Genetics of Mouse Behavior: Interactions with Laboratory Environment

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...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 1999-06, Vol.284 (5420), p.1670-1672
Main Authors: Crabbe, John C., Wahlsten, Douglas, Dudek, Bruce C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alcohols
Analysis
Animal behavior
Animal Husbandry
Animals
Animals, Laboratory - genetics
Anxiety
Behavior
Behavior Patterns
Behavior, Animal
Behavioral genetics
Behavioral toxicology
Biological and medical sciences
Classical genetics, quantitative genetics, hybrids
Cocaine
Confounding Factors (Epidemiology)
Drinking Behavior
Environment
Environmental laboratories
Ethanol
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Genetics
Genetics of eukaryotes. Biological and molecular evolution
Genetics, Behavioral - methods
Genotype
Genotypes
House mouse
Inbred strains
Laboratories
Male
Mazes
Mice
Mice, Inbred Strains - genetics
Mice, Mutant Strains - genetics
Motor Activity
Psychological Patterns
Psychological Tests
Reproducibility of Results
Rodents
Tap water
Testing laboratories
Vertebrata
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Summary: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.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.284.5420.1670