AVAILABILITY TO THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY OF MICE WITH SELECTIVE MUTATIONS Release Date: October 5, 2001 NOTICE: NOT-MH-01-011 National Institute of Mental Health (http://www.nimh.nih.gov) National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (http://www.ninds.nih.gov) National Institute on Aging (http://www.nih.gov/nia) National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (http://www.nidcd.nih.gov) National Institute on Drug Abuse (http://www.nida.nih.gov) National Eye Institute (http://www.nei.nih.gov) National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (http://www.niaaa.nih.gov) Request For Applications (RFA) MH-99-007, Mouse Mutagenesis and Phenotyping: Nervous System and Behavior, available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-99-007.html, was issued in 1999 to establish neuroscience-focused facilities for large-scale, efficient, whole-genome mutagenesis, in order to promote the systematic and comprehensive functional analysis of neurobiological and behavioral phenotypes in the mouse. Cooperative agreements for three large-scale mutagenesis and phenotyping facilities that focus on abnormalities in nervous system function and behavior (Northwestern University Neurogenomics Project, Northwestern University - U01 MH61915, Tennessee Mouse Genome Consortium, University of Tennessee, Memphis - U01 MH61971, Neuroscience Mutagenesis Facility, the Jackson Laboratory - U01 NS41215) were funded under the RFA. A major goal of this initiative is to provide the scientific community with new research resources in a timely fashion. Each project will isolate mutations by using chemical mutagens such as N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU), and in a screening protocol described at the respective facility’s web pages (listed below) will target specific primary domains in nervous system function and complex behavior. The mutagenesis and screening protocols differ, hence the types of mutants generated will differ among facilities. Mutant mice produced by all three projects are generated and housed in specific pathogen- free (SPF) conditions. It is expected that the mouse resources generated by these programs will be made available to the research community by a designated Mouse Neuroscience Phenotyping and Distribution Center, one of whose functions will be the distribution of the mice. This Center is to be funded under an NIH contract. The proposals for its establishment have been solicited in a Request for Proposals (including amendments) available at http://www.nimh.nih.gov/grants/indexcon.cfm. However, it is anticipated that some mutant mice or cryopreserved germplasm from mutant mice may be available sooner for distribution directly by the three mutagenesis facilities. Because of their earlier start dates, two facilities (Tennessee Mouse Genome Consortium and Neuroscience Mutagenesis Facility) expect to have mutant mice and materials available now. The third (Northwestern University Neurogenomics Project) expects to make some mutant mice available in approximately 6 months. Investigators who wish to receive such resources may visit the respective web sites of the facilities, where mutant lists, availability status, specific policies and other details regarding availability of mice or germplasm, material transfer agreement, and shipping and handling costs, will be provided. Information at these sites will be continually updated as the resources become available. Researchers who request these resources must pay all shipping and handling costs and, in the request for mice, must provide for their care and welfare in accordance with all Federal, state, and local laws. Researchers must acknowledge in writing that approval for use of these animals in a scientific research project has been obtained from their local Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) and that they will adhere to the responsibilities and requirements of live animal care as specified in the Animal Welfare Act as amended (7 USC, 2131-2156) (http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/legislat/usdaleg1.htm), the Health Research Extension Act of 1985, P.L. 99-158 (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/references/hrea1985.htm), and the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (http://oacu.od.nih.gov/regs/guide/guidex.htm). Researchers will remain subject to applicable state or local laws or regulations and institutional policies that provide additional protections for the care and welfare of live animals. It is anticipated that in 2002, all mutants generated from the inception of the three programs will be distributed to the scientific community by the designated contract Phenotyping and Distribution Center. AVAILABILITY OF MUTANT MICE TO THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY Northwestern University Neurogenomics Project (http://genome.northwestern.edu/) Tennessee Mouse Genome Consortium (http://tnmouse.org/index.html) Neuroscience Mutagenesis Facility (http://www.jax.org/nmf/) INQUIRIES Hemin R. Chin, Ph.D. Division of Neuroscience & Basic Behavioral Science National Institute of Mental Health 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 7190, MSC 9643 Bethesda, MD 20892-9643 Telephone: (301) 443-1706 FAX: (301) 443-9890 Email: hchin@mail.nih.gov


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