NIH Mouse Metabolic Phenotyping Centers: the power of centralized phenotyping

Abstract

The Mouse Metabolic Phenotyping Centers (MMPCs) were founded in 2001 by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to advance biomedical research by providing the scientific community with standardized, high-quality phenotyping services for mouse models of diabetes, obesity, and their complications. The intent is to allow researchers to take optimum advantage of the many new mouse models produced in labs and in high-throughput public efforts. The six MMPCs are located at universities around the country and perform complex metabolic tests in intact mice and hormone and analyte assays in tissues on a fee-for-service basis. Testing is subsidized by the NIH in order to reduce the barriers for mouse researchers. Although data derived from these tests belong to the researcher submitting mice or tissues, these data are archived after publication in a public database run by the MMPC Coordinating and Bioinformatics Unit. It is hoped that data from experiments performed in many mouse models of metabolic diseases, using standard protocols, will be useful in understanding the nature of these complex disorders. The current areas of expertise include energy balance and body composition, insulin action and secretion, whole-body and tissue carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, cardiovascular and renal function, and metabolic pathway kinetics. In addition to providing services, the MMPC staff provides expertise and advice to researchers, and works to develop and refine test protocols to best meet the community’s needs in light of current scientific developments. Test technology is disseminated by publications and through annual courses.

Approach to assessing determinants of glucose homeostasis in the conscious mouse

“…The use of mice in biomedical research holds decided importance as evident by the report that in the majority of academic research facilities mice amount to 99 % of the mammalian census (Laughlin et al 2012). This widespread use is, in part, the result of the mouse genome being well characterized, the availability of numerous mutant mice, and the relatively low husbandry cost and space requirements (Laughlin et al 2012).…”

“…This widespread use is, in part, the result of the mouse genome being well characterized, the availability of numerous mutant mice, and the relatively low husbandry cost and space requirements (Laughlin et al 2012). Of particular interest is the utilization of mice with the goal of furthering our understanding of diabetes, obesity, and associated complications.…”

Network Modules of the Cross-Species Genotype-Phenotype Map Reflect the Clinical Severity of Human Diseases

“…Extensive screening of the signal to the brain in response to auditory stimulation was necessary to detect such a phenotype [ 30 ]. Currently, several mouse phenotypes are being systematically screened, and diverse phenotypes in the adult stage of model organisms have been identified [ 31 – 33 ]. Therefore, we anticipate that our approach can be expanded toward understanding diseases that affect quality of life.…”

Blastocyst genotyping for quality control of mouse mutant archives: an ethical and economical approach

“…The International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium (IMPC) (Ayadi et al 2012 ; Brown and Moore 2012a , b ; Laughlin et al 2012 ; Ramírez-Solis et al 2012 ; White et al 2013 ) is a large scale international consortium whose aim is to generate and primary phenotype a knockout mouse strain for each of the ~20,000 protein-coding genes using the mutant ES cell resource produced by the International Knockout Mouse Consortium (IKMC) (Bradley et al 2012 ; Skarnes et al 2011 ). Cryopreservation strategies have been adopted for long-term storage of these and other research animal resources (Glenister et al 1990 ).…”