1. ALAT Basics for lab mouse care
Mouse Care Basics
ALAT Basics for lab mouse care

2. Laboratory Mice Isogenic Hybrid Swiss Webster
Not your average field mouse
Inbred
Outbred
Transgenic
Used for a variety of research
Genetics
Cancer
Infectious Disease
Isogenic
Hybrid
Swiss Webster
Inbred strains result when a brother and sister have been mated over 20 generations. All offspring will be able to be traced back to a single breeding pair. This creates isogenic or genetically identical mice. These are useful for experiments with genetics or disease where genetics play a role.
Outbred: At least four generations of breeding genetically variable mice to preserve a genetic strain of mice. The goal is usually to preserve a strain (breed) by minimizing genetic variables. The Swiss Webster is an example of an outbred mouse.
Transgenic: A mouse whose DNA has been altered by the genetic material of another breed. This happens in the lab, not with breeding.
Hybrid mice are a result of crossing two inbred strains of mice through breeding.
(Lawson, 2002).
Mouse vivariums at UVA utilize the outbred Swiss Webster as a sentinel mouse. The sentinel program provides another layer of colony health monitoring and outbreak protection for the mice.

3. Genetics Mendel’s Laws Mendelian Concepts
Each pup is ½ mom and ½ dad genetically.
Genes are inherited separately.
A pup could have white hair while its brother has brown hair.
Mendelian Concepts
Dominant traits
Recessive traits
Heterozygous
Homozygous
Appearance
Phenotype
Outward appearance of the mouse.
“His phenotype is that of a brown mouse”
Two mice with the same phenotype could be very different genetically.
Genetics
Genotype
The genetic makeup of the mouse.
Genetics are expressed in the lab on cage cards.
“B6 KO -/- b73 AJ Air” is an example of genetic information you may find on a cage card.
One of a pair.
Allele
One or more alternate versions of DNA. Can cause mutations such as hairlessness.
Dominant alleles produce dominant traits.
Recessive alleles produce recessive traits when the dominant allele is not present.
Gregor Mendel ( ) was a European monk who learned about genetics by cross breeding peas. He came up with some theories that we still use today.
The Principle of Segregation: Each parent provides ½ of the genetic code for the offspring.
The Principle of Independent Assortment: Each gene is expressed independently. This is why a brown and white breeding pair of mice can have brown and white offspring in the same litter.
Mendelian Concepts include:
Dominant traits where only one allele of a gene is requires to produce a trait. Brown eyes in humans.
Recessive traits where both alleles of a gene must be the same to produce a trait. Blue eyes in humans.
Heterozygous genes where both alleles are different from one another.
Homozygous genes where both alleles are the same as one another.
Other important words to learn:
Phenotype: Outward appearance
Genotype: Genetic makeup
Allele: One of a pair of genetic instructions.
(Human Genome Project, 2015).

4. Physiology Food Water Bedding Enrichment Caretaker Body temperature
96.6 to 99.7 degrees
Weight
Adult: 25 to 40 grams
Neonate: 1 gram
Consumes
4-7 ml of water
3-6 grams of food.
Life span
1 to 3 years
Food
Water
Bedding
Enrichment
Caretaker
Mice are good to use in research for many reasons. The simplicity of their care is one. Mice require food, water, clean bedding, enrichment items and you.
Mice generally consume 4 to 7 ml of water daily.
They consume 3 to 6 grams of food daily (Lawson, 2002).
Mice need clean bedding weekly, sometimes more often than that. Nursing females with large group of older pups are a good example.
Mice need something to do. We give them enrichment cups. These basic catsup cups provide a place to hide, something to chew on and a bed.
Nestlets (A small square of compressed material) is also considered an enrichment item. They are given to pregnant and nursing females to make a nest with. They can also be given to other mice in need.
Mice need someone to provide for their needs. This is where you come in. You will be seeing these mice every day. It is your responsibility to look out for them.

5. Behavior Nocturnal Active except when sleeping
Groom themselves regularly
Barbering
Climbers
Mice are nocturnal because of this, if you do listen to music, you must use headphones. You should also try to minimize the amount of noise that you make. You needn’t tiptoe but taking care not to slam or bang things around in your room is advisable.
Normal behavior for mice is active unless sleeping.
Slow moving or hunched mice could be cause for concern.
Grooming happens often. Mice groom themselves and their box mates. An unkempt mouse may be ill. It could also be strain related as some types of mice just look shabby.
Over grooming by a more assertive cage mate can result in loss of hair. This is called barbering. This is not a cause for alarm unless the grooming causes open wounds.
Mice are climbers. When removing the wire cage top look out for hanging mice!

