How do I go about mating my chimeric mice?
When starting, keep in mind that each chimeric male, even those created from the same ES cell clone, is unique in its ability to transmit ES cell inherited genes. It is not unusual for chimeric males to be sterile or to produce many black pups before generating agouti pups. Some fertile males will never produce any agouti pups. Therefore, it is advantageous to begin breeding several of your best males initially. It is also wise to breed males generated from at least two different clones if available.
When starting, keep in mind that each chimeric male, even those created from the same ES cell clone, is unique in its ability to transmit ES cell inherited genes. It is not unusual for chimeric males to be sterile or to produce many black pups before generating agouti pups. Some fertile males will never produce any agouti pups. Therefore, it is advantageous to begin breeding several of your best males initially. It is also wise to breed males generated from at least two different clones if available. (Why two different clones?
