A high methyl donor diet affects physiology and behavior in Peromyscus polionotus.

Folic acid and other dietary methyl donors are widely supplemented due to their ability to prevent neural tube defects. Dietary methyl donors are also added to other consumables such as energy drinks due to energy-promoting attributes and other perceived benefits. However, there is mounting evidence that indicates developmental exposure to high levels of dietary methyl donors may have deleterious effects.

Nonsurgical Artificial Insemination in Mice.

Artificial insemination is used to impregnate female mice using a solution containing motile sperm. For nonsurgical artificial insemination, a blunt needle is inserted through the vaginal canal of naturally ovulating females that are in the proestrus/estrous phase. This method requires practice but can be mastered, although initially it may be easier to have two people perform the procedure.

Consequences of dietary methyl donor supplements: Is more always better?

Epigenetic mechanisms are now recognized to play roles in disease etiology. Several diseases increasing in frequency are associated with altered DNA methylation. DNA methylation is accomplished through metabolism of methyl donors such as folate, vitamin B12, methionine, betaine (trimethylglycine), and choline.

Maternal methyl supplemented diets and effects on offspring health.

Women seeking to become pregnant and pregnant women are currently advised to consume high amounts of folic acid and other methyl donors to prevent neural tube defects in their offspring. These diets can alter methylation patterns of several biomolecules, including nucleic acids, and histone proteins. Limited animal model data suggests that developmental exposure to these maternal methyl supplemented (MS) diets leads to beneficial epimutations.

Hematologic and serum biochemical values of 4 species of Peromyscus mice and their hybrids.

Deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) and congeneric species are used in a wide variety of research applications, particularly studies of developmental, physiologic, and behavioral characteristics associated with habitat adaptation and speciation. Because peromyscine mice readily adapt to colony conditions, animals with traits of interest in the field are moved easily into the laboratory where they can be studied under controlled conditions. The purpose of this study was to determine the serum chemistry and hematologic parameters of 4 frequently used species from the Peromyscus Genetic Stock Center species (P.

Pleiotropic effects of a methyl donor diet in a novel animal model.

Folate and other methyl-donor pathway components are widely supplemented due to their ability to prevent prenatal neural tube defects. Several lines of evidence suggest that these supplements act through epigenetic mechanisms (e.g.

Peromyscus (deer mice) as developmental models.

Deer mice (Peromyscus) are the most common native North American mammals, and exhibit great natural genetic variation. Wild-derived stocks from a number of populations are available from the Peromyscus Genetic Stock Center (PGSC). The PGSC also houses a number of natural variants and mutants (many of which appear to differ from Mus).

Caring for Peromyscus spp. in research environments.

Peromyscus spp. are the most abundant native North American mammals. They have gained popularity as research animals in the last 20 years, and this trend is expected to continue as new research tools, such as whole genome sequences, baseline physiological data and others, become available.

A genetic map of Peromyscus with chromosomal assignment of linkage groups (a Peromyscus genetic map).

The rodent genus Peromyscus is the most numerous and species-rich mammalian group in North America. The naturally occurring diversity within this genus allows opportunities to investigate the genetic basis of adaptation, monogamy, behavioral and physiological phenotypes, growth control, genomic imprinting, and disease processes. Increased genomic resources including a high quality genetic map are needed to capitalize on these opportunities.

Natural genetic variation underlying differences in Peromyscus repetitive and social/aggressive behaviors.

Peromyscus maniculatus (BW) and P. polionotus (PO) are interfertile North American species that differ in many characteristics. For example, PO exhibit monogamy and BW animals are susceptible to repetitive behaviors and thus a model for neurobehavioral disorders such as Autism.

Peromyscus as a Mammalian epigenetic model.

Deer mice (Peromyscus) offer an opportunity for studying the effects of natural genetic/epigenetic variation with several advantages over other mammalian models. These advantages include the ability to study natural genetic variation and behaviors not present in other models. Moreover, their life histories in diverse habitats are well studied.

