A team of researchers at Michigan State University has made a groundbreaking discovery by successfully editing the genome of Nile grass rats using CRISPR technology. Published in BMC Biology, this study marks the first successful genome editing in Nile grass rats, which are diurnal rodents with similar sleep patterns to humans. This is crucial for preclinical and translational research, as the current reliance on laboratory mice, which are nocturnal, may not accurately reflect the effects of therapeutic agents on humans due to the differences in neural circuits and gene-regulatory networks between diurnal and nocturnal mammals.
Lead researcher Lily Yan, along with co-authors Katrina Linning-Duffy and Jiaming Shi, emphasizes the importance of using a diurnal model to better understand the genetic underpinnings of behaviors relevant to human health and disease. The team developed a set of methods that allowed for successful genome editing in Nile grass rats, including a superovulation protocol that produces nearly 30 eggs per female, as well as in vitro and in vivo gene targeting techniques using the GONAD method. These innovative methods pave the way for future studies using Nile grass rats as a valuable model for investigating gene function in various biological processes.
The Nile grass rat colony at Michigan State University, established in 1993 through collaborative efforts between the departments of Psychology and Integrative Biology and the Transgenic and Genome Editing Facility, has been a key resource for research projects for over 30 years. Animals from this colony have been shared with more than 20 research labs worldwide, focusing on topics such as circadian rhythms, mood and cognition, immune function, metabolic syndromes, and evolutionary biology. Program director Huirong Xie envisions Nile grass rats becoming a valuable alternative model for studying genes in a wide range of biological processes, with a particular emphasis on the role of chronotype in driving biological variability.
Yan and her team are hopeful that their study will lead to broader applications of Nile grass rats as a mammalian model for genetic research, bridging the translational gap between animal studies and human health outcomes. By uncovering the genetic basis of behaviors and physiological processes in diurnal mammals, researchers can gain a deeper understanding of how these factors interact with each other and influence disease susceptibility and treatment responses. The success of CRISPR-based genome editing in Nile grass rats opens up new possibilities for future studies that aim to elucidate the genetic underpinnings of various biological phenomena.
The innovative methods developed by the Michigan State University researchers, including the superovulation protocol, in vitro embryo culture and manipulation, and in vivo gene targeting techniques using GONAD, have the potential to revolutionize genetic research in diurnal mammals. By harnessing the unique sleep pattern of Nile grass rats and their similarity to humans, researchers can now study gene-behavior relationships with greater precision and relevance to human health. This study serves as a crucial first step towards establishing Nile grass rats as a valuable model organism for genetic research and advancing our understanding of the genetic basis of complex biological processes.
With a longstanding history of research excellence and collaboration, the Nile grass rat colony at Michigan State University continues to be a hub for innovative genetic studies in diurnal mammals. By fostering interdisciplinary partnerships and sharing resources with research labs around the world, the university is at the forefront of genetic research using Nile grass rats. As the field of genetic research continues to evolve, this colony and the methods developed by Yan and her team are poised to make significant contributions to our understanding of genes’ roles in health and disease, with Nile grass rats playing a key role in uncovering the genetic basis of complex biological phenomena.
