Taconic Biosciences, Inc. products

The Abb mouse was developed in the laboratory of Michael J. Grusby et al. of the Harvard School of Public Health. The model was created by targeting the H2-Ab1 gene in ES-D3 cells and injecting the targeted ES cells into C57BL/6 blastocysts. Resultant chimeras were backcrossed to C57BL/6 for 4 generations (N4). Taconic received stock from Tufts University in December 1991, and the mice were backcrossed eight additional generations (N12) to C57BL/6NTac. The mice were derived by embryo transfer and intercrossed to homozygosity.

In order to selectively inactivate genes in a tissue specific manner many laboratories have developed Cre transgenic mouse strains in which the Cre recombinase is expressed under the control of a tissue specific promoter. The Lck-Cre transgenic mouse uses the proximal promoter of the Lck (lymphocyte protein tyrosine kinase) gene, which is first expressed early in thymocyte development at the double negative stage. After T cells fully mature, the level of expression of this transgene decreases by approximately 10 fold. This particular mouse shows a high degree of expression of the transgene in the thymus and has been found to bring about the selective deletion of genes flanked by loxP targeting sequences in almost all early thymocytes.

The Black 6 Bom inbred model was developed by Little et al. Hall received stock. Jackson Laboratory received stock from Hall in 1948. Zentralinstitut für Versuchsteirzucht, Hannover Germany (Han) received stock in 1971. M&B A/S (now Taconic Europe) received stock at F141 in 1988. The mice were derived by embryo transfer in January 2000. The Taconic US foundation colony was at F156 + 35 in 2005.

One of the most used inbred mouse models, the C57BL/6 is used in nearly every research application, and it`s commonly used as the genetic background for transgenic mouse models. It is also the preferred model for studying diet-induced obesity and the chronic experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis model of multiple sclerosis.

Origin: Taconic received the Swiss Webster outbred model from the Rockefeller Institute through Rockland Farms, Inc. in 1940. The mice have been maintained as a closed colony since 1951. The mice were derived by caesarean from randomly chosen breeders and reintroduced into a Barrier Nucleus Expansion Colony in 1965-1969. The mice were derived by caesarean in 1983 from randomly chosen breeders from all Taconic`s barrier units.

Origin: The NMRI outbred model was developed by Lynch et al. Poiley of the National Institutes of Health received stock from Lynch in 1937. The mice were inbred as NIH/P1. The Naval Medical Research Institute (NMRI) received stock from Lynch. Zentralinstitut für Versuchstierzucht in Hannover Germany (Han) received stock from NMRI. The mice were random bred. M&B A/S (now Taconic Europe) received stock from Han in 1961 and again in 1985. The mice are maintained as an outbred stock.