Experimental Animal Division

The primary missions of the Experimental Animal Division is to collect, preserve, conduct quality control, and distribute mouse models created in Japan. Besides, we develop novel mouse models that meet emerging research needs and relevant technologies to achieve our primary missions: since FY2002, our division has been designated as the core facility for the mouse resources in the National Bioresource Project of the MEXT, Japan. We have thus contributed to the global promotion of life sciences by establishing high-quality mouse resources. We promote upgrading of the use technology and creation of excellent research results by providing training courses for advanced technologies to use mouse resources. We collaborate with overseas organizations as a founding member of Federation of International Mouse Resources (FIMRe) as well as Asian Mouse Mutagenesis and Resource Association (AMMRA) , distribute mice developed by Japanese scientists, and utilize overseas mouse resources to complement our own. Furthermore, our division and Japan Mouse Clinic have participated International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium (IMPC) to contribute to basic and medical sciences and drug discovery by producing a genome-wide knockout mice, generating their phenotype data and making them available to scientists around the world.

Research Subjects

• Collection, preservation, quality control and distribution of the mouse strains
• Value enrichment by analysis of mouse strain characteristics
• Development of novel mouse resources and relevant technologies

Publications

1. Hanaki K, Ike F, Hatakeyama R, & Hirano N.:
   "Reverse transcription-loop-mediated isothermal amplification for the detection of rodent coronaviruses."
   J Virol Methods 187(2): 222-227, 2013
2. Mochida, K., Hasegawa, A., Li, M. W., Fray, M. D., Kito, S., Vallelunga, J. M., Lloyd, K. C., Yoshiki, A., Obata, Y. & Ogura, A.:
   "High osmolality vitrification: a new method for the simple and temperature-permissive cryopreservation of mouse embryos. "
   Plos One 8, e49316, 2013
3. Sugimoto M, Kondo M, Hirose M, Suzuki M, Mekada K, Abe T, Kiyonari H, Ogura A,Takagi N, Artzt K, and Abe K.:
   "Molecular identification of t(w5): Vps52 promotes pluripotential cell differentiation through cell-cell interactions. "
   Cell Rep. 2(5):1363-1374, 2012
4. Cao, L. Q., Kobayakawa, S., Yoshiki, A. & Abe, K.:
   "High Resolution Intravital Imaging of Subcellular Structures of Mouse Abdominal Organs Using a Microstage Device. "
   Plos One 7, 2012
5. Aoki H, Kaneko A, Kajita A, Yamagata Y, Ike F, Kase H.:
   "An On-Site Serology Monitoring System for Laboratory Mice Using a Multiplex Microfluidic Chip Fabricated by the Electrospray Deposition Method."
   J Chem Eng Jap. 45(7): 528-538, 2012
6. Mochida, K., Hasegawa, A., Taguma, K., Yoshiki, A. & Ogura, A.:
   "Cryopreservation of mouse embryos by ethylene glycol-based vitrification. "
   J Vis Exp (57), 2011
7. Mekada, K., Abe, K., Murakami, A., Nakamura, S., Nakata, H., Moriwaki, K., Obata, Y. & Yoshiki, A.:
   "Genetic differences among C57BL/6 substrains. "
   Exp Anim 58(2): 141-149, 2009
8. Nakata, H., Hashimoto, T., Seki, Y., Mekada, K., Obata, Y. & Yoshiki, A.:
   "Simultaneous detection of multiple transgenes for genetically-modified mouse strains."
   Exp Anim 58(4): 437-442, 2009
9. Yoshiki, A., Ike, F., Mekada, K., Kitaura, Y., Nakata, H., Hiraiwa, N., Mochida, K., Ijuin, M., Kadota, M., Murakami, A., Ogura, A., Abe, K., Moriwaki, K. & Obata, Y.:
   "The mouse resources at the RIKEN BioResource center."
   Exp Anim 58(2): 85-96, 2009
10. Ike, F., Bourgade, F., Ohsawa, K., Sato, H., Morikawa, S., Saijo, M., Kurane, I., Takimoto, K., Yamada, Y. K., Jaubert, J., Berard, M., Nakata, H., Hiraiwa, N., Mekada, K., Takakura, A., Itoh, T., Obata, Y., Yoshiki, A. & Montagutelli, X.:
    "Lymphocytic choriomeningitis infection undetected by dirty-bedding sentinel monitoring and revealed after embryo transfer of an inbred strain derived from wild mice."
    Comp Med 57(3): 272-281, 2007