A behavioural characterisation of the FVB/N mouse strain

The use of transgenic models in scientific research has made an enormous contribution to our understanding of the causes and symptoms of many diseases, including neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and Parkinson's Disease (PD). In the creation of transgenic models of neurodegenerative disease, effects of the background strain of the animal on the resulting genotype must be taken into consideration. This is particularly true for behavioural studies in which the background strain of the mouse may mask the phenotype of the genetic manipulation. Here, the behaviour of two mouse strains used in transgenic models, FVB/N and C57BL6/J, were compared. Studies of circadian wheel activity, cognition and aggression revealed considerable phenotypic differences between strains. These data also indicate that the FVB/N strain is not appropriate as a background strain in the behavioural assessment of transgenic mouse models.