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Establishment of a Genetically Confirmed Breeding Colony of Mastomys Natalensis from Wild-Caught Founders from West Africa

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Establishment of a Genetically Confirmed Breeding Colony of Mastomys Natalensis from Wild-Caught Founders from West Africa viruses Article Establishment of a Genetically Confirmed Breeding Colony of Mastomys natalensis from Wild-Caught Founders from West Africa David Safronetz 1,*,†, Kyle Rosenke 1, Robert J. Fischer 2,‡, Rachel A. LaCasse 3, Dana P. Scott 3, Greg Saturday 3, Patrick W. Hanley 3, Ousmane Maiga 4, Nafomon Sogoba 4, Tom G. Schwan 2 and Heinz Feldmann 1,* 1 Laboratory of Virology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA; [email protected] 2 Laboratory of Zoonotic Pathogens, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA; fi[email protected] (R.J.F.); [email protected] (T.G.S.) 3 Rocky Mountain Veterinary Branch, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA; [email protected] (R.A.L.); [email protected] (D.P.S.); [email protected] (G.S.); [email protected] (P.W.H.) 4 International Center for Excellence in Research (ICER-Mali), Faculty of Medicine and Odonto Stomatology, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako (USTTB), Bamako, Mali; [email protected] (O.M.); [email protected] (N.S.) * Correspondence: [email protected] (D.S.); [email protected] (H.F.) † Current address: Zoonotic Diseases and Special Pathogens, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3R2, Canada. Citation: Safronetz, D.; Rosenke, K.; ‡ Current Address: Laboratory of Virology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy Fischer, R.J.; LaCasse, R.A.; Scott, D.P.; and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA. Saturday, G.; Hanley, P.W.; Maiga, O.; Sogoba, N.; Schwan, T.G.; et al. Abstract: Mastomys natalensis are a ubiquitous and often dominant rodent across sub-Saharan Africa. Establishment of a Genetically Importantly, they are a natural reservoir for microbial pathogens including Lassa virus (LASV), the Confirmed Breeding Colony of etiological agent of Lassa fever in humans. Lassa-infected rodents have been documented across Mastomys natalensis from Wild-Caught West Africa and coincide with regions where annual outbreaks occur. Zoonotic transmission to Founders from West Africa. Viruses humans most often occurs directly from infected rodents. Little is known about LASV infection 2021, 13, 590. https://doi.org/ kinetics and transmissibility in M. natalensis, primarily due to available animals. Here, we describe 10.3390/v13040590 the establishment of a laboratory breeding colony of genetically confirmed M. natalensis from wild- Academic Editor: Karla Helbig captured rodents. This colony will provide a convenient source of animals to study LASV and other emerging pathogens that utilize M. natalensis in their enzootic lifecycles. Received: 9 March 2021 Accepted: 30 March 2021 Keywords: Mastomys natalensis; natal multimammate mouse; natal multimammate rat; soft-furred Published: 31 March 2021 african mouse; african rat; rodent breeding colony; lassa virus Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affil- 1. Introduction iations. The genus Mastomys (family Muridae) currently contains seven or eight species of rodents [1]. The taxonomic history of Mastomys rodents is somewhat complicated. Based on appearance, they have been referred to as rats, mice, and Praomys, a closely related African rodent, earlier in taxonomic reports [1]. The advent of molecular techniques has recently Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. determined that Mastomys is a unique genus within the Muridae family and remains a Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. close relative of Praomys spp. rodents [1]. This article is an open access article Mastomys rodents are ubiquitous across sub-Saharan Africa, many of which live distributed under the terms and sympatrically and are nearly indistinguishable by appearance alone (Figures1 and2). For conditions of the Creative Commons example, the adult pelage of M. natalensis in Mali varied greatly from a lighter sandy brown Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// to extreme melanistic forms that are nearly black. Further, the bellies of M. natalensis tended creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ to be darker in color than that of M. erythroleucus, which were more frequently white [2] 4.0/). Viruses 2021, 13, 590. https://doi.org/10.3390/v13040590 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/viruses Viruses 2021, 13, 590 2 of 9 (Tom Schwan, unpublished observations). A common trait of Mastomys rodents is a 1:1 ratio in body to tail length. In many areas Mastomys are the predominant mammalian species. On average, pups