The biology and methodology of assisted reproduction in deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus).

Although laboratory-reared species of the genus Peromyscus-including deer mice-are used as model animals in a wide range of research, routine manipulation of Peromyscus embryogenesis and reproduction has been lagging. The objective of the present study was to optimize conditions for oocyte and/or embryo retrieval and for in vitro culturing. On average, 6.

Aberrant growth and pattern formation in Peromyscus hybrid placental development.

Crosses between the North American deer mouse species Peromyscus maniculatus (BW) and P. polionotus (PO) produce dramatic asymmetric developmental effects. BW females mated to PO males (female bw × male po) produce viable growth-retarded offspring.

Adaptive genetic variation, stress and glucose regulation.

Elevated glucose levels in the presence of insulin are indicative of type 2 diabetes and the more inclusive metabolic syndrome. Alleles conferring susceptibility to these and other common conditions may be adaptations to past environments. It is possible that other mammals exhibiting environmental diversity harbor similar variants; therefore, we assessed glucose regulation in two species of deer mice (Peromyscus), a diverse endemic North American group.

Retrieval of mouse oocytes.

To date, only a few studies have reported successful manipulations of Peromyscus embryogenesis or reproductive biology. Together with the Peromyscus Genetic Stock Center (http://stkctr.biol.

Harvesting sperm and artificial insemination of mice.

Rodents of the genus Peromyscus (deer mice) are the most prevalent native North American mammals. Peromyscus species are used in a wide range of research including toxicology, epidemiology, ecology, behavioral, and genetic studies. Here they provide a useful model for demonstrations of artificial insemination.

Patterns of hybrid loss of imprinting reveal tissue- and cluster-specific regulation.

Background: Crosses between natural populations of two species of deer mice, Peromyscus maniculatus (BW), and P. polionotus (PO), produce parent-of-origin effects on growth and development. BW females mated to PO males (bwxpo) produce growth-retarded but otherwise healthy offspring.

Comparative genome mapping of the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) reveals greater similarity to rat (Rattus norvegicus) than to the lab mouse (Mus musculus).

Background: Deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) and congeneric species are the most common North American mammals. They represent an emerging system for the genetic analyses of the physiological and behavioral bases of habitat adaptation. Phylogenetic evidence suggests a much more ancient divergence of Peromyscus from laboratory mice (Mus) and rats (Rattus) than that separating latter two.

Impaired placental trophoblast lineage differentiation in Alkbh1(-/-) mice.

E. coli AlkB has been intensively studied since 1983, but the in vivo roles of its mammalian homologue Alkbh1 are unknown. We, therefore, created null mice for Alkbh1.

Changes in cell cycle and extracellular matrix gene expression during placental development in deer mouse (Peromyscus) hybrids.

Crosses between two species of the rodent genus Peromyscus produce defects in both growth and development. The defects are pronounced in the hybrid placentas. Peromyscuys maniculatus (strain BW) females mated to P.

Assessment and disease comparisons of hybrid developmental defects.

Rodents of the genus Peromyscus are among the most common North American mammals. Crosses between natural populations of two of these species, P. maniculatus (BW) and P.

Mapping and identification of candidate loci responsible for Peromyscus hybrid overgrowth.

Crosses between two recently diverged rodent species of the genus Peromyscus result in dramatic parent-of-origin effects on growth and development. P. maniculatus females crossed with P.

Genetic evidence for a maternal effect locus controlling genomic imprinting and growth.

Crosses between two species of deer mouse (Peromyscus) yield dramatic parent-of-origin effects. Female P. maniculatus (BW) crossed with male P.

Assays to determine allelic usage of gene expression in the placenta.

Mammalian placentas express a large number of so-called imprinted genes. Imprinting refers to mono-allelic or biased expression based on which parent contributed the allele. Many of these imprinted loci encode factors involved in growth and cell-cycle regulation, as well as maternal behavior.