Genetics of Mouse Behavior: Interactions with Laboratory Environment

TLDR

Behavioral mouse strains are essential for neurobehavioral genetics research. The study examined laboratory environmental effects on several inbred strains and a null mutant by testing them simultaneously in three labs on six behaviors, with apparatus, protocols, and many environmental variables rigorously equated. Despite standardization, strains showed marked behavioral differences and systematic lab‑specific variations, with the magnitude of genetic effects varying by lab, indicating that mutant characterization results may be idiosyncratic to a particular laboratory.

Abstract

Strains of mice that show characteristic patterns of behavior are critical for research in neurobehavioral genetics. Possible confounding influences of the laboratory environment were studied in several inbred strains and one null mutant by simultaneous testing in three laboratories on a battery of six behaviors. Apparatus, test protocols, and many environmental variables were rigorously equated. Strains differed markedly in all behaviors, and despite standardization, there were systematic differences in behavior across labs. For some tests, the magnitude of genetic differences depended upon the specific testing lab. Thus, experiments characterizing mutants may yield results that are idiosyncratic to a particular laboratory.