Assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) are widely used in the animal industry, human clinics, and for basic research. In small laboratory animal species such as mice, ARTs are essential for the production of animals for experiments, the preservation of genetic resources, and for the generation of new strains of genetically modified animals. The RIKEN BioResource Research Center (BRC) is one of the largest repositories of such animal bioresources, and maintains approximately 9,500 strains of mice with a variety of genetic backgrounds. We have sought to devise ARTs specific to the reproductive and physiological characteristics of each strain. Such ARTs include superovulation, in vitro fertilization (IVF), the cryopreservation of embryos and spermatozoa, transportation of cryopreserved materials and embryo transfer (ET). Of these, superovulation likely has the most influence on animal production because it determines the quantity of starting material for other ARTs. Superovulation using anti-inhibin serum combined with estrous synchronization has resulted in approximately a three-fold increase in production efficiency with IVF–ET in the C57BL/6J strain. Wild-derived strains are important as genetically diverse resources for murine rodents (Genus Mus), and many are unique to the BRC. We have also successfully developed ARTs for more than 50 wild-derived strains, which have been cryopreserved for future use. Our work to improve and develop ARTs for mice and other small laboratory species will contribute to the cost-effectiveness of routine operations at repository centers, and to the provision of high quality animals for research use.

中文翻译：

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小动物物种辅助生殖技术的开发，以实现它们的高效保存和生产

辅助生殖技术 (ART) 广泛用于动物工业、人类诊所和基础研究。在小鼠等小型实验动物物种中，抗逆转录病毒疗法对于实验动物的生产、遗传资源的保存以及转基因动物新品系的产生至关重要。RIKEN 生物资源研究中心 (BRC) 是此类动物生物资源的最大储存库之一，并保存着大约 9,500 种具有各种遗传背景的小鼠品系。我们试图设计针对每种菌株的生殖和生理特征的 ART。此类 ART 包括超数排卵、体外受精 (IVF)、胚胎和精子的冷冻保存、冷冻保存材料的运输和胚胎移植 (ET)。这些，超数排卵可能对动物生产的影响最大，因为它决定了其他 ART 的起始材料数量。使用抗抑制素血清与发情同步相结合的超数排卵使 C57BL/6J 菌株的 IVF-ET 生产效率提高了大约三倍。野生衍生品系作为鼠类啮齿动物 (Mus) 的遗传多样性资源很重要，并且许多品系是 BRC 独有的。我们还成功开发了 50 多种野生菌株的抗逆转录病毒疗法，这些菌株已被冷冻保存以备将来使用。我们为小鼠和其他小型实验室物种改进和开发 ART 的工作将有助于提高储存中心常规操作的成本效益，并有助于提供用于研究的高质量动物。