Genetics Management Services

The primary mission of the Genetics Management Services is to provide genetics-related support and resources for colony management and the banking of biological samples, including DNA for investigators. The lab also provides services on a recharge basis to all investigators internal and external to the CNPRC who are interested in incorporating genetic/genomic techniques into their research programs.  

Please email our Genetics Management Team for questions about services or additional information.

Genetics Management of Animal Colonies

Genetic management to preserve maximum variability among colony animals is achieved by integrating several fundamental population genetic approaches. This not only ensures each animal’s value in terms of maintaining biomedical potential but also guarantees the entire population’s survivability and productivities by increasing heterozygosity (and correspondingly reducing the probability of homozygosity for deleterious alleles). Additional goals include a genetic management plan for the titi monkey colony.

  • Genetic management includes country-of-origin testing, parentage testing, and other phylogenetic and population genetic analyses
  • Analysis of genealogical and demographic data, including kinship assessment, pedigree validation, and the management of selective breeding and development of informative pedigrees
  • Bioinformatic analysis, including whole genome and target region linkage and association analyses and candidate gene evaluation
    Custom DNA extraction and purification, whole genome amplification, SNP, STR, and mtDNA assays
  • Development of genotyping assays based on conventional fragment size analysis (including STRs and RFLPs), Sanger sequencing, CNV, SNP, and real-time qPCR techniques

Provide Genetic and Genomic Services to Investigators

  • Single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based typing and analysis and ABO phenotyping currently represents major areas of service.
  • The objective is to continue to genotype nonhuman primates at the CNPRC using SNPs to provide parentage assessment, ancestry/admixture testing, and genetic management services on a fee-for-service basis.
  • The service has identified 5,000-6,000 high-quality SNPs in macaques and developed panels of 96 genetic management SNPs and 96 ancestry informative SNP markers for rhesus and long-tailed macaques.

CNPRC BioBank and NPRC Consortium

The Genetics Management Services also manages the CNPRC DNA BioBank and participates in the National Primate Research Centers (NPRCs) Consortium.

  • The BioBank provides archived and banked samples and functions as a clearinghouse for the CNPRC.
  • Biological samples from this bank are made available to investigators at research institutions once a proposal is reviewed and approved by the CNPRC Research Advisory Committee.
  • The CNPRC’s BioBank is part of the National Nonhuman Primate BioBank network in the NPRC Consortium, which has the goal of standardizing resources across the NPRCs.
  • Efforts to create an automated sample tracking system are underway in conjunction with the CNPRC Information Technology staff to ensure optimal organization and to improve access.

Select Publications 

Kanthaswamy S, Reader R, Tarara R, Oslund K, Allen M, Ng J, Grinberg C, Hyde D, Smith DG, Lerche, N. Large scale pedigree analysis leads to evidence for founder effects of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), J Med Primatol, In Press.

Kanthaswamy S, Elfenbein HA, Ardeshir A, Ng J, Hyde D, Smith DG, Lerche N. Familial aggregation of chronic diarrhea disease (CDD) in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). Am J Primatol 76(3):262-70, 2013. PMID 24532180

Kanthaswamy S, Ng J, Satkoski J, George DA, Kou AJ, Hoffman LN, Doherty TB, Houghton P, Smith DG. The genetic composition of cynomolgus macaque (Macaca fascicularis) populations used in biomedical research. J Med Primatol, 42(3):120-31, 2013. PMCID: PMC3651788, PMID 23480663

Kanthaswamy S, Ng J, Ross C, Trask J, Buffalo V, Smith DG, Fass JN, Lin D. Identifying and cataloguing human-rhesus macaque gene orthologs using heterospecific SNPs. Genomics 101(1), 30–37, 2013. PMCID: PMC3534948, PMID 22982528

Premasuthan A, Ng J, Kanthaswamy S, Trask JS, Houghton P, Farkas T, Sestak K, Smith DG. Molecular ABO phenotyping in cynomolgus macaques using real-time quantitative PCR. Tissue Antigens 80(4):363–367, 2012. PMCID: PMC3470802, PMID 22861170

Kanthaswamy S, Ng J, Penedo MCT, Ward T, Smith DG, Ha JC. Population genetics of the Washington National Primate Research Center’s (WaNPRC) captive pigtailed macaque (Macaca nemestrina) population. Am J Primatol 74(11):1017-27, 2012. PMID 22851336

Kanthaswamy S, Satkoski J, Ross CT, Kou A, Houghton P, Smith DG, Lerche N. A large-scale SNP-based genomic admixture analysis of the captive rhesus macaque colony at the California National Primate Research Center. Am J Primatol 74(8):747-57, 2012. PMID 24436199