over genetic drift in laboratory mouse strains. This is particularly troublesome in light of the recent discoveries that copy number variations (CNVs) are ubiquitous in many organisms (including humans and mice) and account for a significant and previously unsuspected genome-changing dynamic (JAX® NOTES 2009). As early as the 1970s, Whittingham (1974) and Bailey (1977), a Jackson Laboratory (JAX) scientist, anticipated this problem and discussed the possibility of using cryopreservation to limit genetic drift in inbred mouse strains. JAX scientist Dr. Mobraaten discussed the possibility again in 1986 (Mobraaten 1986). In 2003, JAX scientists Drs. Wiles, Eicher, and Taft devised and implemented a viable strategy for effectively stopping cumulative genetic drift in inbred mouse strains (Taft et al. 2006). Their method has since been the basis of JAX’s unique Genetic Stability Program (GSP) and is now protected by US patent 7,592,501: Methods for Maintaining Genetic Stability of Inbred Animal Strains. (To watch a video interview with Drs. Taft and Wiles, visit www.jax.org/jaxmice/news/2009/09patented.)
The Jackson Laboratory’s GSP
JAX’s GSP is the only one of its kind. It literally freezes genetic drift in its tracks by refreshing foundation stocks with cryopreserved pedigree embryos or gametes approximately every five generations. So far, JAX has produced and cryopreserved approximately 25-year supplies of gametes and embryos from the following commonly used JAX® Mice strains:
Limiting genetic drift in these strains is particularly important because they have been extensively sequenced: The C57BL/6J strain was completely sequenced by the Mouse Genome Sequencing Consortium (Waterston et al. 2002); the DBA/2J strain was partly sequenced by Celera Genomics (Marshall 2001); and sequences for the NOD/ShiLtJ, C3H/HeJ, C57BL/6NJ, and 12 other JAX® Mice strains will be available soon from the Sanger Institute Mouse Genomes Project (www.sanger.ac.uk/modelorgs/mousegenomes).
JAX is continually expanding its GSP program by cryopreserving the germplasm of additional inbred strains each year. In the very near future, germplasm from inbred strain C57BL/10J (00665) will be cryopreserved.
For more information about JAX’s genetic quality and stability programs, visit www.jax.org/jaxmice/genetichealth.
References
JAX® NOTES. 2009. Copy number variations (CNVs): a new level of genomic complexity revealed. JAX® Notes 513:5-6.
Marshall E. 2001. Genome sequencing. Celera assembles mouse genome; public labs plan new strategy. Science 292:822.
Mobraaten LE. 1986. Mouse embryo cryobanking. J In Vitro Fert Embryo Transf 3:28-32.
Taft RA, Davisson M, Wiles MV. 2006. Know thy mouse. Trends Genet 22:649-53.
Waterston RH et al. 2002. Initial sequencing and comparative analysis of the mouse genome. Nature 420:520-62.
