The health, safety and well-being of our patients remains our top priority during the COVID pandemic. The UCSF Department of Ophthalmology is implementing a recovery plan to resume patient clinical and surgical care while making every effort to contain the spread of COVID-19. We have taken a number of steps to ensure the safety of all our patients visiting our practices (Clinic Visit Fact Sheet) and our operating rooms (Surgery Visit Fact Sheet) during these times. We value the opportunity to provide you the best in eye care. Should you have an urgent eye problem, please contact us at (415) 353-2020. The following UCSF websites are also provided for reference: Resources for Patients and Preparedness for Surgery and Other Procedures
MATTHEW LaVAIL, Ph.D.
Professor of Anatomy and Ophthalmology
Director, Kearn Family Center for the Study of Retinal Degeneration
Retinal Degeneration Rat Model Resource
Availability of P23H and S334ter Mutant Rhodopsin Transgenic Rats and RCS Inbred and Congenic Strains
PLEASE NOTE THAT DR. LAVAIL HAS RECENTLY RETIRED AND TRANSFERRED ALL OF THE RHODOPSIN TRANSGENIC AND RCS LINES TO THE RAT RESOURCE & RESEARCH CENTER (RRRC). THE RATS CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THE RRRC; THE DIFFERENT LINES AND RRRC ID NUMBER ARE GIVEN IN THE TABLE, BELOW.
In the past, we have developed, maintained and distributed all of the known, fully penetrant rat models of the retinitis pigmentosa type of inherited retinal degeneration. These are the following:
Mutant rhodopsin transgenic rats
• P23H mutant rhodopsin transgenic rats – Three lines with different rates of photoreceptor degeneration
• S334ter mutant rhodopsin transgenic rats – Five lines with different rates of photoreceptor degeneration
RCS (Royal College of Surgeons) rats with inherited retinal dystrophy
• RCS pink-eyed inbred strain
• RCS pigmented congenic strain with slowed rate of retinal dystrophy
• RCS congenic control strains of both pigmentation types, wild-type at the retinal dystrophy (Mertk) genetic locus
We have been supported by the National Eye Institute (NEI) for the past 25 years to produce and distribute breeding pairs of these animal models to vision scientists.
We usually provide multiple breeding pairs of the rats to vision scientists to generate breeding stock.
Details of the retinal degenerations, strain terminology and history, breeding schemata, etc. are given in the linked files below. However, the contact information is outdated, and the rats must be obtained from the RRRC.
Click here for detailed information – Microsoft Word file
OR
Click here for detailed information – PDF file
RRRC- Rat Resource & Research Center
| RRRC ID | Name | Abbreviation | Description |
| 314 | RCS/LavRrrc | RCS | RCS inbred (pink-eyed) |
| 315 | RCS-p+/LavRrrc | RCS-p+ | Pigmented RCS |
| 317 | RCS-rdy+/LavRrrc | RCS-rdy+ | Wild-type congenic (pink-eyed) |
| 639 | SD-Tg(P23H)1Lav | P23H-1 | |
| 641 | SD-Tg(P23H)3Lav | P23H-3 | |
| 643 | SD-Tg(S334ter)3Lav | S334ter-3 | |
| 645 | SD-Tg(S334ter)4Lav | S334ter-4 |
RRRC Project Manager
Department of Veterinary Pathobiology
University of Missouri
4011 Discovery Drive, N105a
Columbia, Missouri USA 65201
(888) 673-3444
Note: This page was formerly at “www.ucsfeye.net/mlavailRDratmodels.shtml”
MATTHEW LaVAIL, Ph.D.
Professor of Anatomy and Ophthalmology
Director, Kearn Family Center for the Study of Retinal Degeneration
Retinal Degeneration Rat Model Resource
Availability of P23H and S334ter Mutant Rhodopsin Transgenic Rats and RCS Inbred and Congenic Strains
PLEASE NOTE THAT DR. LAVAIL HAS RECENTLY RETIRED AND TRANSFERRED ALL OF THE RHODOPSIN TRANSGENIC AND RCS LINES TO THE RAT RESOURCE & RESEARCH CENTER (RRRC). THE RATS CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THE RRRC; THE DIFFERENT LINES AND RRRC ID NUMBER ARE GIVEN IN THE TABLE, BELOW.
In the past, we have developed, maintained and distributed all of the known, fully penetrant rat models of the retinitis pigmentosa type of inherited retinal degeneration. These are the following:
Mutant rhodopsin transgenic rats
• P23H mutant rhodopsin transgenic rats – Three lines with different rates of photoreceptor degeneration
• S334ter mutant rhodopsin transgenic rats – Five lines with different rates of photoreceptor degeneration
RCS (Royal College of Surgeons) rats with inherited retinal dystrophy
• RCS pink-eyed inbred strain
• RCS pigmented congenic strain with slowed rate of retinal dystrophy
• RCS congenic control strains of both pigmentation types, wild-type at the retinal dystrophy (Mertk) genetic locus
We have been supported by the National Eye Institute (NEI) for the past 25 years to produce and distribute breeding pairs of these animal models to vision scientists.
We usually provide multiple breeding pairs of the rats to vision scientists to generate breeding stock.
Details of the retinal degenerations, strain terminology and history, breeding schemata, etc. are given in the linked files below. However, the contact information is outdated, and the rats must be obtained from the RRRC.
Click here for detailed information – Microsoft Word file
OR
Click here for detailed information – PDF file
RRRC- Rat Resource & Research Center
| RRRC ID | Name | Abbreviation | Description |
| 314 | RCS/LavRrrc | RCS | RCS inbred (pink-eyed) |
| 315 | RCS-p+/LavRrrc | RCS-p+ | Pigmented RCS |
| 317 | RCS-rdy+/LavRrrc | RCS-rdy+ | Wild-type congenic (pink-eyed) |
| 639 | SD-Tg(P23H)1Lav | P23H-1 | |
| 641 | SD-Tg(P23H)3Lav | P23H-3 | |
| 643 | SD-Tg(S334ter)3Lav | S334ter-3 | |
| 645 | SD-Tg(S334ter)4Lav | S334ter-4 |
RRRC Project Manager
Department of Veterinary Pathobiology
University of Missouri
4011 Discovery Drive, N105a
Columbia, Missouri USA 65201
(888) 673-3444
Note: This page was formerly at “www.ucsfeye.net/mlavailRDratmodels.shtml”