An infected mouse or rat strain can be cleaned from pathogens/parasites by embryo transfer. This involves flushing preimplantation embryos (morula stage) and transferring them to a clean pseudopregnant recipient. Common viruses and bacteria infecting laboratory rodent strains include Mouse Hepatitis Virus (MHV), Parvovirus, Helicobacteria, Pasteurella.
Instructions for the customers:
You need for cleaning of a mouse strain 4-8 males and for a rat strain 2-4 males of the strain to be cleaned.
NOTE! The Males should be under 8 mo of age. If they are older, please contact the GM unit for instructions.
Schedule the pathogen removal with the GM mouse unit.
Fill in the work request form and send it to GM-unit. Please provide:
- The name of the strain and the project license number or activity report number
- Information on the location, identification and date of birth of the males to be used for pathogen removal
- Genetic background of the females to be used (usually the same as the genetic background of the males). Note! GM unit will order the wild type females.
Work request: https://hilife-infra.ilab.agilent.com/service_center/show_external/3623
The GM unit will:
- Schedule the pathogen removal and order wild type females needed.
- Superovulate and mate the females and dissect oviducts for embryo collection
- Wash the obtained embryos and transfer them to the clean foster mothers
Note! If the mouse/rat line to be cleaned is located in Biomedicum animal facilities, the Researcher has to deliver oviducts to GM-unit to F-building in Viikki according previously agreed schedule. Infected oviucts may not be brought to the F-building animal facilities, but they are handed to the personel outside the unit. Contact personnel for details.
The personnel of the animal facility will take the genotyping samples of the offspring resulting from the embryo transfer and send them to you.
After obtaining the genotyping results, inform both GM unit (gm-unit -at- helsinki.fi) and the animal facility personnel via Provet. After this the animal facility will take care of the shipment of health monitoring samples of the cleaned strain.
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