Project description:Macaque species share over 93% genome homology with humans and develop many disease phenotypes similar to those of humans, making them valuable animal models for the study of human diseases (e.g.,HIV and neurodegenerative diseases). However, the quality of genome assembly and annotation for several macaque species lags behind the human genome effort. To close this gap and enhance functional genomics approaches, we employed a combination of de novo linked-read assembly and scaffolding using proximity ligation assay (HiC) to assemble the pig-tailed macaque (Macaca nemestrina) genome. This combinatorial method yielded large scaffolds at chromosome-level with a scaffold N50 of 127.5 Mb; the 23 largest scaffolds covered 90% of the entire genome. This assembly revealed large-scale rearrangements between pig-tailed macaque chromosomes 7, 12, and 13 and human chromosomes 2, 14, and 15. We subsequently annotated the genome using transcriptome and proteomics data from personalized induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from the same animal. Reconstruction of the evolutionary tree using whole genome annotation and orthologous comparisons among three macaque species, human and mouse genomes revealed extensive homology between human and pig-tailed macaques with regards to both pluripotent stem cell genes and innate immune gene pathways. Our results confirm that rhesus and cynomolgus macaques exhibit a closer evolutionary distance to each other than either species exhibits to humans or pig-tailed macaques. These findings demonstrate that pig-tailed macaques can serve as an excellent animal model for the study of many human diseases particularly with regards to pluripotency and innate immune pathways.
Project description:The objective of this study is to characterize the response to newly emerged, highly pathogenic H7N9 influenza virus isolated from human patients in 2013 in China. This study examines the pathogenesis of H7N9 influenza in cynomolgus macaques. The study compares lung lesions to adjacent right lower lobe lung tissue in animals necropsied at days 3 and 6 post-infection (n=4 animals/timepoint). 3-4 lesions from each animal were collected and equal amounts of pooled RNA from lesions from individual animals at each time point were used for microarray. 8 cynomolgus macaques were infected via oral, intraocular, intranasal, and intratracheal administration of a combined total of 7x10^6 TCID50. Lungs, lung lesions, and trachea samples were collected from serial sacrifices of 4 animals each at day 3 and day 6. Infection produced a moderate-severe, self-limiting respiratory infection, and was not lethal. We performed microarray analysis (using Agilent Rhesus arrays) on all lungs, lung lesions, and trachea collected for the study.
Project description:Gene expression profiles in PPD-stimulated and unstimulated peripherhal blood mononuclear cells isolated from chinese cynomolgus macaques before and after BCG vaccination and before and after M. tuberculosis challenge were compared in animals able to control TB infection and those that developed TB disease in order to identify potential correlates of protection and/or biomarkers of disease. 6 macaques received BCG vaccination prior to challenge and were able to control TB infection (vaccinated controllers). 3 unvaccinated macaques were also able to control TB infection after challenge (unvaccinated controllers) and 3 other unvaccinated macaques developed TB disease and reached humane endpoint criteria (unvaccinated progressors). PBMCs isolated at 8 and 18 weeks post BCG-vaccination from the vaccinated controllers and at 6 weeks post M.tb challenge and at 2 time-points when the animals were naive in all animals were stimulated with PPD. RNA was extracted from the cells and hybridised to and Agilent rhesus macaque GE microarray in a one-colour hybridisation. Gene expression post-vaccination and/or post-challenge was compared with expression before vaccination/challenge when the animals were naive.
Project description:Infinium 450K is a hybridization array designed for the human genome, but the relative conservation between the macaque and human genomes makes its use in macaques feasible. We used the Infinium450K array to assay twelve Cynomolgus macaque muscle biopsies and compared it to Reduced Representation Bisulphite Sequencing (RRBS) data generated on the same samples. Muscle biopsies were performed on eleven adult male cynomologus macaques
Project description:Non-human primates are the animals closest to humans for use in influenza A virus challenge studies, in terms of their phylogenetic relatedness, physiology and immune systems. Previous studies have shown that cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) are permissive for infection with H1N1pdm influenza virus. These studies have typically used combined challenge routes, with the majority being intra-tracheal delivery, and high doses of virus (> 107 infectious units). This paper describes the outcome of novel challenge routes (inhaled aerosol, intra-nasal instillation) and low to moderate doses (103 to 106 plaque forming units) of H1N1pdm virus in cynomolgus macaques. All 4 challenge groups showed sero-conversion and evidence of virus replication, although the disease was sub-clinical. Intra-nasal challenge led to an infection confined to the nasal cavity. A low dose (103 plaque forming units) did not lead to detectable infectious virus shedding, but a 1000-fold higher dose led to virus shedding in all intra-nasal challenged animals. In contrast, aerosol and intra-tracheal challenge routes led to infections throughout the respiratory tract, although shedding from the nasal cavity was less reproducible between animals compared to the high-dose intra-nasal challenge group. Intra-tracheal and aerosol challenges induced a transient lymphopaenia, similar to that observed in influenza-infected humans, and greater virus-specific cellular immune responses in the blood were observed in these groups in comparison to the intra-nasal challenge groups. Activation of lung macrophages and innate immune response genes were detected at days 5 to 7 post-challenge. The kinetics of infection, both virological and immunological, were broadly in line with human influenza A virus infections. These more authentic infection models should be valuable in the determination of anti-influenza efficacy of novel entities against less severe (and thus more common) influenza infections.
Project description:A mixed-aerosol pH1N1 (Cal04) challenge of rhesus macaques was establised to serve as a pre-clinical model for the evaluation of candidate vaccines. After characterizing the clinical signs and immune responses associated with pH1N1 challenge in naïve rhesus macaques, a follow-up study assessing 2 candidate vaccines was performed.
Project description:Question Addressed: Does gene expression change in the buccal mucosa of Lymphocryptovirus (LCV) infected animals when they are chronically infected with Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)? Oropharyngeal mucosal tissue samples were collected from rhesus macaques. A pooled common reference was used for all hybridizations. This reference was composed of RNA harvested from rhesus macaques not infected with either LCV or SIV. Infection: Animals were infected with SIV and/or LCV
Project description:Deep sequencing of mRNA from two macaques, crab-eating macaque and Indian rhesus macaque Analysis of ploy(A)+ RNA of different specimens:brain,ileum,kidney,liver,testes and white adipose for crab-eating macaque while brain,heart,,kidney,liver,quadriceps and testes for Indian rhesus macaque
Project description:Sixteen individual rhesus macaque genomes were compared to a reference macaque genome (R354) on custom-designed sure-print 1M oligonucleotide microarray Agilent (Agilent Technologies) aCGH slide per manufacturer’s recommendations. a custom designed Agilent array-based comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) platform, which comprises 950,843 unique 60-mer oligonucleotide probes specific to the rhesus macaque reference genome (rheMac2), to compare the genomic DNAs of 17 unrelated rhesus macaques of Indian origin to the genome of an unrelated sample from the same species.