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. Introduction: The efforts of the Core have focused on banking of genetic resources and on generation of microsatellites to assign paternity and determine allele frequencies. Methods: Blood and tissue biopsies were collected during routine inventories. Blood was used for DNA extractions and for banking using archival blood cards. Biopsies were processed to establish and cryopreserve fibroblast cell lines. Results/Discussion: During the past year the Core obtained blood samples from 734 animals which were blotted on archival blood cards. The current number of blood samples banked on cards is 5169. The Core also obtained 302 tissue biopsies from which a total of 193 fibroblasts cultured were generated and cryopreserved. Analysis of the outcome of fibroblast derivations revealed a significant age effect with biopsies from older animals yielding fewer cell lines. The number of cell lines banked to date is 329. Short tandem repeats (STRs) were generated from 281 animals and were sent off to the University of Davis (UD) for allele determination. This included samples from 78 SPF4 potential breeding males. To date, results were obtained from UD for 190 animals. Analysis of allele data from these potential breeders revealed that the overall degree of heterozygosity at all loci deviates from what would be expected under equilibrium conditions such as completely random mating (observed: 0.62, expected: 0.72, p=0.006). Paternity and/or maternity were assigned to 36 infants, most of which were part of the SPF9 colony. We do not yet have STR profiles on file for all parents and final parentage determinations will be done when those have arrived. The Core participated in activities of the NPRC Consortium Genome Banking and Genetics Working Groups in the establishment of a DNA bank and the development and testing of SNP panels for paternity an ancestry analysis.
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