6. Caretaker Responsibilities
Provide the mice with their basic needs.
Food
Water
Enrichment
2 if singly housed
Watch for changes in behavior
Illness or injury
Report unusual findings
Supervisor
Veterinary staff
Food
Report
Watch
Water
Animal Husbandry:
(SOP# 202 Rodent Husbandry and Room Sanitation)
You will be preforming several tasks daily. The most important of these tasks is the AM check.
During the AM check you will remove every box from its rack.
You will look at the animals to confirm that they are in good health.
You will then check the food, water source and bedding.
You will report any health conditions.
Separate mice as needed.
Wean as needed.
Before replacing the box and moving on to the next one.
You will also be recording the temperature and humidity levels of the room that you are in.
Acceptable temperature range is between 68 and 79 degrees Fahrenheit.
In the afternoon you will look over all of the mice and recheck the mice that you reported or noticed having a problem.
You are responsible for the room that you are in. It is important to keep it tidy and stocked. Secure any lids that you may removed and replenish any needed supplies.
Weekly you will empty trash, stock, sweep, mop or wash the floor as well as change cages for all of the mice.
You will be recording all of this information on various logs as you go.

7. Breeding Sexual Maturity Gestation Size of litter 40 to 60 days old
Monogamous Paring
1 Female, 1 Male
Harem Breeding
2-3 Females, 1 Male
Polyestrous
Every four or 5 days
Postpartum
Sexual Maturity
Gestation
Size of litter
40 to 60 days old
19-21 days
6-12 pups
Breeding: Policy on Breeding and Weaning of Rats and Mice. Rev. 5/12/15. Found behind the last tab in the Blue SOP book given to you by your supervisor.
The UVA Policy on Breeding and Weaning of Rats and Mice outlines the breeding policies and critical compliance concepts.
Examples:
Only one male can be housed in a breeding box. Up to three females can be housed with one male in a breeding box.
Litters more than seven days apart cannot be housed in the same box. It is best to remove obviously pregnant females if there is already a litter in the box older than 7 days.
Mice are sexually mature at 40 to 60 days old. (5 ½ to 8 ½ weeks). According to policy, mice must be at least 6 weeks of age before they can be put on a box with a breeder male.
Mice are polyestrous, meaning that they go into “heat” every four or five days. They are also fertile within the first 24 hours after delivery. This is why some researchers choose to house a male with a female(s) all the time. This can become problematic however, as females gestate for 19 to 21 days. We wean litters generally at 23 days. Sometimes females will have a new litter (neonates) before the older litter (pups) has been weaned. The older pups must then be removed from the breeding box immediately as they can accidently trample the neonates (Lawson, 2002).

8. Special Situations BSL 1 BSL 2 BSL 3 Quarantine Medical care
Special food
Special water
Special mice.
BSL 1
BSL 2
BSL 3
BSL: Stands for Biosafety Level. There are four biosafety levels. UVA does not have a BSL 4 facility.
BSL 1: Lowest level of biosafety. Covers agents that will not typically make a healthy adult sick.
BSL 2: (SOP #110 BSL 2 Room Information) (SOP #201 Quarantine Husbandry and Room Sanitation)
Covers pathogens or organisms that pose a moderate hazard to humans. HIV can be worked with in a BSL 2 environment.
Also serves as a quarantine for mice who have been removed from the vivarium and returned.
Houses mice who are immunocompromised. (Most of the time)
Houses mice who have been through surgery and are on medication. (Most of the time)
BSL 3: Strictly controlled environment. West Nile virus is an example of a BSL3 agent (McLeod, 2010).
BSL 4: UVA does not have a BSL 4 facility.
Mice sometimes have special needs that do not fit BSL 2 criteria. Tending to the special needs will be your job. Some mice are on a specific kind of food or water. Sometimes it is for experimental reasons. Sometimes it is for the health of the animal. It is always your responsibility to be sure that the animals are getting what they need.

9. Putting it all together
Gestation period?
Name 3 things a mouse needs.
Define transgenic.
How much food will an adult mouse eat?
How many adult mice can be in a box?
What does BSL 2 mean?
How long do mice live?
Take a few moments to review these questions. The answers are in the presentation that you just scrolled through. Can you answer them all?

10. References
Human Genome Project (2015) Genetics, DNA and heredity. PDF. Published by the Human Genome Project. Retrieved from education-resources-for-teachers/
Lawson, P.T. (2002). ALAT training manual: assistant laboratory animal technician. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science. Sheridan Books, Chelsea, MI.
McLeod, V. (2010) Biosafety levels 1, 2, 3 & 4. Lab Manager. Retrieved from, 4?fw1pk=2#.V3mcezXuqDY
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More information on the Human Genome Project can be found at: