Aquaculture 2022

February 28 - March 4, 2022

San Diego, California

SCALABLE AND GENERALIZED APPROACHES FOR STOCK-CENTER-BASED REPOSITORY CAPABILITIES IN AMPHIBIANS

Luc ía Arregui*, Rose Upton, Jack C. Koch, M. Teresa Gutierrez-Wing, and Terrence R. Tiersch

 

Aquatic Germplasm and Genetic Resources Center (AGGRC)

Louisiana State University Agricultural Center

Baton Rouge, LA 70820

larregui@agcenter.lsu.edu

 



Amphibian biomedical models provide valuable resources for many branches of human health research and as such have comprehensive national stock centers to maintain and distribute these animals. The axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) is a model  used  for research in  tissue regeneration to better understand and improve treatment of spinal cord and limb injuries. The clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis and X. tropicalis ) are used  to  study vertebrate embryology and early development, basic cell and molecular biology, genomics, neurobiology, toxicology and to model human diseases. P roduction of transgenic and mutant lines  in these and other species  has led to  a rapidly  expanding need  for a cost-effective and efficient way to maintain the increasing number of lines. Storage of cryopreserved germplasm in repositories can provide a way to protect such lines and reduce the number of live animals held at each center . In collaboration with the Ambystoma Genetic Stock Center (University of Kentucky) and the National Xenopus Resource (Marine Biological Laboratory), we aim to develop a high-throughput cryopreservation pathway that is both scalable and generalizable (Figure 1) , integrating processing and quality management to establish repository capabilities for these species. These would be integrated into a larger r epository network developed in cooperation with the USDA National Animal Germplasm Program located in Ft. Collins, CO and the AGGRC. Based on existing processes for reproduction and cryopreservation in these centers, we will employ user-centered design approaches to develop repository programs that serve the needs of the centers and their associated research communities. A major design consideration is that the practices at any center will be in accordance with those of the other centers (to facilitate network activities), and that these processes can be applied generally across a broad spectrum of scale. Thus, this collaborative initiative will consider repository development in a multi-level approach that addresses far more than simple protocol development.