Overview
The goals of the PKD Rodent Model and Drug-Testing Core include (1) maintaining select models of PKD progression, (2) banking tissue samples from these various models, (3) providing drug-testing services on these models (including metanephric organ culture), (4) developing new models for drug testing, and (5) maintaining a repository of useful, but seldom used strains that might otherwise be duplicated in multiple laboratories.

Purpose
It is costly for individual labs to maintain mouse colonies for intermittent use, and it is difficult to obtain mouse lines from an outside source to pilot-test an idea.  The PKD Rodent Model and Drug Testing Core maintains several commonly used PKD mutant mouse lines. In addition, we have banked frozen and paraffin-embedded renal tissue from cystic models at various ages. This tissue is suitable for preparation of genomic DNA, RNA, and protein, and for immunohistochemical analysis to facilitate rapid acquisition of pilot data.

Core Personnel

• Stephen Parnell, PhD - Core Director | e-mail: sparnell@kumc.edu
• Heather Riddle, Research Technician | e-mail: hriddle@kumc.edu

The following cystic models are maintained for drug and model testing:
Embryonic lethal - Pkd1Bei/Bei, Pkd1NEO dL/NEO dL, and Pkd1dL/dL (C57 background; for organ culture)
Rapid progression - Pkhd1-Cre:Pkd1cond/cond (C57 background)
Slow progression - Pkd1RC/RC (BalbC background) and/or Pkd1RC/RC:Pkd2ws183/+ (C57 background)  

Pkhd1-Cre:Pkd1cond/RC is also being tested as a new model for slow progression.
On a case by case basis, additional cystic models can be produced from other strains maintained in the core (see strains listed below).  

The following strains are maintained on a C57 background, and can be rapidly expand to meet investigator's needs:

1. Pkd1 WT* (normal, w/ C-terminal, 3xHA tag)
2. Pkd1cond/cond females and Hoxb7-Cre:Pkd1cond/+ males (w/ mTmG Cre reporter)
3. Rosa-CreERT2 (ubiquitously expressed, tamoxifen-inducible Cre)
4. Ella-Cre (Cre deletor strain)
5. Pkd1 mBei/+:Gq het knockout
6. Pkd1Bei (non-functional, severe folding PC1 mutant)
7. Pkd1 NEO dL (non-functional, truncated PC1 mutant)
8. Pkd1 dL (non-functional, properly folded PC1 signaling mutant)
9. Pkhd1-Cre:Pkd1cond/+ (w/ mTmG Cre reporter)
10. Pkd1RC/+:Pkd2ws183/+
11. Pkd1RC/RC 12) Pkd1RC/RC (BalbC) 13) C57
12. BalbC

PKD Rodent Model and Drug-Testing Core Pricing

Mice

* The user will also pay all fees associated with animal transfer.

Banked Tissue

**Additional tissue can be supplied following consultation with the Core director.

Organ Culture

***Drug costs will be covered by the user.

Drug Studies

Cost estimate for study will be developed in consultation with core director

****Additional costs associated with drug studies and experimentation will be determined on a case-by-case basis following consultation with the core director.