weighted 10–14 g while adult animals averaged approximately 60 g (ranging between 30 and 108 g, Tom Schwan unpublished data). Their omnivorous Viruses 2021, 13, x FOR PEER REVIEW 3 of 11 and commensal habits put them in direct contact with human populations, making them an important rodent species to study as a rodent reservoir for emerging pathogens. Figure 1. Geographic distribution of Mastomys natalensis and Mastomys erythroleucus in sub-Saharan Africa. Shown are the distributions of M. natalensis (shaded green) and M. erythroleucus (red-hatched) across sub-Saharan Africa. Inset denotes the village of Doneguebougou (triangle), where the founder rodents for the colony were live-trapped, in relation to the capital city of Bamako, Mali. Viruses 2021, 13, x FOR PEER REVIEW 4 of 11 Viruses 2021, 13, 590 3 of 9 Figure 1. Geographic distribution of Mastomys natalensis and Mastomys erythroleucus in sub‐Saharan Africa. Shown are the distributions of M. natalensis (shaded green) and M. erythroleucus (red‐hatched) across sub‐Saharan Africa. Inset denotes the village of Doneguebougou (triangle), where the founder rodents for the colony were live‐trapped, in relation to the capital city of Bamako, Mali. Figure 2. Wild-captured Mastomys natalensis in Mali. The image shows the differing physical appearances of M. natalensis Figurecaptures 2. Wild in Mali,‐captured in relation Mastomys to the natalensis relatively in uniform Mali. The giant image shrew shows (three the animals differing on physical the left sideappearances of the image). of M. natalensis captures in Mali, in relation to the relatively uniform giant shrew (three animals on the left side of the image). Approximately 50 years ago, Lassa virus (LASV; Arenaviridae, genus Mammarenavirus) wasThe discovered lone attempt on theto understand Jos plateau LASV in Nigeria infection [3]. kinetics Its association in an appropriate with M. natalensis rodent hostwas wasestablished conducted as by was Walker the endemic et al. [11], region in which (West they Africa) described where infection infections of in Mastomys humans werero‐ dentsoccurring with an annually undefined [4]. Overdose theor source last several of LASV. decades, However, numerous they field did not and determine ecological studiesif the wildhave‐captured been conducted rodents onwere LASV, M. natalensis, mostly focusing which on can prevalence have a variety of infection of physical using molecularappear‐ ances(RT-PCR) (Figure or 2) serological or sympatric (ELISA) and the techniques nearly morphologically [5]. To date, little identical emphasis M. erythroleucus has been placed or M.on huberti. studying the virus/rodent host interactions, due in large part to a lack of colonized M.The natalensis objective. Although of this studyM. natalensis was to establishrodents a have genetically been colonized confirmed and laboratory utilized as colony feeder of ratsM. natalensis for herpetologists, for use in genetic subsequent analyses experiments have shown aimed these at studying animals are LASV/rodentM. coucha. Whilehost interactionsthese animals as well have as shown other emerging utility for pathogens certain cancer, from autoimmune,West Africa. and infectious disease models [6–10], their use in studying LASV dynamics remains minimal. 2. MaterialsThe lone and attempt Methods to understand LASV infection kinetics in an appropriate rodent 2.1.host Trapping was conducted and Quarantine by Walker of Founder et al. Stock [11], in which they described infection of Mastomys rodents with an undefined dose or source of LASV. However, they did not determine if The founders of the M. natalensis colony were live‐trapped in peridomestic settings the wild-captured rodents were M. natalensis, which can have a variety of physical appear- around Doneguebougou (12°48′21” N–7°59′0” W), a rural village in southern Mali, ap‐ ances (Figure2) or sympatric and the nearly morphologically identical M. erythroleucus or proximately a 1 h drive from Bamako (Figure 1). This site was selected for collection of M. huberti. founder stock as our previous studies had shown a high prevalence of M. natalensis with The objective of this study was to establish a genetically confirmed laboratory colony a low diversity of other rodent species in Doneguebougou [5]. Furthermore, we have not of M. natalensis for use in subsequent experiments aimed at studying LASV/rodent host interactions as well as other emerging pathogens from West Africa. Viruses 2021, 13, 590 4 of 9 2. Materials and Methods 2.1. Trapping and Quarantine of Founder Stock The founders of the M. natalensis colony were live-trapped in peridomestic settings around Doneguebougou (12◦48021” N–7◦5900” W), a rural village in southern Mali, ap- proximately a 1 h drive from Bamako (Figure1). This site was selected
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