Generation of rat "supersonic" congenic/conplastic strains using superovulation and embryo transfer.
Congenic strains are routinely used for positional mapping of quantitative trait loci; while conplastic strains, derived by substitution of different mitochondrial genomes on the same nuclear genetic background of inbred rodent strains, provide a way to unambiguously isolate effects of the mitochondrial genome on complex traits. Derivation of congenic or conplastic strains using a traditional backcross breeding strategy (10 backcrosses) takes more than 3 years. There are two principal strategies to speed up this process: (1) marker-assisted derivation of "speed" congenic/conplastic strains and (2) derivation of "supersonic" congenic/conplastic strains using in each backcross generation embryos obtained from 4-week-old superovulated females; thus, each backcross generation takes only 7 weeks. Both strategies could also be combined. In the current chapter, a method for derivation of "supersonic" congenic/conplastic rat strains is described.
Landa
Vladimír
V
Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.
Zídek
Václav
V
Pravenec
Michal
M
D000818:Animals; D020296:Animals, Congenic / Q000235:genetics*; D004624:Embryo Transfer / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D010062:Ovulation Induction / Q000379:methods*; D051381:Rats; D011914:Rats, Inbred BN / Q000235:genetics; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR / Q000235:genetics; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains / Q000235:genetics*