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Genetic Resources for the Rhesus Macaque

Genetic tools will enhance studies with a widely used animal model.
by Laura Bonetta

The human genome project, along with a variety of new genetic tools and technologies, sparked a flurry of research aimed at understanding how variations in the genetic code affect human health. Similar accomplishments using the rhesus macaque would greatly enhance the value of this animal model, according to participants at the workshop “Improving Genetic Resources for the Rhesus Macaque,” held on the NIH campus in May 2007.

“NCRR has had a long-standing interest in the development of genetic tools for the rhesus,” says John Harding, director of primate resources at NCRR, who organized the workshop. “We expect that the refinement of available genetic tools will greatly enhance the ability of researchers funded by many of the NIH Institutes and Centers to make fundamental discoveries related to human health using the rhesus.”

Enhancing Translational Research

Because the rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) and humans shared a common ancestor only 25 million years ago, they have similar brain function, physiology, and susceptibility to infectious diseases. Indeed, the rhesus macaque—one of the few animals to develop AIDS-like symptoms when infected with the monkey counterpart of HIV—is by far the best model for studying AIDS and testing candidate vaccines. In neuroscience, the rhesus macaque has been extensively used to study brain development and carry out studies of alcoholism and drug addiction and of neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer’s. More recently, studies using the rhesus macaque have yielded important insights into metabolic syndromes, such as diabetes and obesity.

During the past several years, NCRR-funded researchers have developed a variety of genetic tools, such as genetic maps and DNA microarrays, that can now be used in combination with the genome sequence to learn more about the genetic underpinnings of various conditions. Is there a particular combination of genes, for example, that enhances the response to a vaccine? Or are there particular genetic variations that render monkeys more prone to developing diabetes? Finding answers to these questions will be facilitated by the development of more refined genetic tools and resources.

The Rhesus Macaque Genome

The sequencing of the rhesus macaque genome was funded by the National Human Genome Research Institute and performed at the Baylor College of Medicine Human Genome Sequencing Center in Houston, Texas; the Genome Sequencing Center at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo.; and the J. Craig Venter Institute in Rockville, Md. It was based on the DNA from an Indian-origin, female rhesus macaque housed at the NCRR-funded Southwest National Primate Research Center (NPRC) in San Antonio, Texas. The California, Oregon, and Yerkes NPRCs, also supported by NCRR, contributed additional biological samples used in the study. “The project was greatly assisted by NCRR,” says Richard Gibbs, professor of molecular and human genetics at Baylor College of Medicine and lead author for the April 13, 2007, Science article reporting the draft sequence.