5 Essential Practices for Managing a Healthy Mouse Colony

Описание: Managing a mouse colony effectively is crucial for genetic research and breeding. In this video, we delve into five best practices that every colony manager should know to maintain a healthy and genetically stable mouse population. From the importance of backcrossing and outbreeding to understanding mating setups and monitoring breeding success, we cover all the necessary steps to ensure your colony thrives. Whether you're new to managing a mouse colony or looking to refine your techniques, these insights will guide you in creating a robust breeding program. Watch as we break down each practice with detailed diagrams and provide practical tips to implement these strategies. Don't forget to subscribe for more helpful guides and share this video with your colleagues in the field!

Video Chapters:

Introduction
Overview of the importance of maintaining a healthy mouse colony.
Target audience: new and existing colony managers.

Chapter 1: Continuous Backcrossing
Purpose: Maintain genetic purity and prevent the spread of unwanted mutations.
Key Actions:
Backcross single alleles to a wild-type (WT) background.
Introduce new WT animals to ensure outbreeding.
Use Backcrossing to avoid off-target mutations.

Chapter 2: Avoiding Inbreeding
Importance of outbreeding to maintain colony health.
Strategy: Use pedigree analysis to plan non-inbred crosses.

Chapter 3: Understanding Mating Options
Types of matings: monogamous and trio setups.
Strategy: Male rotation.

Chapter 4: Optimal Timing for Matings
Age and readiness:
Set up males at 7 weeks and females at 6 weeks for breeding.
Understand the biological timelines for sperm and oocyte development.

Chapter 5: Monitoring Your Breedings
Regular checks for pregnancy and litter success.
Actions:
Check for pregnancies 3 weeks after mating initiation.
Monitor litter frequency and size, replacing pairings if needed.

Bonus Chapter: Checking Genetic Outcomes
Importance of verifying expected Mendelian ratios in new litters.
Procedures:
Analyze the genotypes of pups to ensure they match the expected outcomes.
Address deviations from expected ratios, which may indicate issues with genotyping.

Chapters

00:00 Intro
00:13 Continuously backcross to the WT background
01:36 Eliminating off-target mutations
03:45 Avoid inbreeding
06:28 Know your mating options
07:02 Male rotation
07:49 When to set up matings
09:14 Monitor your breedings
10:30 Frequency of litters
11:16 Pups per litter
12:00 Checking Mendelian ratios
14:26 Outro