ABO Blood Phenotyping Services for Rhesus (Macaca mulatta) and Cynomolgus (Macaca fascucularis) Macaques

Primate Products, Inc., in collaboration with the Kanthaswamy DNA Laboratory at the Arizona State University and the Molecular Anthropology Laboratory at the UC Davis, is proud to announce our DNA-based ABO blood phenotyping service for rhesus and cynomolgus macaques.

The increasingly frequent use of rhesus and cynomolgus macaques, which commonly exhibit the A, B and AB blood group phenotypes, as subjects in studies involving transplantation requires that blood and other tissue antigens of donors and recipients be ABO compatible. Our ABO blood phenotype screening service relates to researchers’ ability to avoid fatal immunological reactions during blood transfusion and tissue transplantation experiments with these species. Knowledge of the ABO blood phenotypes can also help exclude or minimize variables during research that can negatively influence results during these types of experimental studies.

We developed a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method based on DNA sequence-specific priming (SSP) to accurately determine the ABO blood group phenotypes of rhesus and cynomolgus macaques by identifying mutations responsible for the A and B antigens. The O phenotype, while potentially useful as a universal donor, is moot for transplantation research in macaques owing to its rarity in macaques and the recessive condition of the O allele in heterozygotes. Our report to you identifies the A, B or AB blood group phenotype of each animal whose whole blood, buffy coat or DNA sample you send us.

For inquiries on sample submission and explanation of the results please contact Heather Gengo at PPI ( HeatherG@primateproducts.com ).