Rodent Quality Assurance Monitoring Program

Testing of Cell Lines or other Biological Material of Rodent Origin

Background

Aside from introducing live animals into a colony and indirect contact between animal populations through unrestricted personnel traffic, the inoculation of rodents with biological material bears the greatest risk for introduction of unwanted microorganism. If cell lines, biologics such as serum, transplantable tumors or hybridoma lines originate from infected rodents they may harbor the pathogen and when inoculated may transmit it to the inoculated animal. When biological material is stored in freezers  contaminating microorganisms may remain infectious over long periods of time. Additional Information.

Procedure

All biological material of rodent origin or material which has been passaged through rodents must be tested for contaminating rodent pathogens before it is inoculated for the first time into rodents housed at Yale University. The testing is free.

Biological material must be submitted to the Virology Laboratory of the Section of Comparative Medicine. Testing may take up to 8 weeks depending on the test(s) used. The investigator will receive written report after the completion of the testing.

If a pathogen is identified the quality assurance veterinarian will contact the investigator to discuss the necessary measures that need to be taken. These may include rederivation or isolation of the inoculated animals.

Testing

Depending on the suspected agent and the material submitted one or more of the following test methods may be used:

• Isolation of virus in cell cultures
• PCR
• Mouse Antibody Production (MAP) test
  For the MAP test the material is inoculated into mice. Four weeks later the mice are serologically examined for infection with rodent pathogens.

List of agents.

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Copyright © 1999 Yale Animal Resources Center, Yale University
Last modified: May 02, 2000