We maintain a large number of unique genotypes of mice for alcohol research studies. These animals are used in research supported by multiple R01s, U01s, and several VA Merit Review Grants. These animals have been used for research by investigators in Portland, Oregon and at many other sites around the world. Partial support for these genotypes has come from the Portland Alcohol Research Center (PARC) P60 grant, Dr. Crabbe's VA Merit Review grant, and has been budgeted within the primary grants employing them. Cost inflation and the lack of synchrony between grant cycles and actual use has led us to fall further and further behind in our ability to support these mice. Our inability t keep up is due partly to inflation exceeding the NIH COLA limits, and partly to budget caps on several of the principal supporting grants (P60, U01s, and VA Merit Reviews). Furthermore, the PARC P60 grant will no longer be using these genotypes when it renews Jan 1 2016, so this source of cost-sharing will be lost. The proposed R24 seeks modest support to maintain multiple genotypes, in each case cost-shared with user fees and maintenance support from the parent grants. There are four aims:
Aim 1. Help maintain core breeding colonies of long-term selected lines and their genetically heterogeneous control lines (WSP-1, WSP-2, WSR-1, WSR-2, WSC, HDID-1, HDID-2, and HS/Npt).
Aim 2. Help maintain core breeding colonies of congenic strains and lines and transgenic or knockout strains, for quantitative trait locus (QTL) gene mapping studies.
Aim 3. Partially defray costs for cryopreservation of long term selected lines and congenic and transgenic strains. Cryopreservation protects against catastrophic loss of crucial genotypes as well as providing access for potential future use [selected lines WSP-1, WSP-2, WSR-1, WSR-2, HDID-1, HDID-2, and the knockout B6.GIRK3-/-].
Aim 4. Partially defray costs of maintaining an ethanol vapor inhalation core for producing physical dependence. This core supports multiple grants and investigators. Cost-sharing from the PARC P60 grant will no longer be available as PARC studies in the renewal will not employ physical dependence. All genotypes covered are made available to interested investigators. Funds to support distribution are not requested, as this support is provided under the primary grants supporting the various genotypes. Funds to support breeding and testing of additional animals are also not requested here, but rather under the parent grants.
This project will help facilitate better interventions and therapeutics to treat alcohol use disordrs and alcoholism, since a major factor in risk for alcoholism is an individual's genetic makeup. We maintain a large number of unique genotypes of mice for alcohol research to help study different genes that may confer protection against or enhance risk of alcohol use disorders that have been used by many investigators in Portland, Oregon and at many other sites around the world. The proposed R24 seeks continued modest support to maintain these genetic animal models, to share with users the costs of maintenance and support, and seeks partial support for a core vapor inhalation facility to establish ethanol physical dependence.
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